Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-02
CONG. ADAMS SUICIDE.

Washington June 1.-Represent1tive
Robert ADAMS If the ~ Congressional
District OF Pennsylvania. is dc ii in
this city as tn" result of Il pistol shot
nred through his mouth into his head.
with suicidal intent.
THE act was committed ut the club
chambers Of the metropolitan Club,
where Mr. Adams had resided For sew
Cral years. sometime between and Z
O'Clock Friday morning IT was not I'M
til o'clock. however that he WAS
found by Horace Clark. one of the ne
gro bclIncn, whose habit it WAS each
morning at that hour to carry hot wat
or 20 the room. Upon opening the door,
Clark found Mr. Adams. entirely nude.
sitting upright lit an arm chair He
summoned the attaches Of the house
and Il doctor was sent for. Mr.. Adams
then was unconscious and the physi-
clan pronounced the wound necessarily
fatal. Mr.. Adams WAS soon aftcrVarl
removed to the hospital and some of
the fragments of bone were removed
from his brain. lie passed away at 1l.39
o'clo"F.
\ gbaStlv feature Of his act WAS tht
fact that after shooting himself Nj.
Albums proceeded to the bath room,
where he washed himself ard then 70
turned to his room. Tic walls and both
rourn were splttcrcd with blood. In his
room an unsigned note WAS found aI-
dressed to james Clark, another bell
man, reading rs follows:
"Notify II. G. Clement. 122G ] street,
Telephone main 1Sf" and also Francis
70 Al | q
money for breakfast bill. You can di
VIDE the things in tn" closet
Al tic Metropolitan club chambers it
was recalled that Thursday morning
MI. Adams did not act naturally ana
appeared (" hc under som" mental
strain. Before leaving for tn" tdplto'
Ilc demanded his board hill. Which y"
raid. remarkin" at the same tim" th''
the bcllmcn could divide NJ tn" change
among themselves
He seemed himself again ThurSd''y
night and there Was nnthinC in his az
tions which Indicated that he contcm-
plated taking his life.
Robert ADAMS WaS on" Of tn" most
popular repre- ScntatiVeS in Congress
ana lie had been Identified with many
matters Of a Wcrld-Wilo Importance.
His position as ranking member of tn"
minority after the chairman 81 IN"
House committee Of foreign affairs
has. owing to the i'll health of Mr.. init.
made il necessary for him largely to
direct the business Of that important
committee and he was thus brought
into close contact with President
EooScN cit and Secretaries Hay. Root
and Taft.
MI. Adams was q society and club
man and WAS ut al prominent social
functions i'm this city. 1t WAS only
Thursday that he as acting chairman
Of the House committee on foreign af
fairs, managed the diplomatic and con
suIar appropriation hill f" it's final pas
sag, in the House. As this bill has been
before the House for the past week. Mr..
Alarms had been tho principal figure III
the House There WAS nothing in his
department during the consideration Of
the measure to indicate an unusual
condition of his mind.
Mr. Adams became prominent at tho
h. ginning of III" session Of Congress
by introducing and championing the.
'WhippinC post bill" which h2d been
recommended by the President. Mr..
Adams had to stand a great deal Of
god naturcd chatting during the debate
on the bill. but the fact that he was n
bachelor and was trying to sccur" the
passage of 4 bill to punish wifc-be1ting
by whipping The man found guilty, gave
opportunity for pcking fun at him.
Mr.. Adams. like most members of
Congress from Philadelphia, seemed to
nave q life lease on his seat in Congress
although it WIS rumOrcd Il few years
ago that he had been threatened with
opposition. At that time there was d
suggestion that he had lost {, large por-
ton Of his fortune through injudicious
investments and this is one of the pos
siple causes of his act
Mr.. Adams has always been a Re
publican. He was born in Philadelphia,
Feb. &c. 1S49. and graduated from the
University Of Penn. 20 years later. He
practiced law for five years and spent
some time in scientific explorations as
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