The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-28
ACT OF A DR1NK-cRAzED MAN.
Police Find No Motive for Murder
In Hotel yendome.


NEW YORK, Aug. 27.-After a career of
dissipation extending over period of about
eight weeks in the course of which he
made several attempts to kill himself and
the woman with whom he was infatuated,
John Esson, Chicago railroad contractor.
finished his prolonged spree this morn
ing by shooting his friend Harold H.
Stridiron. in the latter's room in the Ho-
tel Vendome. He then sent a bullet into
his own brain, causing almost instant
death.
Two shots were fired by Esson at Strid-
iron. The first bullet struck in the back
of the head and the second in the left
eye. Neither of them was instantly fatal,
but the victim is now in the New York
Hospital with but little chance of recov-
cry
Although they searched all day for a
motive for Esson's assault on his friend the
police could find none. They came to tile
conclusion that the attempt at murder was
the act of drink-crazed man, who. bent
on killing himself had causelessly con-
ceived the idea of killing some one with
him. The day before. they learned, a
woman whom Esson knew came near being
the victim. but his attempt 10 kill her was
frustrated by her own agility.
That Esson's suicide at least was pre-
medltated was shown by a note which was
found in his pocket. The note read:
The better the day, the better the deed.
The world and my friends will be well rid
of me- Those who have been kind will
forgive me as / hope God will. I'm fall
ure."
This was unsigned and undated. The
phrase. the better the day, the better the
deed" would seem to indicate it had been
written on Sunday and Esson hoped 10
carry out mis- plan to kill himself and per-
haps somebody else on Monday.
Esson and Stridiron were friends in
Chicago. From what was learned about
TIE 6oings of the two men. they appear
TO have been together here pretty con-
stantly since the Fitzsimmons- Rubin
fight which Stridiron came TO see.
In the course of the Afternoon Strid-
iron was able to make statement to the
coroner describing the shooting, but Civ
ing 70 reason for it.
While the coroner was taking his state
ment a blonde-haired young woman was
pacing the floor OF the hospital office. She
told the clerk she wanted to see Strid-
iron and was allowed TO go up to him in
the ward. AS soon as Stridiron saw her
he said:
This is a fine thing John did to me-
Then he and the woman had a few min
utes' conversation alone. The woman told
the coroner afterward that she was close
friend CT the dead man, and she wished
to claim his body. Her name, she said,
was Lillian Hayes and that she lived at
PA West Forty-eigth Street.
The Hayes woman said that Esson's life
was insured in her name for $4,000, and
that he had left other property to her.
Later in the afternoon the woman told the
police she had known Esson for three
years.
Il came here in June" said the woman,
-and Mr.. Esson came here about July /.
He began TO drink at once and sometm>s 1
would not see him for 4 week or more.
Last Sunday / met him on Broadway. and
he was drunk. We went to my araTt-
ments, where he lay on a lounge He
asked me TO marry him, but | refused.
Then he told me TO take his shoes eff, and
as l did so he pulled out revolver and
said he was going to kill me and himself.
knocked the pistol out of his hand ard
ran out of the room. Then he went out
When l went back into the room l found
he had taken $1,000 worth of jewelry of
mine. Since then have been looking for
him to get it back. Mr.. str;diron l did
not know well
According 10 the Hayes woman Esson
had $4,000 coming to him from a railroad
contract and $3.50 on a contract he had
just completed for the city of Chicago.
These she said he had assigned TO her in
a viii, which he made a few weeks ego.
Besides the life insurance, the policy for
which she held. she said she had heard him
speak of having two other policies. She
seemed to take the death of her friend
cDully