The Washington herald., 1908-05-11


Charles Z Bamford twenty.six years
old, Of 569 Hamilton avenue. Trenton \.
j. graduate of West Point. shot and in
stantly killed himself early yesterday
morning in his room at the Regent
Hotel
only one shot was fired The bullet
entered the left temple ana passed
through the brain, inhicting a wound that
physicians say caused immediate death
The body was taken to the morgue and
the coroner notified.
Failure to make a success of civil en-
gineering may have prompted the act
Bamford visited Representative Ira
Wood, of New Jersey. on Friday. and
said he had not made a success as =
civil engineer, and wanted to re-enlist in
the army
Served as second Lieutenant.
Bamford is the son OF Col Charles =
bamford Of Trenton, and served one
Year as second lieutenant in the regular
army His relatives are persons of poSi.
lion and influence.
The former officer came To Xyasbinqto,
on Thursday, and registered al The Re
gent Hotel He confded 10 the clerk
That he intended enlisting i'm the army
On saturday night he went TO bed shortly
ai'er Il O'Clock The elevator boy was
lhe last person to see him alive. He was
Then apparently in good spirits.
several persons in the hotel heard the
sound Of a pistol shot about o'clocl,
Yesterday morning. No one paid any at-
tention TO it, however. and il was not
until l2,3o o'clock that Corinne Reeves 2
cnambermaid entered the room and saw
BamfOrd body lying across the bed
dressed in night clothes. In the left
hand was held .32-caliber revolver.
An investigation was made l,v the nolics
OF the First precinct and the coroner no.
thed After viewing the remains the
coroner gave certificate Of death from
suicide, and ordered the body taken to
the morgue
No Letters or Notes.
No letters or notes were found that
would give the slightest clew to the mo-
tive for the suicide.
4 letter addressed to Adit. Gen. Aims
worth was found in the mans satcbeI
II gave brief record Of Bamfords army
service, and stated that ne wished IN he
reappointed The letter was dated Nav
5. and was ready for mailing.
Bamford called on Representative Ira
Wood, of New Jersey. Friday morning.
In the House Office building. The voune
man presented letters of introduction
and told of his graduation from West
Point He said he had served in the
army, but had decided to try civilian life
for awhile, and had resigned in JuI,
1856. After leaving the service. Bamford
told the Congressman, he went West and
started in business as a civil engineer
He worked in various places. he said
with but Indifferent success. He tried
several States. and finally concluded no
vas better fitted for army service Than
for the life Of an engineer. He. accord
lngly. gave up his position and came to
Washington
Representative Wood took great inter-
est IN Bamf0Td's case. more especisIIv
as he had known the young mans father.
bamford was apparently in the best of
spirits, and seemed hopeful Of being re-
appointed within a short time. On Sat
urday' Representative Wood wrote a let
ter TO Adjt. Gen. AinsWorth, asking what
steps would be necessary for the reap
pointment of Bamford to the service.
When told of the young mans -esth
Representative Wood said he was
shocked, as he had known Banford's s
relatives for years. and had taken great
he young mans career.
in Trenton, \. j.
-as born in Trenton, June a.
IT through the public schools
and on June 10, 1900 was ap-
'est Point Military Academy
tatiye John J. Gardner. Of
y He was graduated on
and was Immediately com
cond lieutenant in the Thir-
ry. He served until July,
obtained his release.
Y Bamford, the young
IS well known in Trenton
the civil war. and of late
een prominently Identified
militia His grandfather,
IS one of the largest
tactuTeTs in the East.
"oa Deeh hOJlned of the
leath, and the body will be
ofgue pending instructions
verses were found I'm a
bamiord's room. but there
writing to indicate that the
IS respondent
raBh of Woman,
e's room the police found
ot young woman. on the
was written: What do
his for the new Mrs. Lin
in his pockets so in cash
ing to So, and return
on
he became discouraged
dge that it would be nee
the authority Of an act
order TO get back in the
ord, brother of the sui
Washington at II O'Clock
'TentOn- He could give
act. His brother had
said because OF i'll
me 10 Baltimore,
id Ohio Railroad,
e hour" weekdays frOm