The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-29
EDGAR ALLAN SLAIN
BY HIS OWN HAND

BY HIS own HAND
Continued iron, First pake)
in Republican state politics. He had been
in the counsels Of the LADDERS of his party
III this State He was early In his ca
rcer In the state, q member OF the TN
derwood" Conventions Commemorative
attorney Of Prince Edward county, candi-
date for Congress and United States dis
}trict attorney for this district He was
city chairman OF the Republican party, and
was member Of the state and District
Committees He was a hard fighter for
the party, and when he was succeeded
by Judge Lewis he connected himself
with faction. OF the party.
4 T. His failure OF reappontment to tho
district atorneyship he looked upon as
reverse, and he has been quite ac-
tive In the support of his son In his cam
dldacy for Congrexs. The split In the
party caused Mr.. Allan to lose some Of
! his old political friends, and 1t Is believed
that this caused, to some extent, the de-
spondency which led to his self-destruc-
ton
Mr.. Allan, on Thursday. night, com
| planned very much OF sleeplessncss. He
/ slept none HLnat fIllSllt, uIu, III luCt, NdS
| quite nervous when he went down INTO
| the lobby OF the hotel yesterday morn
ing.
Mrs. "A. D. Atkinson met him as he
| car1e up from the barber shop. She ask
ed him how he felt, and claspcd his
| hand. He murmured something, which
she could not understand, and passed on
i out.
Looked Dreadful"
He looked dreadful" said Mrs. Akin
/ son.
When he left his room he told Mrs.
Allan he would return In short while
| Later, he went to his office, transacted
| some busincss; walked UP to Rueger's
and then went into the custom house.
Here he fhaMed with some OF the off
Gals with his usual vim. apparently, and
went into the office OF Mr.. Robert TAI
ley, where he discussed legal case in
which both were interested. He went
! finally. to the corner Of Tenth and Bank
| Streets and talked a. short while with
his son, Edgar, and ntterward with Mr..
Henry Flegenheimer, an old friend. and
from that point his movements were lost,
Earlier in the morning, or, about the
time he left his hotel, about $3.50 o'clock,
he went into Bachrach,s place, on Ninth
Street, and bought a G.3S-calfbre Snlith
and Wesson pistol. with one round OF
cartridges. for which he gave his check
for SO. Clerk Pulliam showed him how
10 use the revolver, and he stated after-
ward that there was nothing In the
demeanor Of his customer to indicate that
he contemplated suicide.
1t was about II O'Clock when Mr.. Allan
left Mr.. Taleys office. Some Of his
friends in the custom house noticed that
he wore q haggard expression, indicat-
ing unrest, although he endeavored to
keep up his old cordial manner. He
must have gone Immediately afterwards |
to tho spot. where he killed himself for
his body was found about 12 o'clock, and
It takes more than half an hour to get |
from TentE and Bank to the Union Theo-
logical Seminary.
Wife Was Frustrated.
When the news of the death first
reached the Richmond Hotel, Mrs Allan
was sitting III the lobby. The phone
rang and was answered by Mr.Atkinson.i
The call was for Mrs. Allan, and while |
she was receiving the message, she be-
came extremely agitated, and could not
clearly understand. Mrs. Atkinson took
the receiver from Mrs. Alians hand and |
heard the news. which she conveyed to 1
Mrs. Allan as gently as she could. She
was taken to her room, and friends sent
for.
When Mr.. Allan's body was found
there was no one near who knew him
by sight. One OF the letters In his pock-l
cts was addressed to his son. Another
was addressed to his wife
8 Upon the back of the envelope address
ed to his son. was the following written
with a pencil: NIL
Give Judge Witt my record during re-
construction. It is In Mcken- r des
book, and my little bookcase and ask
him to write my true history and de-
fend me from my defaners hope my
false friends will be truer now.
II commend my only boy to the Presi-
dent, who ignores the forty years his
father has given TO the Republican par
Eddie Edith lola, Edgar, Stella and
the little ones will grieve for me- but
don't blame me, for have done my best
for YOU all my life
The contents of the letter were of
personal nature to his son, and no one
but that gentleman saw them. They
did not bear ear upon the suicide, or its
Mrs. Allan was one sent, to her In her
contemplation, The letter addressed to
husbands care.
In Underwood Convention.
Z Mr.. Allan was a native OF Birmingham,
England, where he was born about s.xty-
Two years ago. He removed to this
country when twenty years or age, and
was living In the State OF Michigan nj
the beginning of war between the States.
He enlisted as q private In the Seventh
Michigan Cavalry. and went to the front
with that command, being attached to
Clusters Brigade. lie served throughout
the war, and at Its conclusion determined
to make his home in this State, locating
IN the county Of Prince Edward. Here
he at once entered public life, It being !
Inn 4 L.
following the war. He began the IRA ctice
Of law, and was soon afterwnrtl made
commemorative attorney for the county,
serving twelve yea rs f.