The Washington times., 1905-04-23
THINKS HE HAS
BEEN A ROBB[R
William A. Weaver At
tempts Self Destruction.
NOW AT POLICE STATION
An Expert Boekkeeper Who Lost His
Position Believed Mentally
Unso1nd.

Goaded by the delusion that he had
committed IL robbery and was being
bounded by the polite. William A. Weav-
er, g bookkeeper, fortysix years old. OF
533 First street northwest, went into the
lavatory of the Ontario apartment
house. Poplar and Ontario streets north
west. yesterday evening about 5 O'Clock
aad attempted TO end his life by turn
ing on the gas. The noXious fumes at
tracted the attention OF Walter Moore.
the coiored Jaritor, who traced them to
The room where llt found Weaver lying
on the floor in an Unconscious eondi-
ton.
Police of the Tenth precinct were in
formed, and within a few moments
Weaver was on the operating table In
Garfield Hospital. After seve hours
work the doctoss said he was Of dan
ger. When he regained &C seriousness
Weaver sat~up~4en- his tot~and said he
was sorry for committing the robbery,
but hoped the police would be nient
with him.
Believed Mentally Unsound.
1t was believed that the mans mind
is unbalanced. and before releasing him
the physicians told the police of his
statement to them. 1t was deemed ad-
visable to take him to the Tenth pre-
cinct station. There he told Policeman
jackson that he had been out of work
for six weeks and had been stopping at
various places. The police also say he
told them that he had taken poison
several days ago in an attempt at self
destruction. Weaver could not remei.l-
Der the details OF the robbery with
which he sought to connect himself. He
merely knew that he had wrengfully
come into possession of vast amount
of money for which he had never done
any work. He could not remember the
name of the man whose money he took
nor the place where the theft was COM
committed.
Asked If he was acquainted with any
enc living in the apartment house where
he was found, he replied in the negative
and added that he had been out near
Brightwood looking for work and just
happened to stop in the fiat because 1t
was large building. His home or the
address he gave as his home, is about
two and half miles from the Ontario
apartment house. His shoes and clothes
We're dusty and he looked as though he
had been walking the greater part OF
the day.
The room in which Weaver was found
by the jahitor shortly after o'clock, is
In the. back CT the building on hhe first
floor. He was not seen to enter through
the main door, but 1t is not believed he
gained access in any other way
Odor of Gas Detected.
The first intimation anyone had of
his presence in the fat was when Moore
detected the odor of gas He had filled
his pipe with tobacco and about TO light
= match when he shifted a couple of
times and. thought 1t would be mad
visable to make any blaze. After look
ing in all the rooms on the first floor
to see If anyone had turned on the gas
without lighting It he went to the lava
tory. The door was locked Having
keys to all the public rooms he unlocked
the door and was almost carried off his
feet by the gas, which rushed. out
Weaver's tongue was protruding from
his mouth and his knees were drawn up
under his chin. He lay on his left side
and clutched at the waste pipe OF the
wash stand. Moore hastened to the tele-
phone, and when Dr. Reinelderfer ar
rived he assisted in putting the man in
the ambulance