The Washington herald., 1909-04-29
SUICIDE EPIDEMIC
INYADES CAPITAL
Four Persons Kill Them
selves Since Monday.
WILEY R. COOK THE LATEST
Former Member OF the Washington
Police Department Takes LnudH-
num-GIen Echo Citizen Climbs
Into Tree and HanE~ Himself.
Coroner Unable to Give Causes.

in Washington and vicinity since Monday
l5st. Coroner Hewitt says there seems to
be no explanation OF the epidemic.
The bodies Of two men Who had CON-
mitted suicide were found yesterday by
the police. That Of q man was found
hanging 10 a tree near Glen Echo on
Tuesday. y woman sho, herself with a
revolver in a public thorcughfare on
Monday. and died few hours later in a
hospital
The most recent suicide s that Of Wiley
r Cook. forty years o. age. a former
member OF the Washington police depart
ment. Cook was discvoered about noon
yesterday in his room. al II Pennsyl-
vania avenue northwest. A bottle. which
had contained ladaHum. was found on
the bed.
Left Brief Note.
The only explanation 0f 5he act was
contained IN brief note found on a
bureau. II reads.
Once idolized, but uow forgotten. Miss
Bessie T. Cook. ie15 Four-snd-a-half
street northwest
Near the note was found a newspaper
containing an account Of the suicide Of a
woman VINO ended her life by shooting
with q revolver
A few hours before the discovery of
the body Of Cook. police Of the Ninth
precinct broke in ale door OF a shanty in
Br0okland and found Charles : Whit
man. sixty-one years Of age. lying dead
condition of the body il was seen the
deed was committed several days ago.
Whitman had been employed as a laborer
at the establishment Of A d Y Burr.
coal and wood dealers. at BrOokI8nd. It
is said he received checks from relatives
in New York City al intervals OF a few
weeks. and managed TO live with This in
come. together with the money he earned.
Il is said Whitman was once weIl-to-do.
and acted in an executive capacity for
large mercantile establishment. The pO-
lice teleEraphed 10 a sister. Mrs. James
Pyles. 90 West Fifty-seventh street. New
York City. who asked that the body be
turned over 10 CndeTtaker Lee for ship
ment-
Coroner hewitt investigated and issued a
certificate Of death by suicide The inte-
riOr OF the shanty az S12 Michigan avenue
showed Whitman had carefully planned
his end He lay on a cot with his left
arm held over a bucket Onthe floor. and
drew a razor across his left wrist. infict-
ing several cuts He bled 10 death
Hanging I'm the Woods
Early Tuesday morning the body OF
George Burdett was found hanging 10
a tree in woods near the hon1a or Mrs.
Sobert y Onutt. OF Glen Echo. Mrs.
Offutt was led TO the tree by a pet dog.
which attracted her attention bv bark
ing and jumping about in an existed
manncr Burdett, who was a prosperous
farmer Of Bethesda. Nd. had left his
home Sunda ymorning He went 70
lonely spot in the woods. where he was
found climbed into the branches OF
tree with a stout rope around his neck.
and letting himself down choked himself
to death. II has not been learned why
the man was respondent
Twenty-four hours before the diSCOv-
cry Of the body Of Burdett. Mrs Annie
Kelly, who was also known as Mrs. Maud
Kelly. stopped in a thrOag al Seventh
street and Penns. lvania avenue north
west and shot herself with revolver.
Saw the shot Fired.
Nearly 100 persons saw the shot fred.
but no one could reach the woman's side
In time TO knock the revolver from her
hand She was removed 70 Emergency
oHspitai, where she died z few hours
later. II developed thar Mrs Kelly made
q similar attempt 20 end her life about
three years ago. A man whose identity
has not been learned. requested the
morgue master 10 turn the body over 10
Undertaken Repetti for burial. The
stranger made arrangements with Mr..
Repetti to defray the funeral expenses.
Whitman's method Of ending his life
required more nerve" than was shown
by the others. The razor with which ne
cut his wrist was rusty and dull Il re-
Quire6 number Of slsshes before the
veins in the Wrist-Were cut