The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-06
r.. F. MADDEN KILLS HiMNELE.
Clerk at Contra! Hotel, Charlotte.
Takes His Own AEfe-Cuuse of Sui
eide Not known.

Mr.. Robert F. Madden. a clerk at the
Central hotel, committed suicide yes
terday afternoon at 2 o'clock by shoot
ing himself through the mead WITH a
revolver. He was in his room at the
hotel when he fired the fatal shot.
1t is not known 8hy Mr.. Madden
killed himself. Mr.. c. E. Hooper. the
proprietor of the hotel, who saw Mad
den a shOr while before the trao uy.
stated that Madden was not intoxi-
Gated. He had been seen by a num-
Der of people in the forenoon and on
the previous night and day, and he had
not seemed to be at all Respondent.
Madden had luncheon shorty after l
O'clock. AS ne left the table he turn
ed to his waiter. Albert Johnston, and
said pleasantly, Good bye, Albert
He left the dining room and went to
his room, being accompanied by the
elevator boy, Butler Robertson. Mr..
Madden picked up a revolver land told
the negro that he intended to kill him.
self. Before Robertson could move or
cry out, Madden had placed the pistol
to the right temple and fred. Thu
bullet penetrated his head. He fell
backward in the c.iItre OF the room.
DR.. Hosea Moss, Who was in the lin
ing ROOM, was summoned. but Madden
was dead in a few minutes.
Madden was almost t stranger in this
city. On the 14th o. ,Hecember he left
Rock Hill. S. c.. whrre he had been
visiting friends. AMI came to Charlotte,
en- route for Danville. Va, where he
expected to take a POSITION with th~
Burton Hotel. He was a Shriner and
stopped over here to attend the meet
ing of that order il this city While
here he was employed as one of the
clerks at the Central Hotel He was
an efficient man ana was popular with
the managers and the patrons of the
Motel Nothing in his demeanor since
he has been in the city indicated that
he was a victim of m~clancholia
In the forenoon yesterday Madden
aid he was not feeling we'll, and Mr..
HOOPER advised him not to so on duty
at 100 o'clock, as he had proposed, but
to rest in his room. No Importance
whatever was attached to Madden's
plea of illness. as he appeared to be in
a cheerful, if not j~ocular. frame Of
mind.
Certain incidents indicate that Mad
den deliberately prepared for self-mur-
der. A few days ago he purchased
the revOlver-a 80 calibre Smith &
Wesson-and a box of cartridges.
Wednesday night he seemed to be in
an exuberant humor. and yet there ap-
peared to be a touch of the fantas-
tic in his mood. He recited Poe's
Raven" and then Quoted verses of the
morbid poem over and over again.
vi tlt Sdllle 1llyHI re H1SnaQ MI. Ike
Hishberg a happy New Year; adding
rather gloomily: This year has been
a happy year for me happier thar the
next will be-"
Shortly after the suicide the body Of
Madden was moved to the undertaking
establishment of J. NJ. Harry & Co.,
and it is still there. The Shriners
have charge of the remains and dill
gent efforts were made yesterday to
find Madden'S home or his relatives.
1t is thought that he is a native of
Virginia, though he mas lived in Geor-
gia for a good MANY years and is a
member Of the Yaar.b Temple of the
Shriners in Atlantis He has a brother
living somewhere in New York. but
that brother could not be located yes
terday. Madden had teen a clerk in
the Hoffman House and the Victoria
Hotel i'm New York aud at the Charles
ton Hotel in Charleston. He was
about 35 years old, unmarried and had
made many friends among the travel
ing public.
1t is not known what disposition will
be made Of the body but it is thought
that Instructions will be received this
morning from some OF Madden's rela-
tiveS.
The Observer received the following
special from Charleston, S. c.. last
night:
"R. H. Madden has not lived here for
four or five years. He was then night
clerk at the Charleston Hotel, and worry
much liked by the travelling public.
He was a prominent Mason, an officer
of Union Chapter. r. A. NJ, when he
left Charleston. Fe was also one of
Lodge Of Elks. He had lived in a
number Of places North, East and
West since living Ilere.-Charlotte OBJ
-"TvaT. Ian. 2.