Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-22
AGED SHOEMAKER IS SUICIDE
THOMAS o'DowD ONCE SHER-
MANS HENCHMAN.
Talented Irishman Aided in Utica
Campaigns-Kills Self in Shop
by Asphyxiation.

ny ASpAy AAd(AoA.
Whether Thomas O'Dowd. suicide. was
insane or whether he was simply despond-
ent on account of financial troubles are
the questions which friends of the aged
man are seeking to determine today.
O'Dowd. who was sixty-eight years old.
was found dead, sitting bolt upright, in
his chair in his little shoemaker's shop
at Sth and 1 streets northwest yesterday
morning. Gas was flowing in full volume
from four open jets.
The circumstances so plainly indicated
suicide that Coroner hewitt gave a GER
tificate to that effect, at the same time
officially expressing the belief that
O'Dowd was mentally unbalanced. The
body was at first removed to the morgue,
but subsequently was placed in charge OF
an undertaken.
Henchman Of Sherman.
for a number Of years was one of the
ablest political lieutenants Of Sunny
JIM Sherman. the vice presidential
nominee, in his home district In Utica,
N. Y. O'Dowd came to Washington a
number OF years ago.
Representative Sherman obtained
some cause he was removed. but SUISSE
quently was reinstated. only to again lose
the position about three years later.
Discouraged at. his adverse fortunes.
O'Dowd, who was SO badly crippled that
walking was almost an impossibility,
Of sedentary nature. Repeated failures
finally compelled him to take up the
humble role of a shoemaker. He estab-
lished his shop at 800 l street.
To his patrons the shoemaker was a
constant source of wonder. In mental
attachments he was far above .his station
in life. He had fluent command of Ger
man, French and English, and the yet
,rarer ability to read, write and speak the
ancient Gaelic.
O'Dowd was a native OF County Cal
Like the cross roads grocery store and
the livery stable of the small town.
O'Dowds shop was sort OF neighbor-
hood gathering place. For many years
the wrinkled little man was the center of
a circle of story-tellers who gathered al
most nightly about his humble bench.
In recent months. however, ODowd
drew more and more within himself. and
seemed to become unduly sensitive about
his physical infirmities. His ola asso-
ciates dropped away one by one.
bcl1cVeQ mluQ UaV6 w ay.
Prevailing opinion was that the shoe
makers mentality was giving way under
his real and fancied troubles. Not long
ago he made an effort to end his life, but
it was unsuccessful.
He returned to his bench and for many
weeks seemed to be in a more cheerful
frame of mind. There was no warning
of his second. and this time successful,
attemDt at Self-deStructiOn.
No one missed the little shoemaker I'M
til 1870 o'clock yesterday morning. when
his landlady. Miss Fannie Hathaway OF
916 Sth street northwest, discovered that
his room had not been occupied the night
before.
She asked T. A. Neff, another boarder,
to try to locate O'Dowd. Mem went to the
shoemakers shop and peered in the win
dow. The sight which met his eyes and
the strong odor of gas from the cracks
around the door caused Neh to. hurriedly
summon Bicycle Policeman Adams of the
first precinct. The door was broken. A
glance was sufficient to convince both
that life was extinct. The policeman
summoned Coroner hewitt.
There was no note or paper on the
body or in O'Dowd's shop or In his room
to give reason for the deed. The cir
cumstances were so clear that the cor
oner unhesitatingly gave certificate OF
death by suicide.
MOI III W. anu.
News of the death spread rapidly
through the neighborhood where O'Dowd
lived and labored. One of the first to
hear it was Edward J. Hannah. president
of ST. Patrick's Church conference Of the
ST. Vincent de Paul Society. He direct
ed two young men to secure an under
taker and have the body prepared for
burial.
The police of the first precinct. in
searching O'Dowds effects, found about
$50 in money. receipt for a deposit at
the Washington Gas Light Company and
a few articles of value, which, when sold
will afford sufficient means for burial OF
the body Of the unfortunate man.
This. with the fact that the shoemaker
enjoyed a steady patronage at his shop.
were taken by his friends as sufficient in
dication he had not suffered want. Most
of them believe O'Dowds suicide was
due to temporary insanity.
Maj. Sylvester received two dispatches
today. one from Thomas R. ODowd of
S. Ontario street, Utica, N. Y, directing
that the body be embalmed. and that
he would send instructions later for the
disposition Of the remains. The other
was from Frank Blake an undertaken,
of Clinton. N. Y. asking that the body
be forwarded to Utica, N. Y.