The Washington herald., 1907-02-13
DEATH PACT is KEPT
L. I. Brown and Margaret
Straub End Lite Together.
SHOOTS WOMAN AND HIMSELF
Harness Dealer Kills Sweetheart
and Then Commits Suicide in the
Rear of His store on Fourteenth
street-LeRVeS wife and One Child.
Posed as Single Man.

Leonard T. Brown, harness dealer,
shot and killed Margaret Straub. an en-
ploye Of the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing, and then committed suicide by
shooting, IA his store 2l94 Fourteenth
street. some time Monday night. The
bodies were found yesterday morning
when the store was opened by two clerks.
Brown was a married man. He and
the woman had been friends for more
than a year. Owing to his infatuation
for her. Brown left his home shortly
after the first of the year. and had been
sleeping in the rear Of the harness store.
About five weeks ago he attempted sui
eide by inhaling Illuminating gas.
Browns friends believe that the mui
der ana suicide were planned. Brothers
Of the dead woman assert that she was
killed because she had been demonstrated
with for her behavior, and that as a re-
suit she had told Brown she intended
giving him up
Brown and Miss Straub attended the
matinees at Chases Theater Monday.
box Of partly eaten candy was found
in the room. The woman was fully
dressed. Brown was in his shirt sleeves.
and had removed his shoes. It is not
known at what hour the deed was COM
mitted -Four shots in all were fired
Three of the bullets entered the head OF
Miss Straub. The fourth ended the life
of Brown. The body of the woman was
found lying on a cot which had formerly
been used by Brown as a bed On the
man. He had shot himself in the mouth.
His neck was broken by the bullet Both
evidently died instantly.
Death Compact
The position Of the body of the woman
led the friends Of Brown to believe that
the tragedy was planned by both From
appearances she had made no effort to
escape after the first shot was fired
The right hand OF the girl had been
pierced by "a bullet evidently done when
she placed it to the side Of her head after
the first shot.
The discovery was made by Lee II
Smith aud Claude c. Gardner. The police
Of the Eighth precinct were notified and
made al Investigation. Coroner hewitt
viewed the bodies. and decided that the
case was one Of murder and suicide. The
bodies were taken TO the morgue
Brown formerly lived at 1929 Column
bia road. Ire leaves "A wife and
seven-year-old child. He was thirty
years Of age. Mrs. Brown resides with
her mother. Browns parents live near
Anacostia. His father is a watehman
for the Washington Loan and Trust
Company He has two brothers-Thur-
man Brown. of Washington a timer,
and sherman Brown. who is now IN
New York The funeral viii take place
Thursday from the home Of Mrs Brown
in Columbia road.
Brown was well known among the
horsemen Of this city. He made a spe-
cialty Of articles for fast horses
Posed rs single Man.
Miss Straub was twenty years
old, and lived with her parents at 1881
r street She leaves a mot.ler and ia
Their and three brothers. Her father is
Rudolph Straub. The brothers claim
that Brown. until only a few weeks
ago, had been calling at the girls home
and posing as single man. Frequently
he took her out riding. The brothers
took her to task about a month ago for
going with Brown. and she promised
to break off their relations. They be-
iieve that the woman told Brown OF
her intentions, and that the shooting
was the result. She formerly worked
in the Treasury Department.
According 20 Browns friends he was
successful in business, and they can
offer no explanation for his act. further
than that he was infatuated with the
woman. and she with him, and that
they agreed to die together