Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-13
JUMPS TO HIS DEATH.
Curran L. Gemmill, Travelling
Salesman, Commits Suicide.
EVIDENTLY INSANE
LEAPS FROM FOURTH STORY
WINDOW OF LOCAL HOTEL.
Previously Tried to Cut His Throat
Body Removed to the
Morgue.

salesman for the Headley chocolate firm
at 701 West Baltimore street, Baltimore.
committed suicide at the National Hotel
about o'clock this morning. He cut and
hacked his throat and face with pen
knife after he had made an unsuccessful
attempt to hang himself. Then he jumped
from the fourth-story window on the =
street side of the building, killing hlmsel1
instantly. His body was removed to the
morgue, and friends in Baltimore were no.
titled by the police Of the unfortunate af-
fair. Some of them came over here later
in the day and arranged to take the body
to Baltimore for interment
Mr.. Gemmill was apparently about
twenty-four years old He was well dressed
and carried a satchel and sample case when
he called at the hotel yesterday and regis
tered. 1t was not the first time he had
stopped at the hotel and the clerks kne"
him. .
He was assigned to a room on the fourth
floor During the day he was away from
the hotel, probably soliciting orders Late
in the afternoon he was at dinner and
nothing more was seen Of him until about
10 O'Clock last night, when he called at the
desk of the night clerk, Mr.. William r..
Wood, and asked: DO you think I'm
crazy?"
.Of course 1 don't" was the clerks re-
well the clerk advised him to return to his
room and retire.
The Baltimorean left the office and start
ed in the direction of the upper floor. Noth-
ing further was heard from him until tne
crash Of the glass from his room window
was heard on the street about the nour
stated. The noise attracted the attentlon CT
the driver of a bakers wagon, and ne re-
ported the matter to Policeman Quinlan.
Dr. Grafton Bailey was summoned by the
policeman. but he could do nothing for the
man, as life was already extinct. The body
remained on the sidewalk until the arrival
of the dead wagon, when 1t was removed 10
the morgue.
The Body Identified.
The hotel clerk was shocked when he was
notified that a guest had jumped from an
upper window Of the building. A glance at
the dead man was all that was necessary
to identify the body The mans strange
question was recalled and the belief was
expressed that his mind was disordered. No
friends of the salesman could be found to-
day who had noticed anything peculiar
about his conduct recently. He appeared
to be the same as usual when he entered
the hotel early in the day and registered,
and 1t was not until his visit to the hotei
office that his strange conduct attracted at
tention.
The door to his room was found securely
fastened, and force was necessary in order
to get it open. From the evidence at hand
the superintendent of the morgue was con-
vinced that Gemmill had made an effort
to hang himself to bedpost before he used
the knife. When the body was found there
was towel about the neck, and tied to the
bed was handkerchief and pieces or the
mans suspenders.
The suSpenderS were broken. This was
probably done by the weight of his body.
A penknife of ordinary size was found on
the floor and the weapon was covered with
blood.
Gemmill was dressed only In his gown
when he made the fatal leap. An exarnina-
tion of the body at the morgue showed
that there were seven or eight gashes in
the throat and a severe cut of the face eX-
tending into the mouth. There was no
writing of any kind left by him SO far as
the police were able to ascertain. Papers
found among his effects show that he hat
Travelled through parts of Maryland, Vlr
ginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and
Delaware. Genmilrs employer received IN
formation Of the suicide through the Baiti-
more police, and they notified his relatives
at York Until the relatives are heard from
there will be no disposition made of the
body. Notwithstanding the man jumped
from the fourth story of the building Cor
oner hewitt was unable to find that there
were any bones broken. Beyond the cuts
the man inflicted about his head and facs
the body was but very little disfigured. The
coroner deemed an inquest unnecessary and
gave a certificate of death from self-inf1ict-
ed wounds.
Home Was in Baltimore.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, January 13.-C. L.
Gemmill who committed suicide In Wash
ington this morning, was a native of York,
Pa, but had resided in Baltimore for sew
eral years. At the offices of the Hedley
Chocolate Company 1t was stated that Gem
mill left here yesterday for a southern busi-
ness trip extending over a month No cause
could be assigned by the officials of the
company for the mans rash act. Gemmill
was unmarried.