Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-12

in the Office of the superintendent. Upon
entering the room. shortly after midnight,
he saw Captain Liebhardt apparently asleep
and attempted to wake him, only to dis
cover that he was dead
Captain Lebhardt was in a chair with his
head resting on the desk. and a pool OF
blood and blood-soaked handkerchief be-
meath his head revealed that tragedy had
been enacted. Waterman spier fastened
across the street to the first precinct police
station with the news of his discovery. He
was accompanied back to the Office by
Policeman Simpson and several reporters
Simpson notified Deputy Coroner Glaze
brook by telephone of what had happen
ed and the latter, after receiving the details,
gave an order for the removal of the body.
A letter from Captain Leibhardt to Charles
N. Dalzell of his Office was read over the
telephone to DR.. Glazebrook, who judged
from it's contents that the case was suicide
and gave directions accordingly, the body
being turned over to Undertaken Lee.
Mufaed Shot Heard.
When the body was found it was cold,
evdencing that death had taken place some
hours previously. muffied shot was heard
by pedestrians on Pennsylvania avenue
about o'clock in the evening. but little
attention was attracted by the noise. 1t Is
presumed that this was the shot which
was fired by Captain Leibhardt with sui
cidal intent. The bullet was from .3S
caliber Iver-Johnson hammerless revolver
which, when picked up from the desk be-
side the blood-stained handkerchief, con-
tanned four loaded shells and one which
had been fired beneath the firing pin The
weapon had never been fired before, ana
seemed to have been brand new. The bull
let entered the temple and lodged In the
brain.
The coat, in the buttonhole Of which was
the rosette of the military order OF the
Loyal Legion, and white vest of the de-
ceased were hanging on a screen beside his
desk, as We're a pair Of suspenders, while
his blue yachting cap and pair or Guns
lay on the desk. These effects were taken
charge of by the police and will be dis
posed of according to the wishes of the
widow. Another handkerchief and an
orange were also on the desk, everything
being in order save the immediate signs
of the suicide. Besides the letter addressed
to Mr.. Dalzell was one to the wife of the
dead man, Mrs. d. P. Leibhardt, 1471 Park
street, Mount Pleasant and one to Major
George II. French. Office of the auditor for
the Navy Department. These letters were
all in a pile, beneath them being large
official envelope containing papers of some
character and addressed to Mrs. Leibhardt.
the word Deliver" having been written
across one end with red ink.
message TO dOW1cy.
letter from Capt Leibhardt to J. ].
Howley chief clerk to First Assistant Post
master General Wynne and now acting In
the place of the last-named, was found
this afternoon. 1t referred to the friend
ship of the writer with Mr.. Howley, and
asked the latter to give what care he could
to Ina Capt Leibhardt's daughter, who is
now in Los Angeles, saying that she would
now be alone in the world and would have
her mother to look after.
The writer also said that neither Howley
nor any one lese knew how near madness
he had been for long time, and that he
could stand up against his Ill health no
longer The pathos of the letter was such
that friends would not care to have 1t
quoted in detail, but his last words therein
were:
"A last sad good-by. good-by.
Besides his wife, Capt. Leibhardt left a
daughter Miss Ina Leibhardt, who was
for some time the chief clerk In the Office
of August w. Machen, but who was re-
Gently transferred from Washington TO Los
Angeles. her salary having been reduced at
the time of the transfer. Although the dead
letter office was under investigation lately,
and several defects were found in the minor
administration there was nothing whatever
charged against the superintendent, whose
accounts and books were all perfectly ac-
curate Ill health is said to have been the
cause of tie act, he having frequently ex-
pressed his Discrimination to continue the
fight against disease. For three months
past he had not slept in bed, but re-
clined every night in Il Morris chair. This
was necessitatel by his heart action. which
had a tendency to SURROGATE him when he
lay fiat N mis- back.
Sufferer From Indigestion.
In addition to this trouble he was a suf-
ferer from indigestion and had often said
to Mr.. Dalzell, with whom he was closely
while to hang on to life, which was almost
unbearable because Of these ailments.
There is no doubt in the minds of those who
knew him best that this was the direct in
fuence which brought about his self-de-
struction. That suicide was deliberately
premeditated Is assumed from the fact that
the weapon was new enc.
He left his home IL Mount Pleasant at
about $3.50 o'clock yesterday afternoon in
seemingly good spirits and came down
town. Several friends met him as he went
toward his Office and none observed any
thing unusual in either his actions or his
appearance. None of the watchmen at the
post office building saw him enter there
but this could easily Iave been accomplish
ed.
Capt. Leibhardt's Record.
Capt. Leibhardt had been connected with
the Post Office Department for many wears
and had been superintendent of the dead
letter Office since 1857 his salary having
been 81. 500 per year. He was a member of
the Military Order Of the Loyal Legion of
the United States. having been discharged
as first lieutenant Of volunteers on Jam
uGry 3. 1865. He was born In Milton, Ind,