Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-06
FOUND ON THE FLOOR
RANDALL w. ELLIOTT INHALED
ILLUMINATING GAS.

Randall Webb Elliott twenty-one years
of age, committed suicide late yesterday af-
ternoon Elliott was employed in the in
stallation department of the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company. He
boarded at the house of Mrs. S. L. Bowles,
1929 G street, where he ended his life by
inhaling Illuminating gas. Instead of conf
hitting the deed in his own room he went
to the room of Agee Bowles. son of the
landlady. and thereby caused Mrs. Bowles
an amount of unnecessary suffering. as he
was found on the floor wearing a bath robe
belonging to young Bowles, the robe cover
ing his face and preventing immediate
Identification. The change of room and
the use of his friends robe also caused
brother of the deceased. DR.. Henry R.
Elliott, to experience a shock.
When young Elliott was found in the
room with the gas turned on the physician
was summoned to attend him, being told
that a son of Mrs Bowles needed attention.
Going to the room he took charge of the
the covering from the face that the fea-
lures of his brother were disclosed.
Physician Was Surprised.
DR.. Elliott was greatly upset by the ex-
perence, but he did not stop an instant in
his efforts. Even after he realized that
life was extinct he worked upon the body,
artificial means. Finally he withdrew from
the room and returned to his apartments
In the Maury. Coroner hewitt was then
summoned to make an investigation, but
there was only one conclusion to be reached.
Elliott had declared that he was tired of
life and had SO stated in a letter and
note he had written shortly before he
opened the valve of the gas fixture and
stretched himself upon the bed. That he
also took dose of poison is the belief of
Coroner hewitt, who was startled at the
appearance Of the body when he reached
the house
Views Of the Coroner.
at is the most peculiar case of gas pol
soning 1 have ever SEEM" the coroner re-
marked.
1t was about two hours after the young
man was found in the room with the gas
turned on that Coroner hewitt viewed the
body. The face Of the corpse was still
flushed and the body was warm. The coro-
quickly reached the conclusion that
gas had not done all the damage. Indeed,
he almost doubted that life was extinct.
The gas tube had been directed from the
stove to the mouth of young Elliott and he
could have inhaled a large amount of the
gas during the time he was in the room of
his friend, but there was an absence of the
conditions which invariably follow case
of gas poisoning and the coroner looked for
other causes. Before asking questions, how
ever, he had DIR. Elliott assist him in an eff
fort to restore respiration. For fully thirty
minutes the effort was continued and there
was a sign of the natural coloring return
Ing to the lips and eyes.
Had Strychnine in Pocket.
Even after the coroner had made out the
death certificate he returned to the room
and made another examination of the body
to make doubly sure that life was extinct.
While the coroner was making an effort to
ascertain If Elliott had used a poison a
friend of the deceased told of a statement
Elliott had made few days ago about hav-
ing some poison in his pocket.
Il have enough strychnine In my pocket"
he remarked to the friend ito kill horse"
Coroner hewitt feels certain that some of
the strychnine was used by Elliott A post
norton examination would be necessary to
determine if such poison had actually been
taken, but there doubt about
who was responsible for the DEATH such an
oner gave the necessary death certificate
and the body was turned over to an under
taker to be prepared for burial.
Complained of Feeling Ill.
Randall Elliott has been employed by the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany for several months. He worked last
Saturday, as usual, and was to have re-
turned to the office yesterday morning but
he telephoned that he was i'll and would not
be able to report During the morning ne
complained that he had a headache, but
there was nothing about his appearance or
conduct to indicate that he contemplated
taking his life. II was after o'clock when
he left his room and went to small hall
room that was occupied by the son Of Mrs.
Bowles. He had been there only about two
hours, it is stated, when he was found by
Mrs. Bowles. Thinking it was her own
son who was lying on the floor, Mrs. Bowles
hurried to the street and had DR.. Elliott
summoned
Two written messages were left by Elliott.
One of them was addressed to his brother,
the physician, and the other to his room
mate, Mr.. White. Elliott expressed himself
as being tired of life and asked that par
ticular young lady be told goodbye for him.
The parents Of the deceased reside in Phila-
delphia. brother, Lieut., Chas B. Elliott,
is stationed at Fort Crook, Neb. He has
been notified of the sad occurrence, and
should he express himself as being DESTROYS
of attending the funeral arrangements
will be made for the burial to take place at
Oak Hill cemetery Thursday afternoon.
Otherwise the funeral will occur tomorrow
afternoon.