The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-06-02
MAYOR ROBERT NJ LANE
ENDS OWN HIS CAREER
BY Firing a Bullet Through His Brain
at His Baltimore Home.
Rash ACT UNACC0UNTED FOR.
A Few Minutes Before Commission of
the Deed He Was Seemingly In
Usual Health-Succeeded In Office
by a Republican.

Baltimore, Md, May 31-Robert NJ
McLane, mayor of Baltimore and a
bridegroom of about two weeks, com
mitted suicide at $3.50 o'clock yester
dav afternoon by shooting himself
through the head. Worry over the
troubles resulting from the recent big
fire and family differences growing
out of his recent marriage are said to
have caused mental alteration which
led to the act.
The tragedy occurred in the dressing
room of the mayors bed chamber at
his home, 90 West Preston street. He
died from the effects of the self inflict-
ed wound at As p. III. At the time
of the shooting Mrs. McLane was
taking a nap in front room on the
same floor. Hearing a shot, she went
into the dressing room to find the
mayor dying on the floor with bull
let in his head.
Mrs. McLane gave the alarm. Mes
sages were hurried to the members
of Mr.. McLane's family and the first
to reach him was his father, James l..
McLane. DR.. A. Trego Shertzer, who
resides q few doors below the mayors
residence, was the first doctor on the
scene. When he went into the room
he found Mr.. McLane living on the
floor in front of the bureau in pool
of blood. He was lying with his head
under his left arm. DR.. Shertzer put
pillows under his head and then made
an examination of the wound. The
pistol, which was five-shooter, was
lying under him with white pistol
holster. The..bullet had penetrated
the upper part of the right temple,
and had made its exit little behind
and just above the left ear. Both
wounds were bleeding profusely.
A statement was made to the cor
oner by Mrs. McLane, widow of the
mayor. She said that few minutes
before the shooting, she and Mayor
McLene were in her apartment talk
ing. He appeared to be in very good
spirits and they were laughing togeth-
er over a packa ge which he was tying.
The mayor remarked to Mrs. Nc
Lane that he wanted to put to rights
some articles in a bureau drawer in
another room, the one in which the
shooting took place, and left the
apartment where they had been to-
gether. In something less than five
minutes Mrs McLane heard noise,
which she thought was a shutter
bangin. to, or some article down
stairs had fallen. She went down
one flight of stairs and called the
maid, Lizzie Redchurch, asking her il
anything had fallen downstairs.
The girl replied that she thought
the noise was upstairs and Mrs. Nc
Lane suggested that the mayor had
dropped a drawer. The maid went
upstairs and raped on the door, anC
receiving no answer entered. The
mayor was lying on the floor in from
of wardrobe mirror. Lizzie Red
church exclaimed to Mrs. McLane
who had followed her into the room
"Mr. McLane had fallen and hurt
/ himself
AS Mrs. McLane approached hel
/ husband she saw what had occurred
The pistol was lying on the floor by
him. The mayor was breathing heav-
| lily, but was unconscious. She lifted
his head and put a pillow under it
and Immediately sent for medical as
sistance. Coroner Hayden said:
Gas much as regret to so state,
am obliged to give my official opinion
that Mayor McLane committed suicid,
by shooting:himself with a .32 calibe
Smith and Wesson revolver. TIL,
powder marks on his head show thai
he pressed the revolver close to hi
head and pulled the trigger
Mrs. McLane could throw no ligh
on the mayors death, and told tn,
coroner that she did not know tina
her husband had a revolver.
Soon after Mayor McLane's inaugu
ration came the big fire, which swep
away millions in Baltimore's bushes
interests. A period of reconstructed
was necessary, and it was up to tn,
mayor to formulate the necessar
plans. He named burned distric
commission" laid the grounds for tn
passage by the leOislature of a sc. O0C