Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-04
MET DEATH ALONE
IN SHOOTING BOX
Richard Henry Lynn Drowned
While Duck Hunting in
Cecil County, Md.
NEWS COMES AS SHOCK
TO HIS ASSOCIATES
Deceased Was President of Ameri-
can National Bank of Washington.
BODY TAKEN TO LEEsBURG, VA.
Funeral Services to Be Held There
Tomorrow Afternoon-Many Ex-
pressions Of Sorrow.

Tomorrow Afternoon-Many Elk
pressions Of Sorrow.
Developments today fail to explain ex>
actly how Richard Henry Lynn. presi-
dent of the American National Bank OF
this city, was drowned yesterday. while
duck shooting on the Susquehanna flats
near Turkey point, Cecil county. Md. His
friends believe it will never be known ex-
actly how he met his death, but the ex-
planation most generally accepted Is that
his shotgun was accidentally discharged
while he was lying in the bottom Of a
sink box, knocking him unconscious by
the shock. and blowing hole In the
box, which caused 1t to sink before Mr..
Lynn regained consciousness.
There were no marks on the body,
which was found two hours later, about
1JO yards from where the box sank. Sew
eral Of Mr.. Lynn's friends were in a yacht
about 800 yards away from the sink box.
and they neither heard the discharge OF
the gun nor noticed when the box dis
appeared from the surface Of the water.
Believed to Have Been Unconscious.
AS those nearby heard no outcry, and
as the water in which the craft went
down was relatively shallow, i, is thought
that Mr.. Lynn must have been uncon-
scious when the sink box filled with
water. At one time he was seen to rise
in the box, apparently to stretch him
self. and some of his friends believe that
he was feeling Ill, and attempted to signal
for assistance. and that after sinking
back he intended to discharge his gun
to attract the attention OF his COM
panions in the yacht The gun had hair
trigger, and may have gone off as he was
crying to lift it above the edge of the
box.
Mr. Lynn, with Griffin Halstead. a
Washington broker. went to Turkey point
Thursday evening from the home Of Gen.
J. A. J. Creswel, at Elkton- They were
the guests Of William Selby. cashier or
the American National Bank, who ha0
chartered the yacht Spray to take tne
early in the morning. When they reach
ed the grounds Mr. Halstead and Mr.
Selby were taken separately In row.
boat to the sink box. Neither was sue
cessful in getting ducks, and about ID
o'clock when Mr.. Lynn was taken out.
he remarked, laughingly, Let me show
you fellows how to shoot ducks" AS he
stepped from the rowboat into the box
he remarked that 1T was damp. and that
he did not care to remain out more than
three-quarterS of an hour.
Make Startling Discovery.
AS Mr.. Halstead returned to the yacht
Mr. Lynn was seen to stand up. appar-
emily to stretch himself. An hour later
they sent the launch crew to the sink
box to bring Mr.. Lynn in. When they
ha xryhar he hov xxyac G
seen one of them shouted that 1t had dis
appeared The yacht came up quickly
and after a search, the sunken box was
found and brought to the surface. The
gun which had been discharged was in it,
and a large hole was found in one end
of the box.
The body of the banker could not be
found until about an hour later. when ii
rose to the surface of the water about
midway between where the box had been
and where the yacht was anchored.
There were absolutely no marks on the
body 1t was taken aboard the Spray and
the party went back to Elkton. Coroner
J. Frank Frazer of Cecil county, after
discussing the affair with the hunting par
ty, considered that an inquest was un-
dental drowning.
Body Taken to Leesburg.
The body passed through Washington
today on its way to Leesburg, Va, where
the funeral services will be held tomor-
row at st. James Episcopal Church. Rev.
Richard II. Burkhart, rector of the
church, will offidate. The interment will
be in the old cemetery at Leesburg.
special train will leave Union station
for Leesburg at 1890 O'Clock tomorrow
to accommodate the friends of Mr.. Lynn
who desire to attend the funeral at :;
o'clock pm
The active pallbearers selected are G.
B. Chipman, C. H. LIVINGSTONE Bel, r. Fl;
Halstead. William selby. S. B. Harrison
and William E. Garrett
The honorary pallbearers will be w. T.
Galliher, w. B. Hibbs. E. G. Clapham,
Carroll Pierce, Thomas l.. Hume. B. s.
Minor J. Whit. Heron and c. A. Doug
lass.
At a special meeting of the board OF
directors of the American National Bank
this afternoon arrangements were made
to attend the funeral in body. Mr.
Lynn is survived by a widow. who was
Miss Jeanette Harrison, and daughter
eighteen months old.
The news Of Mr.. Lynn's death reached
Washington yesterday evening, first
through a telephone message from Mr..
Halstead to Colin H. Livingstone, vice
president of the American National Bank.
Gradually it spread throughout the city,
and was q great shock to hnancierS ana
business men of Washington.
Statment by Mr.. Halstead.
Mr.. Halstead, who went with Mr.. Lynn
to the sink box, told the story OF the
accident as follows:
I'VE began hunting just when day was
breaking. When 1 went into the box.
which was anchored a sufficient distance
away from the launch so that the per
sons on board would not interfere with
the man with the gun, lay FIAT down
for probably two hours. / did not bag
anything and called to the two members
of the crew Of the launch to come out
and get me. After i got aboard the
launch Mr. Lynn, who was not an eN-
pert hunter, jokingly remarked that he
would show Selby and me how to shoot
ducks.
He was weighted down pretty heavily.
as he wore all the clothes he could get.
but still complained of being cold. He
and rowed out to the sink box together.
and all the while he continued showing
shells into the loops in his hunting coat