Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16
Biloxi Suicide Well Known
Chicago Writer.
IDENTIFIED BY FATHER
believed to Have Killed Himself
Because OF Ill Health.
VERSE WRITER AND CRITIC
Employed at Various Times on
Newspapers-Divorced First
Wife-Marries Again.


of the body of man found dead i'll the
Breslow Hotel. at Biloxi Miss. Tuesday
was made here today oy Col. r. A. East
man. city statistician as that of his son.
Barrett Eastman. for years known 10
Chicagoans as a dramatic critic.
photograph of the body sent here
by the police of the Mississippi city was
declared by Col. Eastman To he a picture
of his son. All the indications in the
Biloxi hotel were that the man had end
cd his life with poison and had sought to
prevent identification by destroying pa
pers which he carried.
Well Known Writer.
Barrett Eastman was well known in
newspaper and literary circles, and, in
addition 10 extensive work for Chicago
newspapers. was a contributor of prose
and verse to ma games
As special writer he attracted atten-
rion. and dramatic critic occupied a
prominent position in the newspaper
world lie was born in Chicago January
-, 1852. His journalistic career began
in 1889 as reporter for the Chicago Her
aid. Later. as editorial writer on the
Chicago Evening Post, Chicago Tribune
and the New York American and Jour
nal, the Los Angeles Tribune and the Chi
cago Journal, he attracted attention.
For time he was Sunday editor of the
Chicago Tribune. and attained most of
his prominence dramatic critic for the
chicago Tribune and the Chicago Jour
nal With Wallace Rice. he was the au-
thor of vO unra of poetry. Several years
ago he married Sophonisba Harrison. a
sister of Carter II. Harrison. I'd. former
mayor of Chicago. HIS marital life was
unhappy and a separation occurred Sub
seuuent to his divorce he remarked a
wealthy woman ana made his home in
California Returning from the west. he
again took up newspaper work in Chi
Cago-
Attributed to III Health.
According to Col. +. A. Eastman. father
of Barrett Eastman. the young man who.
with his wife. had been living at a hotel
here. had suffered for two years from
a blood clot over one of his temples. Col.
Eastman declared that this proved upon
his sons mind and had caused them to
be respondent over his health Barrett
Eastman recently bought a ranch near
Los Angeles, Cal. and had planned to
so there with his wife to recuperate.
My son had been ailing for about two
years." said Col. Eastman. land there is
no doubt in my mind that he killed him.
self on this account.
Not Regarded as Conclusive.
BILOXI. Miss, January IA tele-
gram from Chicago stating that the body
of the man who committed suicide here
At the Bresiow Hotel last Monday night
was that of a son of Col. F. A. Eastman
of Chicago was received here today.
Many other letters and kilograms of
inquiry have been received, and his iden-
LITIGATION is not regarded here as con-
elusive.
The man. whose body is still held here.
came from New Orleans last Monday
and registered as Wilson Bliss. He was
found dead in his room the following
day with an empty laudanum bottle
on the table nearby. He had cut his
initials out of his clothes and the only
thing left to identify him was match
box on which was stamped Plaza Ho-
tel, Chicago