Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-01
BRONAUGH A SUICIDE
NAVAL OFFICER KILLS HIMSELF
ON KEARsARaE.
Had Suffered From Malarial Fever and
Had Been Under Severe
Mental Strain.

Lieut. Commander William V. Bronaugh.
executive officer o; the United States bat
tleship Kearsarge, committed suicide yes
terday In his cabin on that vessel at the
Brooklyn navy yard. by shooting himself
in the head with revolver. The event
| caused a sensation at the yard. where sew
eral vessels of the North Atlantic squad
ron are now lying. just what caused Com
mander Bronaugh to take his own life could
not be learned. All Of his brother officers
who were seen declared that they were ig-
norant of the circumstances which led to
the deed.
He was busy yesterday morning attend
ing to his duties. and was quietly convers-
ing with other officers Of the ship on deck
| shortly before noon. when he said sudden
ly he would go to his cabin and prepare for
dinner. He seemed cheerful.
Soon after the officers and crew Of the
ship were startled by the report Of a re-
volver coming from his room. Several Of
the officers rushed to the cabin. They
found Commander Bronaugh bleeding from
a wound in the temple. DR.. McClung, the
ships surgeon, was called, but when he
reached the cabin Commander Bronaugh
was dead.
Word was at once sent to Rear Admiral
Barker, commandant of the yard. and a
message was also wired to the Navy De-
partment. marine guard of honor was
Drawn up on deck ana GUARDS were plaCeQ
elsewhere about the ship, all the formalities
attendant upon the death of an officer OF
rank on board being observed No one not
connected with the ship or yard was al
lowed on board
The duties Of an executive officer on a
big ship like the Kearsarge are trying and
one explanation was that worry over these
had unsettled Commander Bronaugh's mind.
He was navigator Of the Massachusetts in
| the recent maneuvers. and was also under
a severe nervous strain at that time. Re-
Gently he suffered an attack of malarial
| fever
Commander Bronaugh's daughter is a
student at the Rounds School for Girls. on
Clinton avenue, Brooklyn. At the school
| last night it was said that Mrs. Bronaugh
had been stopping for week there with
| her daughter. and that both were pros
| trated because Of the suicide. Neither could
| be seen. but it was said for them that Com
| mander Bronaugh, who spent Monday night
| at the school, had been ill.
| Capt Purnell F. Harrington. captain OF
| the Brooklyn yard, expressed theory as
| to Commander Bronaugh's act.
He" said Capt Harrington. may have
| been thinking of the other suicides, which
were very sad affairs, and in an unguarded
| moment the desire to try it himself seized
| him, he lost his mental balance, and 1t was
all over in minute
Born in Kentucky. Commander VIM. "
Bronaugh entered the Naval Academy on
June B. 1873, and graduated with high hon
| ors in 1879. He received his first assign
ment at sea on board the Tennessee In 1880.
| Later he served on the Alaska in 1885. In
August 1888, he was promoted an ensign
| and was on the Macarthur in 1881, the Blake
| in 1882, the Hassler in 1882 and 1884, and
the Portsmouth in 1858. In 1888 he was
detailed as inspector of steel for new cruis-
ers and remained on that duty until De-
cember. 1891. In 1924 he was on board the
Alliance on the Pacific station.
January y, 1893, he was promoted to lieu
tenant and served on the San Francisco
from June, 1894, to September of that year.
From January, 1895, to February. 1897, he
was stationed at the naval observatory in
this city. after which he made a cruise on
the gunboat Castine. In August, 1900, he
was assigned to duty at the New York
navy yard and remained there until last
year, when he went to the battle ship Mas
sachusetts as navigator. He was trans
ferred to the Kearsarge executive: Of
| ficer only few days ago. During the Span
| sh war he served on the Castine in South
American waters.