New-York tribune., 1899-05-18
SELESLALN IN HIS OFFICE.
WILLIAM A. JONES KILLS HIMSELF
WHILE FRIENDS STAND NEAR

,,,spoNnrxc-v OVER HIS WIFE. WHO Is IN A
s.,,,r,p,,,y SAID TO HAVE CAUSED
HIS AcT-HB WAS AGENT OF
THE EMPIRE LINE
x,,,,,or. % word of warning and while ne was
standing at his desk apparently preocoupeU
some business paper, William A. Jones 'ne Ne"
York agent Of the Empire Line, Heisi my 49,,
nected with the Pennsylvania Railroad shot MN
so,s tbrouph the head with an old-fashloheo ie-
,o,ver q, his office No. 3sl Broadway. The raseaS
occurred q little after yesterday anu NIL
Jones fell to the floor dead. , ~.
Mr. Jones had given no intimation OF MS az"
George Requea, Of the contractors Oh 'ne I'm
n,ra Line was standing near Mr.. Jones wheh ITO
blew his brains out -. Ora-
and-fourteenth-s and Lenox-ave. lie WAS
ms rried and had no children. HIS wiie' who - o
invalid has been in a sanitarhuh IL, .,.
Conn for some time. and for the las. iew '0
Mr. Jones has been respondent over MS "iio ~
dition. Yesterday morning ne hau d 0o"N ,,
with some one over the long-distance teIephohe
GA &, ues thought that he received news from his
w,fe which caused him to become more desponden'
than ever He had been more or less "ei""0
so the clerks say. for several days -
r,u.d,eteIv over the desk at which Mr JoheS
WAS standing was picture OF MS "iie' 'n "
k,ndlv faced woman and the couple were oe'o'eu
shoot,ng WAS that the pistol was found IN tne
drawer TO the left Of where he was stanaihs ne
must have had a moment or cohscious"eS' '
after shooting to have replaced the "e"p "
the drawer from which 1t was TAKEN AI'houe" "o
was right handed yet he shot himself with MS
left hand Just before the shooting TOOK pace III
Jones turned on all the gas and electric hgh's'
NJ Reouea who was within ten feet Of where
Nr Iones was standing said that he had no inti-
nation whatever Of the tragedy III ca'c my "
fash William A Sedgman, the agent oi 'he N'"
cago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad COMPANY
which shares the offices with the Empire Line was
also in the offlce ,.,
A soon as the shooting took place telegraph
message was sent to George NJ. Ball. the general
manager of the Empire Line whose man once Il"
in Philadelphia. Mr. Ball boarded the nrs' l'aiii
and by o'clock in the once ban sta'eu
that he was well acquainted with Jones puSi-
ness affairs and knew he was a man OF sterhhs
Integrity He said his affairs, so far as the COM
pany was concerned, were all right. MT Ban paid
| a high tribute to the ability and standing OF Mr
| Jones
| Mr.. Jones. Mr. Ball stated. had been connected
with the Empire Line for twenty-five years. ana
for thirteen or fourteen years had been its agent
in New-York City. He was hfty-two years oo'
| and WAS born in Dublin. He had been IN this
country for fifty years. He was scrupulously az
tentve to his business and was careful In all his
Several weeks ago Mr. Ball had occasion to visit
New York and had a conversation with Mr: Jones;
| At the time he appeared to be despondent a aha
epoke Of his wfe's condition At the time ne u 1on
| him that he feared much for his wife Mr.. Ban
/ tried TO cheer him up In vain. . .,
| Word was also sent 10 Isaac A. Jones. orother;;
| Az soon as Mr. Requea realized what had occurred
| he sent word to Charles H. Harriott the prother-
| n-law Of Mr. Jones. who lives at No l,yS Maolson..
ave Harriot went TO the office ana TOOK chaTge M OF
the body and such property as the Coroner ala no.
\ REQUIRE Harriott said that Mr.. jones had twn
| brother whose address he does not know, but VIII
| send for him soon as he ascertains the ADDRESS
Mr. Jones was memosr OF the 1th keg,meIhH, eIH'
The pistol with which he shot himself Is an Old od.
| fashioned affair and has the name or Jones with
the date 1867 on It, No letters have yet been found
| or no statement which would indicate motive Tor
| the suicide. Coroner Hart. who was summoned az
once took charge Of the body and the effects neces
sary for the Coroners office. ,
| The suicide was committed in the office in the
rear of the room. Jones after firing the sho,
| dropped al the foot Of his desk. Blood and brains
| are scattered all about, and the office puts on
sangunary appearance. Just few moments be-
fore the shooting Mr.. Jones greeted one of the
| clerks whom ne had noticed for the first time
| during the day and asked about his health few
seconds before the shooting he was deeply I'm
mersed in his papers. and gave no sign of nervous