The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-25
EXCITING WAS
HOTEL SCENE
Man Called at the Office but
Didn't Register
WENT TO ROOM AT ONCE
Later Explosion Was Heard
and Suicide Discovered.

Guthrie, o. T, Oct. 24-There was an
exciting scene at Ford's Central hotel
this morning, says the Edmond Enter
prise.
| Last evening passenger on the 4
o'clock north bound train went to the
Central. He seemed emaciated, weak
and extremely nervous. He called for a
room. He said he was too nervous to
write his name. The clerk. Arthur Jen-
| ness, inquired of the stranger, his name
and address. He gave his name as Will
liam Rogers. but hesitated to give his
postoftice address. but told Jennes sto
register him from Texas.
MI. Rogers said he did not want sup
per, but would like to go to his room at
once, and asked for a pitcher of water.
About 4:S0 he was shown to his room
That was the last seen of Mr. Rogers
alive. Between and . o'click this
morning an explosion was heard in his
room. r. X. Rosewood, who was sleep
ing in an adjoining room, was awakened
by the noise and went to Mr.. Fords
room and called him. They went to the
Rogers room and finding the door lock-
ed burst it open. They found the body
of Mr.. Rogers lying on the floor face
upward, with his head near the window
In falling his heal was bruised slightly
by striking a small stand upon which
lamp was burning. In the fall the lamp
was thrown to the floor and exploded
The flames set fire to the carpet and
burned his pants badly and one Of his
legs was burned brown. \ As Colt re-
yolver was lying on the floor He was
fully dressed except that his hat was
where he had hung it. He had evidently
stood before the mirror and shot him
self between the eyes a little to the left
of the nose. His frontal bone was ter
ribly shattered. Death must have re-
suited instantly. In one of his pockets
was found s2016 in money. In his grip
was $500. all in $50 bills. The body was
taken to L. V. Ford's undertaking rooms
as soon as Judge Hunt, acting coroner,
had i'm paneled the following coroner's
jury: L. Morgan, Scott Mcdonald, Frank
Ringer, C. D. Watkins. j. H. Barlow and
Robert Waters. The body was at the
undertaking rooms about o'clock this
morning. The dead man was neatly
dressed when he reached Edmond, and
new black suit was neatly folded in |
his grip.
Among his effects was prescription
by an Iowa doctor and filled by a Mis- |
souri, druggist. DIR. Flescher kne wthe |
doctor and wired for particulars, as it |
not then known that the suicide was
formerly a well known resident of this |
neghborhood. When Charles Burks saw
the body this morning he at once recog- !
nized it as that of William Rogers. Mr.. |
Burks was at the station when Mr.. Rog-
ers arrived and said to him:
Isn't this Bill Rogers?" The stranger
replied:
Yes, Charlie. this is Bill. or what is
left of me-
The two sons of Mr.. Rogers and their
mother identified the body by scars On
his face, head and body Many old
timers here knew him well. Mr.. Burks
had known him thirteen years.
Dr. Howard, who has known Rogers
for years. identified the body. The YER
dict of the coroner's jury was as follows:
IAN inquisittion holden at Edmond,
Oklahoma county. the 22d day of October,
1903, before NJ. a. Hunt, justice of the
peace, acting coroner of said county, on
the body of William Rogers, then lying
lead; the jurors upon their oath say that
the body of the deceased is that of Will
lam Rogers. the former husband of Har-
riet A Rogers and the father of John
". and Henry A. Rogers.
1--WE further find the deceased died of
/ wound inflicted by his own hand by
1 10 Colts revolver. We find that he
lad in his possession sS26.16, which is
low in the possession of NJ. a Hunt.
acting coroner, to be distributed accord
ng to law"
The verdict was signed by the jprors
lbove named c. D. Watkins was the
brennan of the jury.
Three OF four years since Rogers and
lis wife divided their property and were
divorced and Rogers had not been here !
until he returned yesterday to end his
wn life.
His eldest son had been living near i
handler until lately and said that his I
ather ought to have a team and wagon 5
nd considerable money; that he had 81, a
10 in cash recantlv :