The sun., 1904-07-31
pAUKMYSTERYNRLL GUARDED
VICTIM, HOWEVER, WAS $. L..
DANA, BANK CLERK.


Cav whether He Shot Himself, or Why
-Chsnoe for Life-Says He won't Die.
Thu Young man who was found wander
Inc in Central Park on Friday morning
With a bullet In his right breast, 10 Samuel
7, Dana, clerk in the New Amsterdam
Rank at Broadway and Thirty ninth street.
n Dana tried to end his Me-and there II
.ome little doubt whether his bullet wound
was self.infiicted or not-he did not do 30
because of any trouble at the bank The
cashier said yesterday that his accounts
were straight to penny.
The mystery surrounding Dana and the
vov he Was shot was not cleared up to any
.,tent Yesterday. 1t was deepened, any
thing. by the departure from the Hotel
Martha Washington, of Mrs. Beatrice w.
pienon, the pretty young widow to whom
mana wrote a note after he was taken to
The Presbyterian Hospital Mrs. Dignon
nacked up her belongings in the afternoon
md left the hotel without telling where
she was going.
II the widow had stayed at tho hotel.
abe would have found herself under police
surveillance. Coroner Jackson has been
greatly puzzled by Dana's uncommunioa-
tiveness, and the strange attitude Of the
parsons who knew him well. Mrs. Dignon
was one Of these. The Coroner couldn't
understand why she didn't come forward
and fell what she knew about the young
man.
After thinking over the matter most Of
the day. and making another Intellectual
attempt to get Dana to make some state
ment of the shooting. the Coroner decided
h,, niup0n Uatnhad
He called up the Tenderloin police on the
telephone and left such orders with them.
Serot Place, who talked with the Coroner,
told him that he doubted the right OF the
nolice to watch the widow unless she was
suspected of some crime. Coroner jackson
told him to let the matter rest for time
until he could look up the law on the SUBJ
iect. While the Coroner was trying to de-
termine his duty, he received word that
Mrs. Dignon had left the Martha Washing
ton and was not expected to return.
There is absolutely no evidence to show
that Mrs. Dignon knows how Dana came
BY his wound George Cornwell. who is
connected with the law department OF the
H. B. Clafin Company. and who is Mrs.
Dignon's attorney. did not communicate
with the Coroner during the day.
Another lawyer. however. William II.
Cummings Of 1923 Broadway. called on the
coroner and told him something about
Dana, Cummings says he A Is 3anas ooun-
to call on Dana and advise him to clear up
the mystery of the shoot ting. Cummings
went to the hospital and saw his client
He advised him to talk to the Coroner
the injured man and told him he was pre-
pared to take his statement. Dana was
just as retioent as ever. The Coroner told
him that his condition was critical and that
be might die.
.0h, I'm not going ON Ito to de- said ,if Dana; Dana
lot Of trouble for others who may know
you,' said jackson. by the way you
are acting you are putting at least one
other person In a disagreeable light II
you die eysdhins T.dstaa VIII come out no matter
well, II tell you everything it will
get into the papers, said the man.
The papers have already. printed long
stories Of the shooting said the Coroner.
you were shot?'
sIm not going to tell you anything now
said Dana sTIl think 1t over. and maybe
! will talk later in the day
Coroner jackson left him then, and in a
He was unconscious most Of the day. Cor
oner jackson left word at the hospital
to notify him when Dana appeared to be
strong enough to be questioned again.
Dana's full name was first obtained from
Lawyer Cummings. The police had guessed
the mysterious call for Mr.. Dana's condi-
ton over the hospital telephone the day
before Soon after they learned his full
name Supt. Burns Of the Twenty third
street Branch of the Young Mems Christian
Association appeared at the hospital and
said he thought he knew the strange young
man. He looked at Dana and identified him
as living at the Y. M. c. A. building.
1t had become known by that time that
Dana was employed in the New Amsterdam
Bank. His connection with the bank was
severed when the bank officials learned that
he was the victim of a mysterious shooting.
At the bank it was said that Dana had
been employed there some time and had
been highly recommended. His home is
either at Waco Tex, or Fairfield Ia. one
was asked II DANA accounts were straight
Correct to penny" he replied.
Before Dana went to live at the Young
Mems Christian Association he boarded
second street. Mrs. Mcintyre added her
mite TO the mystery yesterday by saying:
Il saw Mr. Dana in the bank last Wednes-
day. He seemed worried and he insin-
uatel that some one might be after him.
From his talk judged that he had recently
Tho Central Park police. who have been
working on the shooting, haven't the least
doubt that Dana tried to kill himself. They
laugh at the idea of any one trying to kill
him. They say there was not another
person. except a policeman, in sight
between the time he entered the park and
the time when the pistol shot was heard.
Coroner. jackson said:
II think love affair is responsible for |
Dana's injury II he dies have the power |
10 summon witnesses and make them tes- |
thy. As the matter stands now, have no |
power TO make Mrs. Dignon or her lawyer |
tell what thev know. If Dana dies without |
clearing up the mystery there will be rigid |
Investigation Dana's condition was un- |
changed yesterday. He still has a chance |
Of recovery, but it is a small chance. He |
"a 20 weak that the hospital surgeons have |
not attempted to probe for the bullet. They |
say his greatest danger is from blood |
poisoning.
u. +. MAGNER SUED FOR SO, 900. |