Evening star., 1901-12-16
SUSPICION AROUSED
Suicide May Lead to Important Dis
closures.
SAMUEL C. PRESLEY MHALES GAS
Keys in His Possession Which Fit
ted Door in Dennis Residence.
SPOTS OF BLOOD FOUND

Samuel c. Presley, compositor. thirty
nine years old, employed in the government
printing office, committed suicide at the
'Ingleside," No. 1119 K street northwest,
this morning by inhaling Illuminating gas.
His dead body was found in his room, a
rear one. on the fourth floor. When in
formation of the affair reached police head
quarters the detectives showed more than
ordinary interest in 1t. for the reason that
the house in which the deed was committed
adjoins that in which the assault was COM
mitted on Mrs. Dennis nearly week ago.
Detective Samuel Browne, who happened
to be in Mrs. Dennis house at the time the
body was discovered, went into the house
and made investigation He failed at
first to find anything which In his opinion
hal any bearing on the case of Mrs Dennis.
Later, however, further search disclosed
the fact that in Presley's effects were two
keys which fitted the vestibule door of the
Dennis residence. The Lonsdale boy, who
had previously stated he saw a man COM
ing out of the womans front door, was
taken to Presley's room, and after viewing
the features said the man resembled the
one he had seen the morning the as
Sault was committed
A slouch hat similar to the one described
by the lad. which he said the man was
wearing was found IN Presleys room.
II
were found on the hat, on some of Presley's
garments and on his shoes.
Presley was formerly resident of Sabine
parish. La. In addition to being a COM
positor he had written several books, 1t Is
stated. one of them the subject of
lynchings in Virginia. Recently he had
been drinking. The condition of things in
his room indicated that the last few min
utes of his life before he adjusted the gas
tube We're spent in writing.
Wrffes Hts Rrotber O Uattar
A letter addressed to his brother. Henry
NJ Presley Of 615 sth street northeast. was
found. 1t reads:
Dear Henry: Have my body cremated
and send ashes home; bury in family grave
yard at New Hope. Some may say 1 am
crazy. but IL l am not sane now 1 never
was. Alcohol Is the child of misery the
mother of crime. There may be power
superior to nature, a power that governs
and directs all things, but the existence of
this power has not been established. Pos
sibly there is a place called HE'LL where
devils live-a hell whose followers are red
hot and waiting for all men like me-but,
am happy to say, there is no proof. So
there may be place called heaven, the
home of God, where angels float and fly and
play on harps and hear with joy the groans
and shreks of the lost in hell. There is no
evidence. In the presence of the mysteries
OF life and thought, of force and substance,
of growth and decay, of birth and death
OF JOY and pain. of the sufferings Of the
good. the triumphs of wrong, the intelligent
honest man is compelled to say. do not
know.
Suggestive Verses.
The following verses he had written on a
scrap OF paper were also found:
over the hills the sun is setting,
And the eve is drawing near;
Slowly drops the gentle twilight
For another day has gone.
1T is gone forever its race is oyer-
Soon the darker shades will come;
But still it is sweet to know at evening,
We are one day nearer home.
To the green fields and the fountains
Summer land beyond the skies;
one day nearer, cries the sailor
As his hfebOat cuts the foam"
This morning when Mr.. Presley failed to
appear at the breakfast table suspicion was
aroused. and waiter sent to his room
found the door locked. The brother of the
occupant OF the room was sent for, and
when he broke open the door he found the
dead body of Samuel in the bed
Before retiring the unfortunate man had
put on his dressing gown, got under the
cover. and. running the tube beneath the
gown. he placed the end near his nose
where he was certain to get the effect of
the gas.
Detective Browne searched the effects OF
the dead man, and had a policeman take
charge of the room until the arrival Of the
coroner
Coroner hewitt visited the house this af-
ternoon and was shown a garment of the
unfortunate man which contained several
spots. As it was thought possible that
they were blood stains, the acting coro-
ner had policeman take charge of the
room until later in the day. when he will
make more careful investigation of the
garments. which were taken to police head
quarters.
IL was necessary for the acting coroner to
delay the investigation of this case as he
had an inquest on hand and also had to an
pear on the witness stand in murder case
on trial In the criminal court. On the left
sleeve of a light overcoat are what appear
to be two small blood stains There are
also stains of some kind on one shoe and
spots on pair of pants and sack coat
taken from Mr.. Presley's room
The garments have been turned over to
Prof- Hird, the chemist in the health de-
partment- Persons who saw the supposed
stains % the sleeve of the overcoat saw
they do not see how the wearer Of the gar
ment could possibly have participated in
the assault on Mrs. Dennis and have es-
capped with so small an amount of blood on
his coat There is nothing about the ap-
pearance of the coat to Indicate that any
other stains had been removed Acting
coroner Glazebrook will probably not give
certificate in the case until Prof Hird
mas finished his examination.