The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-06-03
MAYOR MCLANE'S TRAGIC
END.

While the whole city was shocked
at the tragic death OF the Mayor and
the name of the dead man has been on
the lips of nearly everyone in the CON-
munity, says the Baltimore Sun, the
one question urperL ost in the minds
of all was this:
"Why did he do it?'
The most intimate friends and asso-
cates OF the late Mayor, his widow
and his relatives are utterly at a loss
to suggest a single reason why he
should resort to self-destruction.
Without the slightest possible motive
for suicide there is but one answer to
the question, and that is that the May
or suddenly or instantaneously became
insane and shot himself. This view
of the affair is borne out by the testi-
mony of eminent physicians. 1t is
borne out by the facts Of the Mayors
career and of his t, mperament and by
the testimony of dozen intimate
friends who had every opportunity to
study him.
Dr.. George J. Preston, secretary OF
the Maryland State Board OF Lunaey,
who has had wide experience with
suicides and is called on every year,
in his official capacity, to investigate
the causes leading up to the death OF
numbers of persons who die by their
own hands, said Tuesday night:
"The thing is 80 absolutely clear
that | do not see how there can be the
least doubt concerning the way in
which the Mayor ended his life. When
a man commits suicide he does it from
one or two causes--either 80 ne strong
impelling reason why he desires to end
his life or he is insane. You cannot
get away from this proposition. No
man ever killed himself except for one
or the other of these two reasons.
Nov look at the case of the Mayor
There was absolutely no motive for
suicide. His prospects were OF the
brightest, his life pleasant and he was
in no trouble. Those who knew him
best bear testimony that at no time
had he exhib ted the slightest sign OF
depression or given the least hint that
there was any trouble preying upon
his mind. He had everything to live
for, and vet he undoubtedly killed
himself l have known the Mayor
personally for a number of years and
can imagine no man with less reason
for suicide. His devotion to his WIFI,
his interest in his work, his many
warm friends, his youth, his social po-
sition and his exemplary habits all
form good reasons why he should have
loved life and wanted TO live long
time.
In commenting upon the sad event
the Baltimore Herald of Tuesday
said
No individual tragedy in the histo
ry of this city so completely startled
the people as the death Monday Of
Mayor Robert NJ. McLane. The ef-
feet was kind Of paralysis. 1t SEEM
ed even more terrible than the great
fire. which undoubtedly contributed
some of the causes that led to the act
Mayor NcLane ives peculiarly
popular and likeable man. Manly
from boyhood to maturity, lover OF
the clean things of life, hard student,
winner of the prizes OF scholarship,
an earnest and successful lawyer, an
efficient states attorney, capital
campaigner, and at last, the youngest
mayor of a great city-he bore him
self with fine dignity, lived an exem-
plary career, impressed all who knew
him by his really beautiful courtesy
and earned an abiding place in public
and private esteem as one who thought
clearly, meant nohly and acted cour-
ageously. He had great Intelligence
and be had wisdom far beyond his
years.
That such a man should have come
to his death by his own hand, whether
by accident or design, meant an unde-
scribable shock to the whole commun.
ity and left sense of personal loss
and sorrow that cannot be measured.
Mayor McLane had been under Sc.
we're ordeals for more than year. The
fight for his seat and the action of the
democratic organization in CURLY leav'
ing him to bear all the burden and ex.
pense of the contest in the courts hurt
him deeply-as it would any man.
The labors during and following the
fire were enough to break down one OF
more stamina than his slender frame
contained, hu' he stuck bero;cally to
bis pest. Clit.clsm bore upon him,
but he met it urflnchinc|y. Still all
these weights and conditions had their