Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-24
SH0NTS TALKS CANAL KILLED At HIS STORE
We Declares He Had Presr Famous Merchant Assassnat
dents Consent to Resign. ed Reasons Unknown
WORK IN ACTIVE STAGE NO QUARREL BETWEEN THEM
Has Passed the Creative Will Go After Attempted
Successfully On. to Kill Himself.
WAITS no HID HW TeRK eARRm az the DEAD Nan
~ President Rail-
vay FAisks - Gan % Much Had Fight Wis-eRes
IN That Rsseties. Rurnsd in Emsy
NO QUARREL BETWEEN THEM
After the Crime Assassin Attempted
to Kill Himself.
Epeyp - eUpiysrsal Pyoyidssn and
HAD Q Fight to Wip-oRes
Rurnsd In Emgy.

LONDON, January M-Willlam Whitley,
founder Of the first department store In
London, was shot and killed this afternoon
by . young man who afterward attempted
to commit suicide.
Mr.. Whitley was upon the point Of leav-
ing his store when his assailant rushed up
to him with revolver in his hand, fired
several shots and the merchant fell dead
where he had stood. The assassin then
emptied the revolver into his own body, In
ficting what are believed to be mortal
wounds No reason has yet been ASSIGNED
for the murder.
the time and seml-panlc followed the trag-
edy.
name of Cecil Whitley and said he was
late Mr.. Whitley who have seen the assas-
sin say that they do not recognise him.
Several persons who overheard Mr.. White
ly and his visitor conyersing declare that
there was no quarrel betEeeP then: The
been employed BY the arM and DE manage
ment has no clew to the motive Ter tha
An Kye-wttasss' starry,
An eyewitness In an Account Of the
scene said:
"a well-dressed man wearing . high hat
approached the desk OF the head cashier
and asked to see Mr.. Whitley, int.Mattag
that he vas acquainted with the aRfehaat
The stranger did not give his name. but a
message was sent to Mr.. Whitley. who
gave instructions to have the visitor sent
to him. After an interview of short dura-
ton Mr. Whitley and the stranger came
out of the formers Office, and just as they
apparently We're parting the visitor drew
a revolver from his pocket and fred twice
at Mr. Whitley.
Both bullets entered his head, close to his
ear, and he fell dead on the spot. The en-
ployes Of the store, alarmed at the shoot
ing, rushed to the scene, but were unable
to secure the murderer before he had
turned the pistol on himself. The assassin.
as he was being placed in an ambulance
opened his eyes and said:
Il know. / did it"
The efforts made to obtain an explana-
ton of the reasons for the crime were
futile, as the murderer again sank into a
state of Inconsistencies.
The head cashier stated that the muir
derer informed him that he came from Sir
George Lewis, the famous lawyer, but the
latter when he was questioned on the sub
ject said he had not instructed any one to
call on Mr.. Whitley.
Called a Policeman.
The general manager of the establishment
said that when Mr.: Whitley came out Of
his Office he was apparently waving the
visitor aside and asked one of the employees
to call policeman. While the man had
gone for the police the stranger followed
Mr.. Whitley out of the Office and fired at
him. the first shot, which entered behind the
ear, causing, in the opinion of the doctors.
instant death. The assassin then shot him.
self in the forehead.
Mr.. Whitley was born on a farm near
Wakefield. Yorkshire, in 1884, and was APP
prenticed to dry goods merchant in Wake
field. He came to London in 1851 with G1O
in his pocket, obtained employment in a
store in the Ludgate Hill district, and after
he had saved small sum of money he coll
1ected more from some of his friends, until
his capital totaled G7O0.
Mr.. Whitley opened a small store in
Westbourne Grove in 1858, with two girl
assistants and an errand boy. Four years
later he added second store to the original
esta blishm and gradually expanded his
business until the Whitley stores covered
a huge block and gave employment to 5000
persons.
He was ready to supply anything from a
needle to an elephant, and the retail deal
ers in Whiteley's neighborhood were at one
time so Infatuated at the success of the
universal provider," as Mr.. Whitley was
termed. that they burned his effigy in pub
lie. The business i'm 1899 was transformed
into a LATED liability company. Mr..
Whitley could be found at his store I'D to
Z in the evening for five nights a week. He
was short, stout man, clean shaver on the
upper lip, and wearing whiskers Of the
fashion of half a century ago.