Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-29
BIG RISE IN COTTON HARRIS SELF SLAIN
Sensational Jump Today Over Coroner Gives Certificate Of
Closing Prices Saturday. Suicide by Shooting.
EFFECT OF BULL CAMPAIGN HIS REVOLVER IS FOUND
Shorts Unable l9 Cents Picked Unden
Pound. fed Negro Who Discovered Body.
PRICE FORCED TO 20 CENTS HAD QUARRELED IN A SALOON
100000 Bales by Leader OF to
Bull forees Bearing
Coroner Gives Certificate Of
Suicide by Shooting.
HIS REVOLVER IS FOUND
Picked Up and Pawned by Unidenti-
fed Negro Who Discovered Body.
HAD QUARRELED IN A SALOON
But This Fact and Mysterious Let
ters Not Thought 20 Have
Bearing on Tragedy.

Coroner hewitt today issued a certificate
OF death from q self-fnficted gunshot
wound in the case OF Norval T. Harris.
the wenty-one-year-od street cleaning
inspector. whose body was found early
Sunday morning on the sidewalk near 9th
and i streets southwest, with a bullet
hole penetrating the brain from behind
the right ear.
Unless unexpected developments occur
from an investigation that Harris had Q
quarrel with one of two associates whom
he left in a saloon near the foot OF 7th
street southwest late Saturday night this
action by the coroner terminates q short
lived mystery which had been drawn
around the case incident to the finding
of q series of peculiar letters in Harris
room.
Even now the police are firmly OF the
opinion that Harris killed himself. and
one OF the strongest links in their chain
OF evidence lies In the fact that Q ~
volver. Identified by his uncle as the
property OF the dead man. has been
found. II had one empty chamber. and
the sequence OF events was such that
1t seemed obvious that Harris had been
done to death by his own weapon. ana
there was no evidence that a struggle
had occurred at the point where the
body was found and no evidence that
any revolver. save the one belonging %
Harris. had been discharged.
Negro Picked Up Pistol.
The absence OF Harris revolver from its
holster In one OF his pockets contributed
one element OF uncertainty TO the case.
but the police were sure that an UNI
Identified negro who found the body also
had found the revolver lying on the side
walk and had stolen 1t.
Precinct Detective Grant recovered Har.
ris' revolver this morning from Isadors
Rosenberg, q secondhand dealer Of an
Al street. and at the same time learned
that IL had been pawned for 81 the even
Ing before by negro who gave his name
and address as Henry jackson Of 1871
readily identified by r. A. Harris a the
one which his nephew. the dead man.
Norval +. Harris. had been In the habit 0f
carrying.
Quarrel In Saloon.
From sources outside the police o.
partment 1t was learned this morning
that Harris, with two companions. was
.
after IL o'clock Saturday night. fol-
lowing the arrival OF the steamer Mao
alester, the Marshall Hall boat. Harris
and one OF his companions had been
quarreling and high words were again
passed In the saloon The third young
as peacemaker. but Harris was heard,
to mutter the threat: I'll hx him. but
won't do II In here"
The party separated in the saloon.
Harris being the last one to leave.
side, whether the quarrel was renewed.
and whether 1t had any bearing on the
fatality. has not yet been discovered
veloped at the autopsy conducted under
direction OF Coroner hewitt yesterday.
for II was then established that the bullet
entered Harris head from behind the
itself against the inside OF the skull tust
behind the forehead.
The bullet was so badly mashed that
Il would be impossible TO establish the
fired, and II may even have fost some OF
its weight through the scattering OF
leaden particles through the brain. But
experience has proved, say local detec-
tives, that many persons VINO XIII tnem
selves by shots from revolvers frequently
have placed the weapons behind one or
the other OF their ears. and In SUCH cases
the bullets invariably take an upward
impossibility for another person. intend
ing murder, to inflict such wound upon
a fellow human being.
Noryal T. Harris was employed by the
ago. but he lost his position when that
company reduced its operating force. and
he then came to Washington and took
a position with his uncle. r. A Harris.
a superintendent for the company which
has the contract for cleaning the city
streets.
Norval Harris was an inspector. and he
made his home with his uncle at lis New
York avenue.
Last Seen Alive Saturday Night
The last time he was seen alive b.
members OF his family was Saturday even
ing about O'Clock. when he left the New
York avenue house. telling his aunt. Mrs
Harris. that he would not have time to
wait for dinner. as he was going down
the river on the Marshall Hall boat.
II was established that Harris made the
trim down the river and back. because one
unused Marshall Hall ticket was found In
one of his pockets when the body was
searched. and another had been collected
hv the ticket clerk on the Marshall Hall
boat Harris caid nothing to his aunt
about having an engagement to take
Young lady or any other person down the
river but from the iact .nat ne pu,
Is assumed that he had such an engage
ment and was disappointed by his pros
pectiye companion
Harris was seen at the 7th street wharf
by DIR. Thomas Linvile of 437 Massachu-
setts avenue. but DIR. Linville knew him
only slightly. having examined him re-
Gently for his physical fitness 10 join the
Modern Woodmen OF America So far
as known no other acquaintance OF the