The evening world., 1909-01-18
DR.. WOODBURY.,
BEAUTY EXPERT,
SHOOTS HIMSELF
Dermatologist Whose Face Is
Widely Known Through Ad-
vertisements a Suicide.
WORRIED OVER A SUIT.
Had Made Fortune Out of
Business in Which He
Was a Pioneer.
WORRIED OVER A SUIT.

DR.. John II. Woodbury., the beauty
expert and dermatologist. whose like
less is familiar wherever there Is a
billboard in this country because of his
extensive advertising, sho, and killed
himself to-day in his room in the Sea-
cliff Inn, Coney Island.
Woodbury. was fifty-elght years old
and had made a large fortune. He
owned the Sea Cliff Inn and leased 1T
to Mrs. Ernestine Dillon, who closed
1t for the winter, leaving caretaker.
Louis Bauer, in charge, For several
winters 1t has been the habit of Wood.
bury to live alone at the inn, and n
suite OF rooms was especially fur.
nished for him.
At about II o'clock to-day Bauer,
walking along the hall on the second
floor, smelled smoke near Woodbury's
room. He tried the door but found it
lacked, and thinking the house might
be ahre, broke in. There he found the
owner Of the hotel unconscious anil
partially dressed, lying on the bed. the
sheets and coverlid of which were in
blaze. On the floor near by was a
3S-calibre pistol, two chambers Of
which were empty,
Put Out the Blaze.
Bauer thrashed out the blazing bed
clothes and then turned his attention
to the doctor There was a wound be-
hind the left ear and one In the right
side of the abdomen. Bauer is not posi-
tive whether Woodbury. was dead
when he broke In the door, but Ambu-
lance Surgeon Klein. who came at about
o'clock-the delay being caused by the
storm having broken down the telc-
phone w!res-said the shot in the head
must have caused instantaneous death
The body was taken to the West
Eighth Street Morgue at Coney Island
The only reason that WoOdburys
friends at the Island assign for his
suicide was worry over 5000 suit for
SANDER, begun against him a week ago
by stephen Emmons, wealthy con
tractor of Coney Island Emmons was
building row of houses-an addition
TO the Seacliff Inn-for Woodbury., and
the men had a dispute over the price
$4,000. After the quarrel Woodbury.
went to Emmons's house and abused
the contractor to his wife, on which
Emmons based his suit for SANDER
Benjamin Patterson of No. 80? Broad
way, Manhattan, who was Woodburys
lawyer, said the beauty doctor left a
fortune Of more than $4,000.
Lawyer Is Puzzled.
"I can imagine no reason why he
should have killed himself Mr.. Pat
terson said. unless 1t was because he
had been drinking, He seemed to take
great interest In life, owned fast horses
and an automobile. and 1t was as late
as last Saturday that he arranged with
me about the investment Of $4,000, He
came here from Salem, Mass, and was
Of a good family, He was married
twice and had not lived with mis- second
wife for several years
Dr. Woodbury. was the pioneer In this
country in the business OF beauty
making" lie founded the Woodbury.
DermatologIcal Institute, with head
quarters at No. % West Twenty-third
street, In 1850. and Immediately COM
menced campaign OF advertising that
employed every medium from news
papers 10 b.llboards and kiios, His
facial soaps and creams were advertised
the country over. and on every adyer-
tIsement there was a likeness o! his own
face.
Woodbury. became very wealthy and a
few years ago sold out his original In
stitute to company Of which his
cousin, William Woodbury., was a mem
per. This company afterward got into
trouble with the courts for advertising
to practise medicine and last Septem-
Der went into the hands OF receiver.
Dr. Woodbury. later opened another
second street under the name OF the
Joan II. Woodbury. Facial Cutlvating
Company.
He was last seen there Saturday, and
II was Noticed that he had been drink,nS
heavily. He had sold a good deal Of the
stock In this concern, but was president
and the advertising head His business
associates know little OF hi private life
He leaves wife and a daughter one
living in Lawrence Mass. and the other
on staten Island.
Fine New Turkish Baths