Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-17
SHOT HIMSELF IN HEAD
Man Named Spencer Uses
Revolver Today.
TRIES TO END LIFE
WAS IN BATH ROOM OF HOME
WARD BOUND MISSION.
Makes All Possible Effort to Hide His
Identity-Was an Old
Soldier.
TRIES TO END LIFE

A man about forty years old, who was
known at the Homeward Bound Mission
under the name of Spencer inflicted fatal
injury in the left side of his head with a
3S-calihre revolver this morning about 1889
o clock. He was in the bath room of the
Missouri avenue branch of the mission
when he fired the fatal shot. A few min
utes later Lieut.. Edward Fisher. who is in
charge of the mission, found the dying form
OF the man upon the bare floor. There was
big pool of blood on the floor, and some
OF the brain matter had ooZed from the hole
that had been made by the big bullet. Be
fore entering the bath room the unfortu-
nate man made an effort to destroy every
means of Identification. His name had been
erased from his army manual and leaves
had been torn from his note book There
had been a card left In the book. however
which may furnish his Identification. The
card was sent to George L. Keazer and was
addressed to him at the local Soldiers
Home. The name Keazer had also been
written in the book found among Spencers
effects and an effort had been made to
erase it, The name ]. B. Guess was also
written in the book. The card mentioned
showed that George L. Keazer was vet
eran of the Spanish-American war and had
the time he had been about the mission he
had said he served in the Philippines and
that he was from Boston. There was moth
ing among his effects to show that he had
ever been granted pension.
A man named Keazer had been an in
mate of the Soldiers Home, but had left
there some months ago. The man who
shot himself today had been stopping at
the mission for several months, and seldom
did any talking except when under the in
fluence of liquor. Each night he paid ten
cents for his bed. and said he would have
paid by the month If he had been certain
what was going to happen to him. Some
days ago he told Lieutenant Fisher that
not leave the mission during an entire day.
He occupied cot in a room on the second
floor, and there was nothing about the sur
roundings which was calculated to make it
appear that there was very much In life
for him. II was perhaps the best that the
poor man could afford, however, and he
made the best of his surroundings. At
times he complained that he was sick. and
went to the local diSpenSarieS. Several bot
ties of medicine that had been given him
were found in his valise.
Prompted by Illness.
1t is the belief of Lieut. Fisher that ILL
ness prompted him to shoot himself. The
lieutenant was making up beds on the top
floor of the house when he heard a noise
but did not imagine that it was made by the
discharge of a revolver. Later when he
detected the odor of powder In the build
ing he imagined the soldier had shot him
self and found his PROSTATE form upon the
bath room floor.
He cannot possibly live" said DR.. White.
who responded with the ambulance from
the Emergency Hospital but we will do
all we can for him.
The wounded man was placed In the am
bulance and hurried off to the hospital.
That he lived to reach the hospital surprised
the doctor. On account of the nature of the
wound it was found useless to attempt an
operation, and there was but little that
could be done for the patient.
At late hour this afternoon he was alive
but death is expected at any moment.