Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-28
BULLET THROUGH HIS HEAD
WELL-KNOwN PATENT ATTORNEY
COMMITS SUICIDE.
CoOlly Made His Arrangements and
Left Note With a
Friend.

ent business in this city for a number Of
years. committed suicide about O'Clock
last night on the harbormaster's wharfA 10y
shooting himself in the head. He died in
the Emergency Hospital ambulance while
being conveyed to the hospital, and his
body was placed in the hospital dead room
to await the arrival of the coroner. This
morning Coroner hewitt learned of the cir
cumstances surrounding the affair and gave
a certificate of death from a self-intiicted
wound.
The man whose life was suddenly ter
minated was fond Of river sports, and late
yesterday afternoon he called on Harbor-
master Sutton to spend several hours about
the wharf, as he had done on many pre-
Vious occasions. A number of men were
in the office conversing. and Mr.. Ennis,
who took part In the discussion of various
topics, seemed to be in the best of spirits.
Give me a sheet of paper and an en-
velope,' he said to Harbormaster Sutton
Il want to write letter and leave it with
you"
He sat at the desk in the office and wrote
the letter, meanwhile not losing the drift OF
the conversation in which those in the office
were engaged When he had finished his
writing he folded the paper and placed 1t
in the envelope. This act on his part was
regarded as a little strange, but as many
people take this means of asking for the
loan Of money the rec .pent of the message
tnouSnt tnere was no necessity lof TedulHS
it in the presence of the writer. Placing
the envelope in his pocket Mr.. Sutton left
the office about O'Clock and started home
on a car. When he reached 7th and F
streets he opened the envelope and found
a message which read:
Dear Bob: This is a plain case of sui
eide by a rational man: therefore no in
quest is necessary. AS a brother Mas on
want you to have my body taken to Eur
horst's "a member of my LODGE and kept
there until Columbia Lodge and Eureka
Chapter will Jointly plant me in Arlington.
Yours fraternally, FL. J. ENNIS.
Sends n Warming by Phone.
Harbormaster Sutton could hardly be-
lieve that the writer meant to end his life,
and although he believed it was a joke he
got off the car and went to the nearest
telephone 10 warn the men IN the Office.
Unfortunately the message was received at
the office too late, for Mr.. Ennis had gone
to the wharf and had fired the fatal shot.
The harbormaster hurried back to his
office, reaching there just after his dying
friend had been taken away in the ambu-
lance.
1t is stated that after the harbormaster
had said good night to Ennis and ,-Ie other
men in the office, Ennis remained in con-
versation with them about ten minutes,
when ne walked out, saying he would soon
return. In less than a minute after he
had left the office the report of a pistol
shot was heard. The office was immedi-
ately deserted and the wounded man, who
had shot himself in the. right temple. was
iouho on me "harl "ltii the r.. ol,fl I1aa
reache5 the wharf in the Emergency Hos
pital ambulance. He saw at glance that
lam G3 1ad 40 th ,nhm1anca and
ing there life left his body While no mo-
tive was given for the deed it is believed