The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-19
ENDED HIS LIFE WITH A BULLET.
Suicide of Charles Y. Richardson in
First Regiment ArmOry.

first HcEl menr AFmOFys
Mr. Charles Y. Richardson committed
suicide yesterday morning in the First
Regiment Armory by shooting himself
with a Springfield rife. He placed the
muzzle of the rife against his stomach
end the ball passed entirely through his
body, coming out near the neck and lodg-
ing in the wall.
The deed was done at 1880 O'Clock in
the company room of the Oglethorpe Light
Infantry, of which the dead man was an
honorary member. The surroundings
showed that the act had been carefully
planned and the prepare tons cautiously
made. Mr.. Richardson had gathered a
number of rubber ponchos and some blank
cts, and making pile of them, had sat
down, and placing the muzzle Of the rifle
20 his stomach, fred. AS he was unable
to reach the trigger of the gun with his
hand from the position in which he held
it. he secured a ramrod and with the aid
Of that fired the shot that ended his life.
When found he was lying on the bed of
ponchos and blankets quite dead. with the
gun lying between his legs where II had
fallen, and the ramrod at his side.
Mr. Richardson went TO the armory
a bout 10 o'clock with a number of empty
shells, which he said, to Sergt. Fahey,
the janitor that his son had asked him
to place in the company room Of the Ogle-
thorpes. After chatting awhile with the
sergeant he went up stairs to the room
and that was the last seen of MIN alive.
When the report of the rifle was heard
Sergt F'ahey thought it came from the
room of the Greens, where two negroes
were at work, and he asked what they
were about They said they had not fired
the gun. and the sergeant went up to the
Oglethorpes' room, his steps being hasten
ed by the groans that were quite audible
even on the stairs. When he entered the
room he found Mr.. Richardson lying In
the position described and dead His rela-
ives were notified and the body was re-
moved in short time 10 his home No.
225 Bolton street east.
Mr. Richardson had been in i'll health
for some time and it probably unbal-
anced his mind. 1t was not the first time
that he had attempted suicide. Once be-
fore he took poison while in the Odd Eel
lows building audit was with difficulty then
that he was saved. Quite recently he had
another spell of illness and was at one
time thought to be too i'll to recover and
his family was notified to that effect by
the attending physician, but despite this
prediction he so far recovered as to be able
to go out, and his spirits seemed. if any
thing, TO be even better than before he
was taken sick. Yesterday morning be-
fore he left the house he was unusually
bright and cheerful and the shock of his
death is all the more severe in conse-
quence.
Mr.. Richardson was 81 years old and a
native of Charleston. He came to this city
in 1882 and was for a number of years
bookkeeper for the late S. P. Hamilton.
Later he occupied the same position with
Mr.. J. F. LaFar. Subsequently, he went
into business for himself as collector aud
real estate agent and was quite prosper
Gus until his failing health prevented his
giving close attention to his business with
the result that he met with a number Of
reverses. These so preyed on his mind
that they resulted in a mental trouble
from which he suffered for some time and
which finally ended in yesterdays act.
Mr.. Richardson leaves a wife, one son,
Mr. c. II. Richardson, and two daughters,
Mrs. ]. T. Clark and Miss Bessie Richard
son. He was member of the Royal Ar
canum, the Oglethorpe Light Infantry.
and Golden Rule Lodge of Odd Fellows
No Z. II is probable that both the Ogle-
thorpes and Golden Rule Lodge will at
tend the funeral He was also a devoted
and energetic member of ST. Paurs Luth-
eran Church, and it was largely through
his efforts that the present church building
was erected.
The funeral will take place this after
noon at O'Clock. The burial will be
made in Laurel Grove Cemetery. Rev M
J. Epting, pastor of the 81. Paurs Luth-