The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-12
FIND NO MOTIVE
FOR HIS SUICIDE
Captain LiebhaPdt's Death
Surprises Friends.
He LEAVES THREE LETTERS
Says He Was Hounded by an Overmas-
teTiHg Desire to Take His
Own Life.

With sorrow and surprise friends OF
Capt David L. Liebhardt for eleven
years superintendent OF the Dead Letter
Office Of the PostofBce Department
learned of his suicide IN his office last
evening.
Known as a man who attended 10 his
own business. reserved and modest Cap
tain Liebhardt worked week after week
in the Dead Letter Office. minsl.ug with
his feilOw-department workers. talked
pleasantly and Joked with them. bu; at
no time did no intimate suicide, al
though from letters which he left on uis
desk IL is evident that self-destr uctiou
was uppermost in his mind for many
weeks before he came to the point Of
taking his life.
Possibly the three men in Washington
most closely associated with Captain
Licbhardt were Major French. auditor
for the nav,- Charles II. DalzeH. ana
Ward Burlir game. chief clerk OF the
Dead Letter Office.
Keeps His Own Counsel.
Daily he came in contact with them.
and although there seems TO be no doubt
OF the fact that he contemplated sui
eide for a long time. his closest friends
gay he never intimated to them that he
had such an intention. though he did
on many occasions tell them Of his
troubles and OF his in health
ore of his friends today said the cap
tain once said: There is one way jGt
Of # If man can stand il. but this
remark WAS laughed away. and at no
other time did he make any further
reference to remcdying his troubles
CHIEF Clerk Burlingdme and Mr.. Dali
zell were summoned from their homes
at an early hour this morning 10 20 TO
the Postoihce Department TO take
charge of the body. Mrs. Liebhardt
was taken 10 the captain Office. and
Immediately tainted upon seeing her
husband lying dead across the desk, at
which he had labored for more than "a
decade.
At noon Mrs. Liebhardt. accompanied
by Mr.. DalZcU. who is absent from his
desk I'm the POstoffice in order that he
might make arrangements for sending
the body TO Milton, md. where the in
terment viii be made. went 10 the un-
deitaksng establishment of J. William
Lee 10 view the remains for the last
time She bore the strain better than
was expected and returned 10 her home.
Shot Himself While Alone.
Unable to oyercome "a suicidal impulse
which had persisted for weeks. Cap
tain Liebhardt shot himself with a .3S-
caHber revolver some time last night
while sitting 1T his desk I'm room 3l3'of
the Postofiice Department.
His head on his desk face buried i'm
pool Of his own blood. which had soaked
through the large desk blotter, and
the appareutl-- new revolver lying close
90 his right hand, the dead man was
found shortly before l o'clock this morn
ing by Acting Lieut. r. Lee Spier of
the PoStoffce watch, who took charge
of the building at 1880 O'Clock last
night
Captain Liebhardt had been suffering
with acute Indigestion for some time,
and In fact had not slept In a bed for
four months. Unable TO lie down, be-
cause of the sensation Of sufocatio1 at
tendant upon his trouble he took MS
rest in a Morris chair.
For the past week his suffering had
been more poignant than usual ana ne
had had scarcely any sleep at all.
Captain Licbhardt was SIXTY years ola
Continued on Second Idge)