Evening star., 1911-08-18
PUZZLED BY SUICIDE
Motive for SeIf-DeStruction of
R. A. Robey Mystifies.
GIRL ADMITS QUARREL
But Declares Misunderstanding Was
Not Serious One.
BEST MAN THAT EVER WALKED
Miss Marie Rodier Unable to Ex-
plain Deed of Sweetheart.
Drank Muriatic Acid

THE best man that ever walked in
shoe leather"
Marie kodier the young girl for whose
sake Robert A. Robey, an eighteen-year-
old newsra aper employe, committed sui
eide this morning, uttered this apprecia-
tion of her dead suitor. brone into hys-
terical sobbing, and was for long while
unable to discuss the tragedy.
She finally said that she could not un-
derstand the motive that prompted him
to take his iHe. and declared that their
quarrel-to which has been ascribed his
Observation-Disclosures not of enough serl-
business to explain the act and was not
due to any refusal by her TO become his
wife.
Miss Rodier is telephone operator en-
ployed at the En,on station a position
she owes to w. G. Robey. stationmaster,
fa.her of the suicide She was inter-
viewed this morning at her home. 1853
9Th Street.
At first she said that there had been no
quarrel between herself AID yC ung Robey
and that his suicide was as unexpIanabe
to her as 10 everybody else Afterward
she admitted that they had disagreed
over scme trifiing matter, nothing that
she could regard as sufficient to move
him to selfSdestruction.
Left Note Addressed to Her.
A letter left by young Robey and ad-
dressed to her. she said, had not been
delivered to her, and she knew nothing
of It's contents. The suicides father. she
believed, must have taken possession OF
H.
The mother Of the young girl said Ro-
ha, had To Ear RI
see her laughter for more than a year,
and that she had never known them TO
have a quarrel.
''He was fine young gentleman" said
Mrs. Rodier. Il liked him very much" "
The ether night he came to me in the
dining room and asked me how l would
like to lose another daughter" said Mrs.
Rodier II told him that both he and
Marie were too young yet to get mar
ried.'
not engaged t. be married to the young
lady. He was in love with her. however.
ana her refusal TO be his sw -etheart, it Is
said. caused him TO become desl londent.
He wrote several notes before he took
the deadly muratic acid that ended his
lie this morning ut 30 o'clock al the
home of his grandmother, Mrs. Eleanor
Walker. at Gil | street southeast" One
letter was addressed 10 his father and
another to Miss Rouier.
The notes were found on table in the
death room.
Robey, employed in the Pre- ss"oom of a
local newspaper, was away on vacation
recently. He had arranged to spend the
time at Colonial Beach. but his father
says changed his mind
This morning. after he had written the
messages to his father and Miss Rodier,
he swallowed the poison. Suffering in
tense agony. the dying youths outcry
was heard by Cleveland Smailwood, who
abides in the l street house, and G. H..
Moore. heighbor.
Smallwood and Moore procured an auto
mobile and made a quick run to the hos
pital with the young man. At the hos
pital the physicians found life extinct
The body was placed In the hospital
morgue. where 1t was .ater viewed b.
Coroner hewitt. The coroner gave a GER
titicate in accordance with the facts.
Policemen Jukes end Allen of the fifth
precinct went to the house shortly after
tsobey had been taken away. They took
possession of the message that had been
left for Miss Rodier. The envelope was
sealed and they did not open it.
Undertaken J. William Lee took charge
of the body today. After it had been
prepared for burial 1t was taken to
the house of his grandmother, Mrs.
Walker. The funeral will be held from
the house Monday morning. Interment
will be at Congressional cemetery.