Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-28
0VERSTUDY DRIVES
STUDENT CRAZY
Son of Rear Admiral Van Rev.
pen Commits Suicide
IN NEW YORK APARTMENTS
Was Law Student in Columbia
University.
LEFT NOTE FOR HIS FATHER
Asked Forgiveness of His Parents for
Rash Act He Then Con-
templated' E\
EFT NOTE FOR HIS FATHER


While suffering from temporary
insanity, the result of overstudv. it
is believed, William Knickerbocker
Van Reypen, son of Rear Admiral
Van Reypen, u. S. N, of this CITY,
ended his life yesterday by shoot
ing himself through the head in his
rooms at the Mansfield bachelor
apartments, New York city. The
father and mother of the Young
man left their Washington home
upon receiving the sad intelligence
and arrived at New York late last
night.
Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, January 27.-William
knickerbocker Van Reypen, son OF Rear
Admiral Van Reypen. L. s. N, retired.
shot himself in the head, dying instantly.
this morning in his rooms at the Mansfield
Bachelor Apartments. II West 4ith street
''hS bcNS "hS iouiiu luliy dressed, revolver
In hand, in an easy chair in the sitting
room by one of the hotel servants. Admiral
Van Reypen was notified by telephone at
his home, l02l 18th street Washington and
came on at once with Mrs. Van Reypen,
reaching Jersey City late tonight.
Young Van Reypen who was twenty
three years old was graduated from Yale
last June and was in the hrst-year law
class at Columbia. He was well up I'm his
studies and was preparing for the mid
winter examinations which begin tomor-
row.
Assemblyman r. d. Wells OF the twenty-
ninth assembly district cousin of the
dead man, said tonight that young Van
Reypen's mind had undoubtedly been upset
by overstudy.
He told me few days ago" said Mr
Wells, that manyaof his classmates were
extremely clever and that 1t would humii-
late MIN very much if they should distance
him."
Van Reypen was one of the most proni-
nent men in his class at Yale and Column
bia. He was business manager of the
News, the Yale daily, and was on the eot-
torial staff of the Yale literary magazine.
He was a member of the Psi L fraternity
and the Skull and Bones. He was an init
mate friend of Capt. Hogan of the foot ball
team.
Van Reypen prepared for college at tho
Hill School at Pottstown, Pa
In Cheerful Mood.
The young man attended recitations FRI
day morning in the Columbia library. but
was absent in the afternoon. He had an
appointment with two classmates at tho
library for this morning to go over some
notes. and his failure to appear surprised
Them. He went out from the hotel this
morning, II was learned, but retsrned and
fingered for some time in the office Ac-
cordlng to those who him he was
cheerful and went TO the elevator wbistling
His rooms were on the second floor where
he and 70. e. SPalding. an empoye In a
downtown office, had occupied a two-room
apartment for five months
Coroner Acretelli, who was notified OF
Van Reypen's death as soon as the police
learned of it, said today:
Il reached the Mansfield about / o'clock
The body of the young man, fully dressed.
was still warm. There was a bullet wound
In the right temple and the revolver was In
the right hand. Sergeant Joseph Meehan
OF the East 5lst street station was there,
having been notified of the young mans
death by Assistant Manager Morris of the
While | was there Mr. Spalding
came up from the Office where he is en-
ployed downtown. having received news or
the death. He said that his friend did not
drink and was free from entangiements OF
any kind, so far as he knew.
Letter to His Father.
Van Reypen, in which the young man ask
ID his parents to forgive him. He said
hat his father and mQther had been the
best Of parents. and spoke of the goodness
# his sister. In a postscript he added that
he was about to take his life, but not u
account of woman
Van Reypen evidently had just bought
he revolver. Every chamber had been
freshly loaded. A wire and bristle cleaner
'or the weapon found wrapped in
PAPER on table in the room. a watch and
,hain, a seal ring and a pearl scarf pin
we're found and turned over to his room
nate
Admiral Van Reypen visited his son only
asst Sunday. He is the present head or
he Red Cross Society, having succeeded
Miss Clara Barton. He was surgeon gen
sral of the United States navy, and chief
IF the bureau of medicine and surgery
rom 1897 to 1902, when he retired after
'orty years of service, with the rank or
senior rear admiral He was born at Ber-
gen, n. j.. on November II, 1870, and was
graduated from the medical department OF
he University of the City of New York In
S62 In the war with Spain he designed
md fitted out the ambulance ship Solace,
he first ever used In naval warfare,
William X Van Reypen. jr.. was well
,nown in this city, where h<parents have
iyed for many years. He graduated last
ummer from Yale and was taking q course
a law in Columbia University, New York.
His mother and father returned Thursday
rom New YORK, WEere they nae vlsiteu
heir son and according to a personal
riend of the family, they left hiDi In the
est of spirits and apparently in the best
f health He seemed 10 be content with
he progress he was making In the practice
# his profession and displayed no symp-
oms of dependency.
Admiral and Mrs. Van Reypen were nou-
led by Iong-distance telephone yesterday
Lfternoon Of the death of their son and
hey left Washington at O'Clock for New
FORK.
The news of the death spread rapidly
trough Washington, and proved to be q
hook to the many friends the young man
Iad here, where he spent his boyhood and
o whom he said goodbye at the end of the
christmas holidays. which he spent with his
amuy. Throughout the ten days spsnt In