Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-06
Craige Lippincott, PhiIade!-
phia, Ends Life With Pistol.
SHOOTS HIMSELF IN HEAD
Tragedy In Bedroom Of His. Home In
Fashionable Section.
BODY IS FOUND BY VALET
Deceased Was Head of the j. B.
Lippincott Company and
Prominent Socially.

PHILADELPHIA. April 6--Craise Lip
pincott. head of the j. 3. IIppincott Com
pany, publishers, and one OF the most
prominent men in financial and social
circles in this city. committed suicide
| early today at his palatial home. 2ls
West Rittenhouse square. the aristocratic
residential section of Philadelphia Death
was due TO a pistol wound.
The following authorized statement by
an officer of the j. b. Lippincott Com
pany was given out this afternoon:
During period of temporary aberra-
ton Craige Lippincott, president of the
j. b. Lippincott Company, shot and killed
himself at his residence. us West Rit-
tenhouse square. early this morning The
business of the publishing house will not
be anected by Mr.. Lppincott's DEATH
Detectives Tate and Wood who were
Immediately assigned to the case, after
several hours investigation reported to
the coroner at 1890 O'Clock that without
| doubt Mr.. Lippincott committed suicide
They further reported that they did not
know why he took his life.
In addition to the two detectives, other
police officials who investigated assert
that the revolver that ended the life
OF Mr.. Lppincott was of the hammerless
variety, and that the trigger could not
be snapped unless it was pressed inten-
tionally. The course of the bullet was
from right to left
Son Calls It Accident.
Mr.. Lippincott's son, Jay B. Lippincott
made a sworn statement to a deputy cor
oner that 1t was his opinion that his
father died as the result Of an accident.
The deputy coroner. Charles McKeever,
informed the newspaper men that Mr..
Lippincott was shot between and S
on the floor of his bedroom by his valet,
Oscar Stewart, vino went to the apart
ment to shave him.
The sworn statement by Mr.. Lippin-
colts son is as follows:
This morning at $40 o'clock my
father was found dead In his room by
his valet. My father was very nervous
at times. My father never intimated
any disposition to take his own life.
Before retiring last evening he was In
his usual good spirits and health. My
father always kept loaded revolver
In his room. because we had no watch
man, and the least bit Of noise he heard
he would go get the revolver and then
some noise and went and got the re-
volver, and in some way it was dis
charged. My father had everything in
life to make him happy. and ! can't
is why I say 1t must have been an ac-
ciGenr.
Saw Production Of "Quo Vadis.v
The tragedy occurred only few hours
after the return Of Mr.. and Mrs. Lppin-
colt from the Metropolitan Opera House,
where they occupied seats in their box
surrounded by friends and witnessed
performance OF Quo Vadis." the last
given by the Philadelphia Chicago Opera
Company in this city.
In this opera the curtain goes down on
q scene in which Petronius, impersonated
by Renaud. the great French baritone.
declares that he is tired of life, and then
after a beautiful love duet with Eunice
the slave girl, dies IN her arms, a physi-
clan having opened an artery in the
arm of each by command Of Petronius
Mr.. Lippincott, who was sixty-fve years
old, was Of highly nervous tempera-
ment. and always had a fear Of finding
burglars in the house
Suicide, Said Phone Message.
The first information the coroner had
of death in the Lippincott residence
was at $3.50 o'clock, when some one
called the coroner's office on the tele-
phone and said that there had been a
suicide at 2IS West Rittenhouse square,
and asking that deputy be sent to the
house at once. Mckeever was sent and
remained I'm the house some time There
he learned that DR.. James G. Wilson had
been called TO the house before the coro-
ner had been notified, and II is under
stood that it was he who had notified
the cOroners office Of the suicide in the
house.
No information could be gotten from the
house and the first report to reach the
coroner's office as to the identity Of the
dead person was that 1t was g. maid serv-
ant. and the early editions Of the after
noon papers printed a story to this ef-
feet. When Deputy McKeever left the
house he said he was not prepared to
make an absolute report on the case. but
that he felt that it was one OF suicide.
All the members of the IippincOtt fam
ily In the city were Immediately notified
of the death of the head of the family,
but efforts to obtain positive statements
successful. DR.. Strycker Coles. a dis
tant relative. said he understood Mr. Lip
pincott was found dead in bed. Death
was caused. I was informed. by a re-
only a few days ago, and he seemed to
be in good spirits"
Death Causes Sensation.
Mr.. Lippincotts death caused a sensa-
tion in financial and social circles, and
the circumstances under which he was
found dead have greatly shocked his rela-
tives and friends.
Mr.. Lippincott was born in this city
November 4. 1876. and was the son OF
Joshua Bailinger Lippincott and Jose
phine Craige Lippincott. He was grad
uated from the University OF Pennsylva-
nia and in 1896 he entered the publishing
firm of Lippincott & Co. which has been
the j. B. LippincOtt Company since 1885.
In 1871 he married Miss Salie E. Buck
nell of this city.
In 1885 Mr.. Lppincott succeeded his
father as president of the publishing COM
pany. He was a member Of the Society
of the Mayfiower Descendants and of the
Art Union League. Rittenhouse and
Racquet Clubs Of this city.
Besides his interests in the publishing
house. he was a director of the Farmers
and Mechanics National Bank, and q d.
rector in the Pennsylvania Company for
Insurance on Lives and Granting Annui-
ties. Mr.. Lippincott is survived by his
widow. a daughter. Mrs. Samuel *.
Reeves: a son, Jay B. Lippincott. and a
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