Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02
MAY WAS A RECORD-BREAKER
UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF
FATALITIES OCCURRED.
Murders, Suicides and Deaths by Acct
dent-Coroner Kept Busy
Cases Of Drowning.

In addition to being the coolest May ever
recorded by the local weather bureau last
month will be remembered as one in which
an unusual large number of fatalities oc
CURED. Coroner hewitt was kept busy all
the month. the number of cases in which he
was called upon to make Investigations and
give certificates numbering an average of
nearly three a day. During the month
twenty persons died as the result of acct
dents of various kinds, and eleven persons
killed themselves
Five of the eleven who committed suicide
did by inhaling Illuminating gas, three
swallowed carbolic acid two shot them
selves and one took rough on rats" Five
homicides were committed during the
month. and in twenty-seven instances the
coroner found that death was due to nat
ural causes. A number of bodies of dead
infants were found and number of still
births We're reported. In one case In which
the coroner was called upon to make an
investigation and give a certificate death
resulted from hydrophobia. The victim con-
tracted the fatal attack after being bitten
by cat.
Several Homicides.
The most sensational case of violent
death during the month involved the killing
of Frank A Macaboy. a cabman. at the
Arlington Hotel. He was shot and killed. 1t
is alleged by CASTOR P. Philip. clubman
and prominent society man. Philip was
held for the action Of the grand jury and
is now in jail.
Another homicide was that in which a
colored man named Eugene Rutherford
was stabbed to death. The case Of Ernest
Langley, the boy who was fatally stabbed
by companion while the two were to-
gether in the southeast section of the city,
also attracted attention. The boy who did
the stabbing was exonerated by coroner's
jury, but the case is being Investigated by
the grand jury.
Two other cases involved murder and sui
eide. One occurred at the Soldiers Home
the 9th of the month, William Parks shoot
ing and killing James Leslie and then TAX
ing his own life. Twenty-four hours later
William o. Rice shot and killed his wife.
Lillian Rice, and also shot his baby in Its
mothers arms at the time. Then he ended
his life. Mrs. Gertrude Won Gunner was
accidentally burned to death and John A.
Mottau committed suicide the day the two
double tragedies were enacted.
Means of Suicide.
The first person to meet with violent
death during the month was Frederick
Walter He ended his life by taking
boic acid. Otto Gutermuth increased the
record in similar manner. Two days
later Charles ]. Giers tumbled over the
balusters at the State War and Navy De-
partment building and lost his life, his fall
being the result of an accident. Cora Wal
ter. a colored domestic. lost her life as the
result of fire caused by gasoline stove
Another victim of an accident was Mary b.
McNalley, who was fatally injured in an
elevator. Her death occurred while she
was en- her way to the Emergency Hos
pital.
Early in the month Clifton Dawson col
ored, died of lockjaw resulting from an In
jury to his foot. Jonathan b. Donaldson
committed suicide the sth of the month by
inhaling Illuminating gas. Others who fol-
lowed his example were Maria Brown Hun
gerford, coored Marie l.. Jolley, John
George Koher and William w. Skinner.
Valentine Murrback ended his life by shoot
ing himself in the head. Julia Darne COM
pleted the suicide record by swallowing car
belle acid.
William Coleman. colored; Richard Bell.
colored; Edward NJ. Hines. white; Howard
o. Scott, white, and Charles Barnes, col
ored, We're accidentally drowned. Among
others who met with fatal accidents during
the month were Frederick Steigeman, Will
son RedheTer, Joseph F. Whaling, Lewis
Collins, Ferdinand Rupprecht, Luigi da
Paola. James Rollins and Louis Albert
Schultz.