Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-05
FIRST SUMMONED HIS WIFE
Then Committed Suicide Despite Her
Efforts to Prevent.
THE COUPLE HAD LIVED APART
Dependency Ascribed a. the Cause
Deceased Had Been Popular
Among His Associates.

Deceased Had been Popular
Among His Associates.
1 While his wife was struggling to get a re-
volver away from him, AZ stated In the Star
yesterday, Thomas Franklin Baughman.
thdrty-seven years Of age railway mail
clerk on Baltimore and Ohio railroad
/ route. shot himself In the region Of the
heart yesterday afternoon at half past 2
O'Clock. In his room on the third floor OF
| the house at AS ID strest northwest He
expired few minutes later and before the
! surgeon OF the Emergency Hospital arrived.
Coroner hewitt was notified. After viewing
| the remains and hearing the statements OF
Mrs. Baughman and other persons having
knowledge of the facts. the coroner issued
a certificate Of death by suicide. The body
i was later removed to the undertaking
| rooms of ]. William Lee. to be prepared for
! burial.
| From the statements made by his wife,
| who was in the room for about five minutes
before Baughman fired the fatal shot. he
1 made careful preparations for killing HIM
| self. and when the time came he performed
4 the act eIiberately. The bullet was AIRED In
4 the breast Immediately over the heart and
| made opening almost an inch In dame
/ ter through to the heart. His little SON.
| seven years cid, was playing outside at the
| time.
In answer to q telephone call from her
| husband Mrs. Baughznan. who has been
living apart from him for over year and
| who was occupying rooms at 1905 Riggs
street northwest. went to see him early yes
| terday afternoon. She reached the house on
I'd street where he roo1ned about o'clock.
| and talked with Mrs. Miller, the occupant OF
\ the house, for a few minutes. Then she
| assembled the stairs to her husbands room.
| on the third floor. She found him In bed
dressed only in his night clothes. He was
| reading a novel, she states, when she en-
| tered the room.
Commented On Her Dress.
| The first comment he made was with re-
gard to her dress For some time past on
| account of the death of her mother sew
! eraI months ago. Mrs. Baughman has been
! wearing black. but today. for the first time.
she was wearing white waist with long
black gloves He spoke Of her apparel and
| protested when she started to take of her
gloves.
| II want to see you looking nice" he said.
according to her statement 'for there will
| be no more chances" That the first
| intimation of trouble she had. and she re-
buked him gently for talking in that way.
| Then they began discussing the trouble
which caused them to live apart She has
| an eighteen year-od daughter by former
marriage. and he desired her to give up
| this daughter. but she refused. That.
| she says, was the cause OF the separa-
| ton"
Miriam. I'm going to end this thing" he
| said to her, in conclusion. I'VE can't live
this way, and You won't come to my
/ terms.
With these words. she says. he began to
cry. She then tried to say something
which would comfort him, but her effort
proved fruitless.
| II can't bear 1t any longer" he said.
| Then he asked her to remember that he
| had always been a good husband to her,
and they talked In that strain rain Tor a. short n9
| a handkerchief. He seemed to be more
| composed then and apparently had some
| thing to say to her.
asked him. But he seemed unable to say
| 1t and remained silent. She looked in the
| top bureau drawer for handkerchief, and
noticed two empty holsters, she stated one
| that of a revolver. the other Of a knife. She
! did not want her husband to know she had
| seen them. so she pushed the drawer In
and looked in another for the handker-
| chiefs.
| Fires the Fatal Shot.
/ AS she handed him the handkerchief he
| reached under the pillow of the bed and
| pulled out a Colts revolver of As caliber.
which is carried by the men in the railway
mail service when on duty. When she saw
| the revolver she reached out for 1t and
| pulled it away from him, but not out of his
hands
| "Oh. you wouldn't do anything like that"
| she said, quietly
| now" he replied. II going to end 1t.
| and If you should interfere would shoot
you in minute.
| With the words he pulled the weapon
away from her. and before she could pre-
vent it he pressed the revolver against his
| breast and fired The weapon dropped
/ over the side of the bed and he pitched for
| ward. She tried to support him and kept
! him on the bed. Then she called for help.
/ There apparently only one other per-
son IN the house at the time-Mrs. Miller.
| severe illness. and she was not able to go
to the third floor.
| Mrs. Baughman finally ran to the win
! dow and screamed for help. Some persons
| living near by heard the screams and went
| to her In response. George Moss. who lives
! at 4l9 I'd street northwest. was the Hrst
| person to reach the room after the shoot-
| ing He found Mrs. Baughman almost
| Frustrated. She was crying and was SIT
| ting on the bed at the feet of her expiring
| husband. She was escorted down stairs.
and Policeman Mudd or the SKIN presence i,ee
was on the scene and took charge of the
| remains Everything in the room was ieIt
| Just as it was when the shot was hred IN
| til the coroner arrived.
Meanwhile notice was sent to pofice Mead
| quarters and Detective Pratt went to the
| house He was Joined by Capt. Boardnan
and Detectives Hewlett and Berman ana
| by the official photographer. Policeman
Sanberg. Mrs. Baughman was escorted 10
] Headquarters, where she made her state
| ment to Capt. Boardman, as given above :
| Had Previously Threatened Suicide.
| Mrs Baugs,man stated that she had
! heard her husband make threats OF suicide
before In their conversations. and once,
| when he was living at 500 New Jersey ave-
1 nue. northwest. she says. she took re-
volver from him. She says she did not
/ believe yesterday that he would execute
/ his threat.
| She told the police that because OF their
| domestic troubles her husband had been
drinking heavily. and that he had oecome
4 morose II was stated, however. by one of
| his fe1low-workers on the railway that
4 Bauganman was one of the brightest man In
| his line on the road and that he had good
/ prospects. He was well liked by his asso-