New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-25
SUICIDE OF A HERO.
BRAVE BILL" ANTHONY, OF THE MAINE
KILLS HIMSELF.
MARINE WHO BECAME FAMOUS FOR COOL
COURAGE WOULD NO LONGER
FACE LIES TRIALS.

William Anthony, widely known as Brave
| BIZ" Anthony the marine orderly whose cool
ness when the Maine was going down under MS
foot IN the bottom Of Havana Harbor made him
famous. committed suicide yesterday The man
who in that terrible emergency could say 10
Captain Sigsbee without the culver of an eye
lash saluting the while as II discipline were the
only thing on earth worth caring much about
"sir. I have the honor to inform you that the
| ship has been blown UP and Is sinking couiu
| not endure the ordinary trials Of life with that
patient fortitude which marks many nero OF
another kind.
| Various theories advanced for the act
| The fact that Anthony married since his return
| from Cuba and that his wife has not been Nv
ing with him for some time leads TO the suppo-
| sition that marital unhappiness was at the bot
tom of IT. In one Of his pockets was found
| letter addressed TO his aunt. Mrs. Edward
Krietsch. No. 100 East Seventy -flfth-st, IN
| which Anthony said he disconsolate ana
| discouraged. and was going TO end 1t all. The
| letter. which was written in a good round hand
| reads follows:
New-York November ~, 1879
My Dear Aunt Nett: Please do as requestaed III, N
my to-day of this m am disGour neSt @ emu
Courage Dell to come down unless she wishes TO
come She is the best and nooesy y wo her In case
She should come love our little boy as you would
your own. Your unhappy
A photograph of good looking woman VINO
II was said is Anthony's wife, was also found IN
his breast pocket On it was written. BURY
this with me-"
Mrs Krietsch told the police last night that
she had offered Anthony furnished room as
his home. but that he had refused the OFFER
nrsAppo1NTMrNT A POSSIBLE MOTIVE.
Another supposition as to the reason for An
tbonv.s suicide is that the honors and applause
| sbowered upon him by his fellow countrymen'
| ,,,, oa,o,rod IN the man the essence OF courage
| ond discipline which he displayed so conspicu-
| ouslv at a time which tried the souls OF the
| hrayest turned his head little, and that the
o,, q, which he was allowed TO fall entirely out
| ~ e,ob+ &c soon as the war began to supply
| stoodv etream OF new heroes for the pubic 10
| acclaim disappointed him bitterly. Inc HoS'
nrobable solution Of his motive IN cohih'''"e
| suicide lies in a mixture OF both these reasons
| taken in connection with the mans conVlViai
habits Gam
Anthony drank a quantity OF cocaine IN CEN
! trail Park close TO the entrance at seventy
ninth-st and Fifth-ave.. about O'CLOCK yes
| terdav afternoon. A policeman saw MIN raiSe
the bottle TO his lips and then fall TO the erouu
An ambulance happened to be near oS ahN
| Anthony was hurried to the presbyterian fios-
p,tal. lie was not unconscious. and IN answer
TO questions told the policeman that ne hVeu
| in Albany He refused to disclose MS ideh'IS'
Az the bospital he died thirty-fve minutes
after his admission, in spite OF all that 'he SUI -
reons could do. He was dressed in civilians
clothes, but the contents OF his pockets showed
who he was Besides the things already men
toned. there were a large knife. Mauser cart
ridge. two cents in money, nickel watch and
| a brass chain a locket studded with small dia-
| monds an empty half-ounce phial, which was
marked "Hydrochlorate Of cocaine. Muriate Of
| cocaine Crystals" II bore the name Of Schief-
fen & Co.
There was also a Spanish American war
medal such as all the survivors OF the Maine
received.
NAME A HOUSEHOLD WORD.
After the first shock which the news Of the
blowing up of the Maine gave this country
Brave Bill" Anthonys name became a house
hold word, and his laconic report Of the dis
aster to Captain Sissbee became part OF his
tory. The evidence which he subsequently gave
at the investigation Of the treacherous plot was
also read with immense interest by all Ameri-
cans, not only because it unconsciously en-
phasized his wonderful coolness but because
it presented to the reader a singularly graphic
and rare picture. drawn by eye witness, OF
how it looks to a man on board ship to have
that ship blown up under him. "Bill's" testimon,
follows:
Il was standing on the main deck, Just outside
trembing and 5uekng of the decks ana do tSeG
prolonged roar-not short report but a prolonged
wing awning and the quarter deck awning should
' Join there space of at least eighteen inches
I lnnlr ont nd iDnrfQ CHI
and then l started in to the captain"
Did you notice any perceptibe list TO the shit
d AT the first shock the ship instanuy-that is th
a quarter deck where ] was standing dipped for
I apparently broke in the middle like that dndl
port The upsheot Of Game was well T forwS orfr
= | must have been forward OF the superstructure.
Gf aSS's s3as Sa 90
wv sote on more 5oe port or sta d de
it Looked IKE IT covered the W, whole ship 1t was
J, for minute, as much as could see for the avn
'Did you notice any water with it?'
II did not notice that. sir. started for the cap
< tan's cabin at once"
on his return to this country Anthony got
5 tremendous welcome wherever he went II
b. was invited to many places. and was every
= where lionized. For months he travelled owe
q the country as the guest Of various cities an
y towns. and it seemed as II the people woul
n never tire Of looking at him and shaking hi
e hand. When his leave Of absence ended An
Il thony was promoted TO be sergeant Of ma
= r,nes and was detailed at the Brooklyn Nav
Yard. Soon afterward he married, and wit
! the rise Of new heroes sank out Of public sigh
, His wife is said TO be living in Yates Count!
e ~. Y.
c | Bill" was a New-York boy, born within
: stones throw Of the Battery. and entered III
i | Army as soon he big enough TO pas
muster His last army service was at Yves
Point where his splendid figure caused him to /
\ / picked out for drum major. Twelve or fourtee
years ago he joined the Navy. Too much con
VITALITY prevented his advancement In eithe
branch Of the service TO any great degree Whe
on active duty. however, "Bl" was ever IN