The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-06-15
ENDS LIFE ON
PARENTS CRAVE
Was Young and Wealthy, But
Spent His Days in Retirement.
Left Brief Note With In
structions for His
Funeral.

WASHINGTON, ID. c. Special
SorrOwing over the loss Of the COM
ponionship OF his parents, who died
recently, j. A. Mclaughlin, a wealthy
young Firginian, committed suicide
early yesterday morning between the
graves OF his father, Lieutenant j. b.
Mclaughlin, United States Army, and
his mother, in Arlington Cemetery.
The space had been reserved for his
own grave. Death resulted from
deadly poison, the exact nature OF
which has not been determined, but
which is believed TO have been cyanide
of potassium and crystals OF NOR
phine.
The body, when discovered yester-
day afternoon by Minor Dobson, an
employe of the cemetery, was lying
full length, and its condition indi-
Gated that the man had been dead
for some time.
Leaves Funeral Directions.
Lying near the body was a letter
addressed to The Superintendent of
Arlington Cemetery" in which the
suicide briefly explained that he had
ended his life by reason Of i'll health.
He said he was the only child of
Lieutenant and Mrs. Mclaughlin. He
asked that his body be buried in the
space between the graves of his father
and mother, which he stated had
been reserved for him; that his fu-
neral be simple and without show:
that his coffin be of the plainest and
least expensive kind; that no religious
ceremony be conducted, and that no
Clergyman attend the burial. He also
asked that no inquest be held to de-
termlne the cause of death, the writer
admitting that he intended to com
NIT suicide. The note further stated
that the writer was q resident of Nor
risVille, FauQuier county, Va. a ham
let eight miles from Remington Sta
ton, on the Southern Railway and
that he was possessed Of ample means
TO pay the expenses of his funeral. as
well as for the erection of an appro-
pirate monument to mark the graves
OF his parents.
The suicide was reported 70 Sinner
tntendent MagoOn, who advised DIR.
,. L. Ashton, coroner of Alexandria
county, at Rosslyn, Va After view
ing the body and reading the letter
addressed 10 the superintendent of
the cemetery, Coroner Ashton deem
ed an inquest unnecessary. and issued
certihcate Of death by suicide
Poison Found i'm Clothes.
In addition to the note found lying
on the grave of the suicides mother
a package of powder poison, believed
20 pe cyanide OF potassium; a bottle of
% one-quarter grain morphia pills
and "A box of crystals, part of which
mad been taken by the dead man. were
round IN young McLaughlin's pock-
etS. There were several letters of a
business nature bearing out the iden-
tihcation.
Coroner Ashton said that McLaugh-
lin had been dead several hours when
found, and that his death must have
shortly followed his taking the poison.
IL is the belief of the cemetery Off
cials that Mclaughlin entered the
cemetery late Monday night. The.
scene of the suicide is in the old Fort
MCPHERSON section of the cemetery
There was no sign of a struggle.
Both of McLaughlin's hands we're
badly burned by the poison and there
was a cut on the left side of the neck.
probably received in the death strug-
gle. The mouth, lips, and part of one
cheek were burned by the poison.
Death Deliberately Planned
That the suicide had been delib-
erately planned there was every evil
dence. DIR. Ashton said that the I'M
used poison found on McL.aughlin was
sufficient 10 have killed a regiment of
soldiers. The large quantity indicated
that Mclaughlin was determined to
make sure OF successfully carrying out
his plans to die.
Supt. Magoon, after the certificate
of death had been issued by Coroner
Ashton, took charge OF the body and
turned IL over TO the quartermaster's
department Of Fort Myer for burial
The cody was prepared for burial and
then placed in the receiving vault of
Arlington.S The body probably will be
buried, in accordance with the ex-
pressed wishes of the suicide, today
without religious ceremony.
The suicide was the only child Of
Lieutenant Mclaughlin, VINO was a
member of the Fourteenth Pennsyl-
Vania Cavalry. He was about thirty
five years old. The body when found
was we'll dressed. There was less
than SO in the pockets of the clothes
Lived in Retirement.
II was stated at Fort Myer last night
that while little was known there OF
the dead man, il was known that he
lived a retired life at Morrisvine, Va
an isolated village in FauQuier coun-
ty. The young man occasionally
visited the graves of his parents, but
had not visited the cemetery for sew
{ cal weeks until Monday night. He
VAS not married.