The Washington times., 1909-04-22
BURNELL SUCCEEDS
IN ATTEMPT TO DIE
Death Comes TO Army Off
Ger Who Fired Bullet
Into Brain.
FATHER EXPECTED
TO ARRIVE TONIGHT
Physicians Were Planning to Ire
pan Skull as a Last
Resort.

Capt. George c. Burnell, Signal Corps.
u. s. A. who shot himself in the head
In his room at the Laurel Sanitarium
late Tuesday afternoon, died this .iorn-
ing at 1880 o'clock. From the time he
stood before a mirror in his room and
fired the fatal shot. until death came,
Captain Burnell remained unconscious.
Had he lived through this afternoon, it
was the intention of DR.. Cornelius
Deweese and DIR. Jesse Coggins, physi-
clans In charge OF Laurel Sanitarium.
assisted by DR.. Joseph NJ. Heller. of
this city, to attempt the operation of
trepanning Captain BurnelFs skull. This
was the last hope held out to the
friends of the unfortunate army officer.
The funeral arrangements will not be
completed until the arrival of Captain
Burnells father. who Is expected to ar
rive from his home in Vermont tonight.
Until that time, the body will remain at
the Laurel Sanitarium.
The War Department has been noti-
fed of Captain Burnelrs death, and ev-
erything is in readiness for burial In
Arlington Cemetery. unless the father
desires that interment be in Vermont
Feared insanity.
The only motive known TO Captain
Burnell's friends In this city for his
melancholy act Is that he feared and
suspected the approach of insanity. In
this frame Of mind he became moody,
and life, which seemed TO hold for him
a bright prospect. ceased to be Of in
terest.
Il fear that my mind is growing
wg nH -, and that madness Is but e short
Heller on Tuesday. while the two
friends were discussing their return to
Washington from Laurel on Tuesday.
decided that his only escape from a mad
house WAS in a suicides grave.
Almost from the moment Captain
Burnell fired the shot into his head his
physicians realized, that he had only
one chance IN thousand to recover.
The first and subsequent examinations
made by DR.. Cornelius Deweese, physi-
clan in charge Of Laurel Sanitarium
friend of Captain BurneiI. showed that
the bullet, entering the head just back
OF the right ear, had torn the delicate
brain tissues In short, at no time
burdened army officer have more than
lighting chance.
Patients In Ignorance.
One of the remarkable feature of
the shooting is that, although 1t hap
pened Tuesday night, not one of the
considerable number of patients at
Laurel Sanitarium is as yet aware of
It. From them the physicians and at
tendants are guarding the secret rigid
". It happened while a thunder storm
was at its height.
Shortly after Captain Burnell went
to bis room, ostensibly to gather UP
his few belongings preparatory TO com
ing to Washington with DIR. Heller, a
series of loud thunder claps pealed
forth. As If he had timed the shot to
a fraction OF a second, Captain Bur
nell flred just as the loudest of these
thunder claps reverberated overhead.
To the acute hearing of Dr. Deweese
and DR.. Heller. who were conversing
IN the office below. the echo awakened
by the shot was just barely distinct.
Aftcr a seconds pause, both men
went hurriedly TO Captain Burnell' S
room, and there. PROSTATE before a
long cheval mirror, lay the officer,
breathing heavily and with the revolt
4 yer still grasped in hts right hand.
From the position OF his body Il was
apparent that Captain Burnell, stand
ing in front of the mirror and calmly
selecting the spot he considered most
vulnerable, had not intended that the
leaden messenger Of death should fail
in its work. From the time the bullet
sped TO It's mark until death came, the
officer uttered no sound nor gave any
sign OF consciousness, remaining in a
state Of coma until the end.