The times., 1900-12-28
MESSAGE READ TOO late
The Pathetic Feature of the Sui
eide Of Henry J. Ennis.
The WeII-Nnovn Patent Attorney
Writes HnrbOrmnster sutton of His
Intention TO Take His Own Life--A
Warming Sent to the OE;ce just
After the Fatal Shot Was Fired.

| Henry ]. Ennis. well-known patent at
! torney, who lived with his family at 20
Seventh Street southeast, shot himself in
/ the temple last night on the Harbormas-
! ter's wharf. He died in an ambulance on
| the way to the Emergency Hospital few
minutes later. The motive for the deed
, is not known About two hours and a
! half before taking his life Ennis wrote
! the following note, placed it in an envel-
| ope addressed to Harbormaster Sutton.
/ and laid it on the desk at which the Har
| bormaster was seated:
| Dear Bob: This is plain of suicide by a
rational man. therefore no inquest is necessary.
As brother Mason want you to have my body
| taken to Zurhorst's Ga member of my lodge) and
kept there until Columbia Lodge and Eureka
Chapter will jointly plant me in Arlington Yours
! fraternay, IL. J. ENNIS,
Ennis left home yesterday about noon,
remarking that he was going to the
postoffice. He evidently went to the busi-
ness district of the city and spent part
of the afternoon. About o'clock he
appeared at the Harbormaster's office.
He was an old friend of Sutton and
spent much of his leisure time at the
office on the Seventh Street wharf He
seemed at that time to be in good spirits.
After he had been al the Office some time
Ennis asked the Harbormaster for paper
and an envelope. which was given to him.
He wrote brief note and placed it in the
envelope, and addressing it to the Har-
bormaster, placed Il on his desk. About
els o'clock Sutton went out, leaving the
not, unread on his desk. and remained
about an hour. When he returned he
again talked in jocular vein with Ennis
and shortly after Z o'clock started for his
home AS he passed his desk he picked
up the note, thrust it in his pocket care
lessly, and. bidding goodnight to Ennis,
left the office.
After he had boarded Seventh Street
car. Sutton opened the envelope and read
the note He was astounded at the con-
tents and hurriedly leaving the car
hastened back to the office, but arrived
there too late. Ennis in a dying condition
with bullet wound in his head was just
being taken away in the ambulance.
After Suttons departure Ennis began to
talk with a number of men who were sit
ting in the office. Among them were
James A Davis, n watrhman At the Har-
bormaster's office Thomas Browning, who
lives on Street southwest George Cook,
the mate of the steamer Harry Randall;
Green Sanders. watchman fer the E. s.
Randall Steamboat Company. Stepnen
Gardello, purser of the EsteIle Ran
dali; Morris Parker, an employe of the
Randall Company, and Edward Ashton, a
boy. The party talked on various sub
tects for a time. About five minutes Le-
fore o'clock, Ennis made trivial ex-
cuse and walked out of the office.
Nothing unusual was thought of this ac-
tion until moment after he had passed
through the door when the party was
startled by the loud report of pistol.
seemingly fired on the other side of the
door leading 10 the wharf. Everyone
rushed out. and at the foot Of a flight OF
four steps leading to the lower wharf lay
Ennis. a revolver lay a short distance tp
one side and the flooring of the wharf was
stained with blood, which came from a
wound in the right temple. But onc shot
had been fired. and the bullet. .3S-calibre
hal torn its way through the brain.
Ennis was. lifted up and carried into the
Office. and the police were at once notified
An ambulance from Emergency Hospital
quickly responded 10 a call. and the body
Of the unconscious man placed in the
vehicle. Sutton, who had tco late learned
the contents of the note, arrived Just as
the ambulance was driving away. He had
telephoned to the Office in an attempt to
after Ennis had fired the fatal shot
Ennis leaves a wife and six children
They are Mrs. Frank f. Sherry. wife of
Frank e. Sherry, manager of the John F.
Sherry Printing Company. at CPS DlStreet
northwest; Mrs. Frank Ryan, of this city
and Nellie. Clara, Ralph, and William H.
Ennis, all of whom live at the hbme on
Seventh Street southeast. Ennis was a
member of Columbia Lodge, f. A. A. NJ,
and Eureka Chapter, Royal Arch Masons
He was capable patent attorney and at
one time had large practice, and had
accumulated considerable money. This !
he lost however, il is said several years
ago. He was an old soldier. having
served in the civil war in many of the |
important campaigns.
Ennis was we'll known along the river |
front He was very fond of boating and |
could handle a small catboat or a yacht |
fully as well as any man in Washington |
Much of his leisure time he spent about !
the Harbormaster's office. He was we'll /
liked by all who knew him and had the /
reputation of being extremely generous !
and kind hearted. In fact, the loss of con- |
property which he at one time |
possessed is attributed to his free handed /
nature and lack of prudent business prin-
ciples For a week or so he had COM
planned of not feeling well. but yesterday
he seemed TO have regained his former
health and spirits. His funeral will be
by the two Masonic lodges of |
which he was n member and interment
VIII probably, as he requested be made in
Arlington. The body remained in the dead
room at the hospital last night An in