Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-04
FOUND DEAD IN BED
Mysterious Ledger in Tenth
Street House.
GAS JET WAS TURNED ON
His Landlady Knew Him Only as
Mr.. v.
WAS LAST SEEN ALIVE SUNDAY
Retired With His Clothes on-Com-
planned Of Being nl-Was in
Poor Circumstances.
WAS LAST SEEN ALIVE SUNDAY

The dead body OF a man about sixty years
Old known to his landlady as Mr.. w. was
discovered in a rear room on the third floor
of the house of Mrs. Laura Jones. at 724
10th street northwest, this afternoon. The
gas jet In the room was turned on. Mrs.
Jones summoned Policemen Russell and
O'Brien Of the first precinct to her house
shortly after noon and told them that
strong odor of gas came from under the
door of the rear room on the third floor of
her house and asked the policemen to in
vestigate It, AS a result of their investi-
CATION the fact of the mans death was dis
covered.
Mrs. Jones told the police she knew lit
tie about the man. She had always made
out receipts for his rent in the name of
Mr. W None of the people in the house
knew the man. Among his effects We're
name of "Werra Cool Where he was
from or what was his occupation Mrs.
Jones did not know.
She last saw him alive Sunday morning
when she went to his room to collect her
rent. Mrs. Jones experienced some trouble
in arousing her roomer and when she did
succeed he called to her that he did not care
to be annoyed.
But" said the landlady, Il must have
my rent or the ROOM
Complained of Being Ill.
Then the door was opened and the aged
man with gray beard covering his face ap
peared and paid her s125. He then COM
planned that he felt unwell, but made no re-
quest for anything in the line OF medicine
or food. He had not been out of his room
since last Thursday so far as people in the
house knew. piece Of cheese and what
was left of some crackers gave the police
and persons in the house an idea of how he
had been living.
NJ -oi1 Tn
Star reporter, land wanted nobody to
know about his business or himself He
had nothing to say to other roomers, and
none OF them learned from him about his
former home or relatives.
Mrs. Jones said that he came there De-
cember s. and she had seen him but very
few times since. He seldom went from
his room, she said, and when he did go out
he seldom returned until about clock
In the morning.
In Straitened Circumstances.
The condition of things in the room in
dictated that the roomer was In straitened
circumstances. not even having change Of
Undertaking.
In a dress suit case found in his room he
had several bundles. but most of them con-
tanned only scraps of paper Jelly glasses or
something of little value. In one pocket
of his overcoat he had thirteen pennies. and
in another pocket the police found small
amount of change.
Each time he paid his rent he gave Mrs.
Jones nickels, dimes and pennies Receipts
found in the room indicated that he had
roomed at 301 D street, Ill D street and
GOA I street northwest. The finding of
number OF newspapers in the drawers Of the
bureau in the room caused the belief that
the man had sold newspapers for living
An occupant of the adjoining house de-
tected the odor of gas and told Mrs. Jones
Of 1t. She went to the door OF the room and
found it locked but was unable to smell the
gas Her mother afterward detected the
odor and the policemen were called to the
house. They found the occupant of the
room had gone to bed with his clothing on
and had left the gas turned on over his
head. Coroner hewitt will make an investi-
cation of the case later in the day and de-
termine the question of whether II is a case
of suicide or accident