The sun., 1900-02-01
DOCTOR HODGK|NS
KILLED BY GAS
Physician From Eastern Shore
of Maryland Found Dead
in Hotel Bed.
IDENTIFIED BY "THE Sun"
Mrs. A. Reese Crew, of No. 11o4 West
Fifth Street, Sister of the Dead
Man, Was Notified of His
Asphyxiation Last Night
and is Frustrated.

Whetf er DIR. Frank II. Hodgkins, Of
Chestertown, Md, committed suicide in
room No. 90 at Nager's Hotel, Fourth
aud French streets, will probably remain
a mystery forever. His dead body was
found lying across the bed in the room
yesterday afternoon. The gas was turned
on full head. The man was dressed with
the exception of his overcoat, undercuat
and shoes. He lad been dead for prob
ably an hour and half when found.
The only evidence Of intent to commit
suicide are the facts OF DIR. Hodgklns
applying at the hotel for lodging when
he had sister living in Wilmington, his
failure to register and the Absence OF any
thing by with his body could be identi-
fed.
For several hours after the body was
found the identity of the dead man was
unknown and it was only through the
efforts of representative OF The Sun
that it was disclosed to Coroner Van
dever that the victim OF the deadly gas
Jet was DR.. Frank Ii. Hudgkins OF
Chestertown. TIE Sun also located Mrs.
A. Reese Crew, No. 1i04 West Fifth
street, sister OF the dead man. When
this information was impaired to the
Coroner, he, accc ccmpanied by Deputy
Corener Giles, visited the Crew residence
and informed Mr.. Grew of DR.. .Hodg kins'
death. Alter the departure of the Coro-
nsr, Mr. Crew broke the news to his
wife ~ gently as possible.
Mrs. Crew 10 proptIatsd over hei
brothers sad death and the body will be
removed from the morgne to Mrs. Crews
home, No. l04 West Fifth street somt
time today.
Nobody about the hotel knew DR.
Hodgkins or anything about him, cx
cept that he spent the night in the room
He entered the hotel between 8 and II
o'clock Tuesday night and asked for |
room. He was shswn 10 No. ~, ant
left instructions that he was 10 be eallee
at Z o'clock the next morning. Fo
some reason he did not register, and y
nobody had much to aay 10 him, N IA
as is known, nothing was learned abou
him.
AT z O'Clock yesterday morning Mis-
Minnie Nager called him, but receives
no response, and came to the conclusion
that tile man had changed his mint
about getting up at that tils and allowe'
him to sleep, as she thought. .st noon
however, when the man did n max
his appearance at dinner, the suspicion
of the hotel people were aroused, am
after dinner they decided to make an in
vestigation. Joseph Nager went to tn
room door and after knocking and fail
ing to receive any reply triei to open it
but 1t was locked aud he was unable L
/ do so. He sunni o1ed Policeman Sherry
and together they were able TO force I'll
door open.
They found DIR. Hodgkins' body lynn
across the bed apparently dead and TIN
room was filed with illuminating gas
Captain Kane, of the police department
was notified, and in company with Cor
oner Tandever and Deputy Corone
Giles, was soon on the scene. There wa
no evidence of foul play.
There was nothing of importance
found on the mans person. The onl.
thing in the shape writing was the bacl
Of An envelope containing the following
names:
Maria Morgan, Sarah Blake, Anni
Blake, Nancy Hill, Warren Jones, Arti
Pierce, Sarah Corse. Several OF thes
we're ritten in ink In lead pencil wa
the name Of oi Harry McWhorter. Fol
lowing this was more writing, hard t.
read. but taken to be "BetNeen Scrautol
and Bird" with the number 3lS below
This envelope bore the postmark Z
Chestertown, Md, where it was leceive
October A, last
John Shuster and NJ. Davie, of No. 80
West street, and Charles Roland, # NJ
1909 Tatnail street, we've produced b
The Sun and identified the body beyon
doubt
DR.. Frank H. Hodgkins was about 9
years Of age, practiclng physician {
Chestertown and we'll known on tn
Eastern Shore Of Maryland. He rea
medicine under the late DR.. Thoms
: Cooper, OF Chestertown, and succeede
in great measure 30 DIR Cooper's pra,
tice after the death of that physician
DIR. Hodgkins was practicing for whi
at Rock Hall prior to the death OF d
! Cooper.
He leaves an aged, widowed mother,
WHOM he was The sole support. He al'
has brother, Charles Hodgkins,
Chestertown, and his sister, Mrs. Grey
! lives IN Wilmington.
The inquest will be held on Frids
evening at O'clock.
Interment will be made at Cheste
! town.
Tickets for Councilmen.
/; Members OF City Council last hight r