Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-16

F A,VORA3LY KNOW N

Information obtained from Boston by the
local police last night proved that the
young man who committed suicide in the
Hotel Touraine in that city Monday night,
as stated in yesterdays Star. was Hiram
McCollum, who had been employed as a
clerk in the War Department. Friends of
the young man were unable to assign any
cause for his act. He had no financial
troubles, his friends told Capt. Boardman.
and they were equally certain that he had
| no love affair.
McCollum a member of the medical
class of the George Washington University.
| and his standing in his class was such that
| he had no reason to be discouraged. When
friends were certain of the Identification of
| the body they sent word to his relatives at
| Lockport, N. Y.
| McCollum left Washington Saturday
after the close of the weeks work, and
| after he had told friends that be was
| going away. He stopped in New York
| long enough to write letters to the officials
of the War Department and Mr.. Frederick
| r.. Whippler, clerk. In the letter to the
| former he rendered his resignation and di-
| rected that his pay be turned over to Mr.
| Whippler In the letter to the clerk he
| made the request that certain small bills
| be paid for him. These letters were written
| on paper bearing the heading of the Wal
| QOr1-AStOfla Hotel.
| At Touraine Hotel.
| Upon reaching Boston he asked a porter
| at the railroad station to direct him to
| a first-class hotel. and was sent to the
| Touraine. There he ended his life by TAX
! ing morphine. 1t is said by his friends
| that he was man of exemplary habits
and that his act was not the result of a
| debauch and that it was premeditated
| believed he
| away from this city with the avowed inten-
ton of ending his life He did all he
thought was necessary to prevent his iden
! tification but did not fully succeed for it
| was possible to tell that the initials his
suit case were III. McC.," and that he be-
longed in this city. The copy of Macbeth
found in his room contained the name of
| s. B. Neal who is a clerk in the War
! Department. He had loaned the book to
friend and the latter had probably loaned
it to McCollum. The name of the maker
| of his clothing had been removed with a
razor. Capt Boardman learned of the case
! through the newspapers and afterward
| friends of McCollum called and had him
talk to the Boston officials over the long
distance telephone. He learned that the
body tailed with that of their friend, even
to the filling in the teeth. When this in
| formation was received his friends were
fully convinced of the identity and notified
his parents. 1t was also recalled by
friend that McCollum had remarked few
days ago that if he ever committed suicide
he would 90 so Dy using morphine.
His Career While Here.
Hiram McCollum twenty-eight years
old. He came here in 1898 to accept a gov
eminent position. Three years ago his
name was entered upon the rolls in the
medical department at the university men
toned and he a member of the
called Xxi Yi'' class. He was president of
his class and had been one of the commit
tee to arrange a banquet to be given at
| the Shoreham tonight. Owing to his death,
| however, the banquet has been postponed,
| and may not be held this season.
| Mr.. McCollum was one of the most popu-
| lar men in his class, and known
| throughout the whole university for his
deep interest in everything connected with
| the institutions life. Mr.. Winter, as vice
president of the class, will succeed to the
position formerly held by Mr.. McCollum.
| The third year medical classes were dis
| missed last night and will not be resumed
until next week.
Mr.. McColloms resignation received at
the War Department; was as follows:
| New York, February Is, 1905.
Secretary of War:
Please accept my resignation as clerk,
| class l. NJ s. o. to take effect this date
Kindly have balance of salary due me paid
| to Mr.. Frederick B. Whipple, room 80, War
| Department.
| Very respectfully,
HIRAM McCOLLOM.
| Send the acceptance of resignation to me
| at 1416 Hopkins place northwest, Washing
| ton, D. c. H. Nee.
The resignation accepted by Secre-
| tary Taft on his return from New York yes
| terday afternoon, to take effect that day.
| When that action was taken nothing was
! known of the death of McColom in Boston
| the day before.
| According to the War Department reg lister
| McCollom was born in New York and serv-
ed in the army private in Battery I,
| 7th Artillery, from June, 1898, to March.
| 1899, when he was appointed a $500 clerk
| in the office of the military. He was pro-
| NOTED to class 81 600 in July, 1900. and to
! class 81 200 in July 1904.
| DOUGLASS DAY.