The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-20
WEALTHY NEwsBoY's SUICIDE.
Frederick FurIonE, Dcspondent He
cause of Illness, Kills Himself

l
| Despondent because he had been tolt
that he was suffering from an affection
! of the heart from which he could nevei
! recover, Frederick Furlong, the crippled
newsboy who has sold papers at the Bal
timore and Ohio depot ever since the as
sassination of President Garfield, an,
who had amassed a comfortable incom,
| as the result of his industry. yesterday
| morning blew the top of his head off with
a single shot from a shotgun with which
| he had frequently gone hunting, despite
| his crippled condition.
| The deed was committed at the home
| of his sister, 1925 G Street northeast
| where he has been stopping for some
| time. about 6:35 o'clock in the morning
\ physician who was summoned an
| nounced that death must have been al
most instantaneous. Coroner hewitt was
called in and after COMPLETING his inves-
LEGATION gave a certificate of death by
suicide and permitted the body to be pre-
pared for burial by an undertaken.
The funeral will take place from the
residence of Furlongs sister. Mrs. Pink
ney, Thursday morning, and the inter-
ment Will probably be at Mount Olivet
Cemetery. Furlong was well known to
the entire travelling community and was
reputed to be tie wealthiest newsboy in
Washington. He was twenty-eight years
old and was possessed of considerable
business sagacity.
For some time past Furiong had been
in failing health and although he had con-
tinued at his work he had been attended
by a physician the greater part OF the
time. Recently, it is said his medical
adviser told him that he was suffering
from an affection of the heart and that
it would be impossible for him to recover.
This seems to have weighed upon Fur
long mind and he has shown frequent
evidences of depression since. This morn
ing his sister, Mrs. Pinkney had occasion
to go to FurlongS room about $50 o CLOCK
and found him sitting on the side OF the
bed with his gun across his knees. In
response to her question he said that ne
had heard some one in the yard ana
thought an effort was being made 10
break into the house.
Mrs. Pinkney left the room ana had
barely reached the lower floor. when the
report of the weapon rang through the
house. Hurrying pack to her Drother
room, she found him lying across the
bed with CHASTITY wound in the head.
The young man had rested the butt OF
his gun on a chair, and with string ueu
to the trigger had discharged the weapon.
The gun was lying on the hoor Deside the
bed where it had fallen.
Mrs Pinkney called for assistance and
DR.. ID. l. Walter, of 1886 q street was
summoned, but life was extinct when he
arrived at the house
Furlong was a native of this city, and
was one of eight children. His father,
who is now dead, once kept shoe store
in Southeast Washington, and the family
lived on Eleventh Street In the same Sec
ton of the city. Furiong sold his nrst pa
pers the day Garfield was assassinated,
and since then, although Handicapped by
his crippled condition, which necessitated
his going on crutches, he is reported to
have daily sold more papers than any 9TH
err person in Washington. For years he
had been familiar figure in the vicinity
of the Baltimore and Ohio depot, where
he knew every ccmmuter on the road and
kept track of his enormous credit sales
without the use of a book or memoran-
DUN of any kind. He was not only indus
trious. but saved his money, and at one
time owned several carts and horses
which he let out on contract work and de-
rived u considerable income therefrom.
Recently he sold his horses and carts and
bought a house on which he had not quite
con pleted the payments