Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-09
HAD BEEN ILL SOME TIME
Wife Hears Report and Finds Body
in Bathroom.
MILITARY RECORD GOOD ONE
Former Chief Of Artillery Had Seen
Service in Civil and
Spanish Wars.

A., retired. committed suicide by shooting
himself near the right ear with a re-
volver about o'clock this afternoon
while In his private bathroom on the third
floor of his home. 1917 New Hampshire e
avenue.
Fully dressed. and while lis wife. the
only other person in the house except
the servants, was downstairs, Gen. Ran
doIph loaded his revolver with but one
SHE'LL walked fretn his Photographic
studio to the bathroom. closed the door
without locking it and fired the fatal shot
He was sixty-nine years old. Death
was instantaneous
The deed, as far as his family was able
to Judge. had net long been contemplated
Continued ill-health Is assigned as the
cause.
Mrs. Randolph was on the second floor
of their home when the deed was COM
mitted. Gen. Randolph had spent most OF
the morning on the third floor. For years
he had been q camera enthusiast. and
had had q special studio fitted up. where
he developed his own films and spert
many hours each day experimenting with
exposures and development solutions. he
was in this room for several hours before
his suicide.
Wife Hears Shot.
The first iutimaticn Mrs. Randolph had
Of the deed was when she heard what
sounded to her like sharp, shrill noise
from the third floor. Thinking her hus-
band had dropped part Of his photo
graphic apparatus, she was about 10 In
uuire into the trouble when she was
startled by a heavy thud in the bath
room. Rushing upstairs, she opened the
bathroom door and saw her husband
PROSTATE on the floor, q revolver ciasped
in one hand and blood pouring from
bullet wound In his right ear. He was
dead when she reached him.
Her screams !rought two servants. VINO
were at work on the first floor. and one
of them hurried next door and summoned
DR.. Thomas A. Claytor. The latter saio
that death had been instantaneous, ana
notified the coroner.
Coroner Renders Verdict.
"A > $>~S
body at 2:3O o'clock this afternoon and
verdict of suicide was turned.
Gen. Randolph had been in ill-health
for some time since his retirement in 1904.
Last summer he spent several months at
a well known health and summer resort
and when he returned to Washington in
the fall seemed much improved. Lately,
however, he had suffered a return of his
III 10 hnli M
porarily unbalanced his mind.
Apparently Gen. Randolph went about
his preparations calmly. When found he
was fully dressed, and there was no un-
due disarrangement Of his clothing. NO
note has been found explaining his action.
Mrs. Randolph is prostrated.
Popular in the Army.
Gen. Randolph was one Of the most
popular officers OF the army, and the
news Of his sudden death today was a
great shock to his many friends in the
War Department. No one there was
able to give an explanation of the
cause of his suicide. The only plausible
explanation is that he took his life
while suffering intense pain from an
attack Of kidney trouble, to which he
had been subject for several months.
Gen Randolph was mainly instrumental
in the development of the present system
of field artillery and for several years
was in charge of the artillery post at
Fort Riley, Kan.
A brief message was received by Gen.
Wood at the War Department this after
noon announcing the death of Gen. Ran
dolph, but giving no details. An officer
was sent to his house at once to lnvestl-
gate and to render any assistance pos
sible to the family.
Saw Service in Wars.
known as one Of the feld-trained SOL
diers Of the service, Gen. Randolph was
a veteran Of the civil and Spanish wars
and many of the hardest and most peril
Gus Indian campaigns.
Gen. Randolph. q Pennsylvania by
birth, started his military career as a
private in the 17th Pennsylvania Infan-
try at the outbreak of the civil War. in
April, 1851. In less than a month, though
only twenty years old, he received his
commission in the regular army as sec
ond lieutenant Of the LIST Field Artillery.
In March, 1862, he was promoted to first
lieutenant, In which grade he served
through the principal campaigns Of the
war He was brevetted major for meri-
torious service in 1865. and in July, 1865.
was commissioned captain of the 1st
Artillery.
In Command Of Volunteers.
In April, 1888. while serving on the
western frontier, Gen. Randolph re-
ceived his commission as major, and was
assigned to the Sd Artillery. March 3.
1898. he was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant colonel, but at the outbreak
Of hostilities with Spain was detached
from the regular organization and placed
in command Of brigade OF volunteers,
with the rank Of brigadier general. In
November of the same year he was hon.
orably discharged and returned to the
regular arm Of the service.
In October. 1850. he was promoted to
colonel of the 1st Artillery. In April,
laO1. he was placed in charge of all the
artillery forces Of the army, as chief OF
artillery. In February. 1908. he was pro-
NOTED to be brigadier general. still re-
tanning his position on the general stan
as chief Of artillery. One year later ne
was promoted to be major general, and
Immediately retired-January %. 1004-on
his own request. after forty years
service.
Firedamp Explosion Kills Six.
BoCHUM. Prussia. December 3.-An
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