Evening journal., 1900-03-05
JOHN c. FARRA
ENDED HIS LIFE
Former President of Council Shot
Himself Through the Heart
Yesterday Afternoon.
THE ACT A DELIBERATE ONE

HE WAS FOUND LOCKED IN HIS
OFFICE AT THE B. & o. RAIL
ROAD STATION BY THE WATCH
MAN.
John c. Farra. one of the most wide
Unknown men In the city, ended his
life yesterday afternoon by shooting
himself through the heart
The act was committed in a room ad- |
Joining his office, on the second floor
Of the B. & o. railroad station, Water
and Market streets. While his body
was not discovered until 8 o'clock, Il is !
supposed that the fatal shot was fred
some hours earlier. Temporary insan-
ity is believed TO be the cause OF the
act.
WATCHMAN MADE DISCOVERY.
Mr.. Farra was known TO have been
in the building early in the afternoon,
put 1t was not until Watchman Patrick
Murray went on duty that his death
was made known. Shortly after Muir
ray arrived at the station ne went up
70 the second floor Of the building and
glancing through a glass door saw Mr..
farra lying upon the floor Of the room
next his office.
i Badly frightened he hurried down
stairs and notified Ticket Agent ] e
Hitch who obtained the KEY of Mr.
Farra's Office and examined the body
Inc room in which the dead man lay
is used as a store room and contained
articles used In railway Offices.
MT. EQrrQ Law unor, ht- I,.or- l..
side him was the weapon which ended
his life. His clothing had been opened
in order that his aim might he cer-
tain. Two shots were fred. one bullet
u penetrating his breast and the second
going directly through the heart. The
weapon had been held close to the
body, as the flesh was blackened bv
J powder. The pistol was a single ac-
ton one. OF 32-cahbre, and IT was nee
essary Tor Mr.. Farra to cock il after
ne ired the first shot before the second
cne could be fired. The weapon was
Identified by Mr. Hitch as one kent
about the office in case of emergency.
II newspaper man, who was the first
! except the railway men mentioned. 10
2 iearn OF the suicide. Immediately noti-
ned Police Sergeant Lucas who, with
O1lcers Tucker and Lyons at once
5 went to the depot and took charge of
tpe remains until the arrival of the
( coroner.
TWO LETTERS FOUND.
On table near the dead body Cor
oner Vandever found two letters writ
ten by Mr. Farra. One was addressed
to his wife and the other to James F.
! Higgins, division freight agent of the
road.
As soon as possible Mr.. Farra's body
was removed to Deputy Coroner Ferris
Giles morgue and Coroner Vandever
sWore in jury to hold an inquest this
evening
= BORE UP BRAvELY.
The wife Of the dead man was noti-
! fed Of the occurrence and bore up
t bravely under the shock. Some time
- later Coroner Vandever called on Mrs.
Farra at her residence, No. 9O2 West
4 Ninth street, and delivered to her her
- husbands effects and the letter writ
e ten TO her. AS the communication was
r sealed the coroner did not open it. but
o after IL had been read by Mrs. Farra.
It was handed over to him. He refuses
a TO diyulge the contents to anyone.
S The letter addressed to Mr.. Higgins
contained nothing but the combination
S Of the safe in the railway office. and
q made no reference to the contemplated
n deed.
!. A TRUSTED EMPLOYE.
y Mr.. Farra was cashier Of freight re
S ceipts of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
, road Company in this city, and until
S the abolition OF the local Office III
J. January last, he was secretary and
treasurer Of the Baltimore and phila.
delphia railroad, comprising the Phila.
delphia division Of the Baltimore and
? Ohio railroad.
vi He was a trusted employe of the
g. company and Of recent years had beer
n accustomed to working at the station
J. on Sundays to straighten his accounts
d for the past week. He had been en-
h gagged rather steadily of late in receiv
1fl ing freight receipts, although las
" week he had felt i'll. Mrs. Farra yes
le terday morning asked her husband Z,
" accompany her to church, but h,
j. stated he had to attend to his accounts
Mr.. Farra handled the local freigh
ID receipts Of the company and a travel
ling auditor examined his accounts
week or so ago and they were foun,
IL to be correct. Railway officials ex
press no doubt that they are so a
" present.
is So far as can be learned. Mr.. Farr
lis went to the station about 9 O'Clock
s. and attended 10 a few details in his OF
J. fee, but left about $50 o'clock an
rk went to the rooms Of the Bayard lie
Ill gion Democratic Club, where he re
e- manned until the afternoon.
n, He left the club rooms about Is
'e- o'clock and arrived at his Office tn
second time about 2 o'clock. He wa
heard walking about upstairs by Bae
gage Master Cramer at that time. n
H. one heard the fatal shots fired, al
la, though Mr.. Cramer states he heard
as sound resembling the falling of a wiz
en- dow sash shortly after 2 o'clock AL
nd that is probably about the hour tha
III Mr.. Farra killed himself, as the bod
was cold when found.
A WELL-KNOWN MAN.
th John c. Farra was one of the bes