Evening star., 1911-01-27
LABOR CASE ARGUED TAKES HIS OWN LIFE
Bucks Stove and Range Com James Armstrong, Driven to
pany AGAINST Gompers Et Al. Despair Commits Suicide.
APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT LEAVES FAREWELL NOTES
Sentence of IMPRISONMENT
tempt of Involved. Forgive Him
OUTLINE OF THE CONTENTION BODY FOUND IN HOTEL ROOM
Boycott Registered Assumed
and Subsequent
for. sunr.me Court ager OF an Company
James 7. Armstrong, Driven to
Despair, Commits Suicide.
LEAVES FAREWELL NOTES
Implores His Wife and Friends tt
Forgive Him.
BODY FOUND IN HOTEL ROOM
Had Registered Under Assumed
Name-Was Local Assistant Man
ager Of an Oil Company.

With his wife in panic of terror over
| his disappearance and the knowledge of
his purpose, and while the police were
seeking him in the very place where he
had chosen to hide and die, James r.
Armstrong. driven, to despair by a sup
posed financial loss to the Home Safety
Oil Company. of which he was assistant
manager. shot and killed himself during
the night in a room a the Howard
Hotel. where he had registered as H. p.
Reynolds of Chester. Pa.
The coroners jury which sat in in
quest over the body returned verdict
of suicide this afternoon.
The police. hunting for Armstrong at
his wifes request, learned that ''Rey
nolds' had not left his room this morn
ing. Looking over the transom abodt 10
O'Clock this morning, Policeman Cnwne
of the fourth precinct saw Armstrong
dead, half in and half out of his bed.
Notes Tell Of His Troubles.
In the room. when the police broke III,
they found many notes. One Of these
declares that resident of Norfolk, Va,
stole 500 from drivers Of the oil company
and also $1OS from him. The note said
that this man had promised &c make
good,' but had not done so.
Writing to Ned Stowe, q driver for the
oil company, Armstrong exonerated him
from responsibility. You are falsely ac-
cused." said the note. Il have always
known you to be honest
He begs his wife's forgiveness, asks
her not to think too hard OF him and
sends his farewell to his mother, his son.
1t, It..
his sister Inez in note addressed to
Mrs. Armstrong.
Il am now on my knees. praying to
God to forgive me for this rash act-as
most people will think, but l don't No
woman in the case" was written in q
message for whomsoever might find his
body. Another such mssive asked that
the news of his suicide be broken gently
to his wife, and commencing her "a
dear, good wife, and not at. all to blame
for this" "Cowardice on my part,
said the note, was his overpowering
motive.
Armstrong asked that Rev. Benjamin
W. Meeks. pastor Of the Ryland Meth
odist Episcopal Church preside at his fu
neral services. He also requested that
he be buried where his wife will be buried.
No Shortage DISCLOSED
Nothing is known there as 20 any
shortage in money accounts. it was
stated at the Office of the Home Safety
Oil Company, today. Mr.. Armstrong
was at work yesterday and showed no
signs of worry.
1t is thought that Armstrong shot
himself about / o'clock this morning
A guest of the Howard House, who occu-
pied a room adjoining Armstrong;
told the police he heard the report of
a pistol about that time The body
was taken to the morgue.
Armstrong was thirty years of age.
His wife and two children survive
him. They lived at oil 9th street
southwest
The Home Safety Oil Company's
Offices are at Half and X streets south
west.
| Late last night Mrs. Armstrong ask
| ed the police of the fourth precinct
to find her husband, who had not re-
turned home. She said he had left
note in his home, stating that he was
going to commit suicide.
Wife Receives Letter.
| The police were searching for him
today when Mrs. Armstrong informed
them that she had received a letter
on the first delivery mail this morning
| from her husband. The letter had
| been received at the city post Office at
| $50 o'clock last night. She said it
| contained word from her husband that
he was at the Howard House and pre-
| airing 10 die.
Policeman c. III. Cowne of the fourth
precinct was sent to the hotel to look for
Armstrong. No such name appeared on
tic register. All of the guests were ac-
counted for. with the exception Of H. r.
| Reynolds of Chester, Pa.
1 The register showed that Reynolds"
| had arrived at the hotel about o'clock
\ last night He assigned to room
on the third floor. AS Reynolds had
not made his appearance, Policeman
Cowne procured chair and upon looking
| over the transom discovered Armstrong S
! body.
| The ambulance Of the Emergency Hos
| pital was summoned. The surgeon in
charge declared the man had been dead
| some time.