The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-21
F.S. GILLIS DEAD IN His ROOMS
ACCIDENT, SAYS CORONER, But
POWDER MARKS ARE ODD,

ACCIDENT, SAYS CORONER, But
POWDER MARKS ARE ODD.
Powder Burns Inside Sis Mouth. but None
Elsewhere HAD Apparently
Been Cleaning Rcvolver-wife Had
Como 10 Saratoga . Bit Earlier.
Frederic 8. Gillis. a lawyer and retired
member Of the firm of Gillis 4 Geoghega
steam heating contractors Of 5s7 West
Broadway. was found dead from bullet
wound late yesterday afternoon In the
library OF his apartment in the Lorington.
1 West Seventeen street.
The shot had entered his mouth and
after taking an upward course through
his brain had lodged in the ceiling.
Coroner Holtzhauser. who had gone to
the apartment house before the police
were notified in response to report from
DR.. II. c. Cowles Of OF Central Park West.
decided that Mr.. Gillis's death was due to
an accident A small hammer. wrench
and can Of oil stood on the table beside
which Mr.. Gillis had apparently been
sitting before he shot himself. The re-
volver was new and 30 were the cartridges.
and the Coroner decided that the dead man
had been oiling the weapon at the time it
went Of.
When Coroners Physician Philip +.
O'Hanlon went to the apartment later
and made q close examination he found
that while there were no powder marks
on Mr. Gillis's lips there were powder
burns on the inside Of the mouth.
When the police OF the West Sixty
eighth street station were first notified
Of the case by reporters Policeman Cav
anaugh was sent around to the house.
but he merely learned that the Coroner
had pronounced the case one of accidental
death and had issued permit to remove
the body.
Jacob W. Smith. manager Of the Lor-
ington and secretary Of the Blessinston
Company. which owns the apartment
house. declared last nigh, that no one
was in the apartment at the time Of the
shooting except Mr.. ellis butler and the
housekeeper.
He said that MIR. Gillis was married
and that his wife left yesterday noon for
Saratoga to look at a cottage there with
view to renting it for the summer. He
succeeded in communicating with Mrs
Gillis by telephone and she told him she
would start back home at once.
A despatch from Saratoga last night
stated that Mrs. Frederic 5. Gills and
her mother. Mrs. J. y. Gowing. had ar
rived there at p NJ. and had registered
1t the Worden Hotel Soon after they
arrived they got word Of Mr. Gillis's
death and they started back at once
Mrs. Gillis was prostrated. but her
mother said that Mr. Gillis had accom-
panied them to the Grand Central Station
and that he was then in excellent spirits
and good health. 1t was learned there
that Mrs. Gillis had been corresponding
with a Saratoga real estate dealer and
intended to look at cottages to-day.
DIR. Cowles. who lives four doors from
the l.orington on Central Park Wes,
said last night that no had been told tina,
Mr.. ellis reached home a: about 4P. NJ.
and appeared in unusually good spirits.
lie joked with the hallboy and then Wen,
directly to his apartments on the fourth
floor
The butler told DR.. Cowles that NJ
Gllis then wrote letter and contrary to
his usual custom he didn't send it out 10
be mailed by the butler. but took it out
TO the letter box himself. MIR. Gillis was
a cripple through an affection of one OF
his legs and walked with cane.
Shortly after he wrote and mailed the
letter Mr. ellis went into the library
The butlor had occasion to 20 to the parlor
adjoining at about $40 clock and saw a
chair beside the table overturned. Then
he found Mr.. Gillis lying on the floor with
q bullet wound in the top of his head He
was clutching the revolver
DIR. Cowles estimated that when he sav
Mr.. Gillis at $50 o'clock he had been dead
half an hour. The physician had been
summoned by a hallboy as soon as the
butler found Mr.. Gillis on the floor.
Manager Smith OF the Lorington said
that Mr.. Gillis and his wife had lived there
for about two years and that they ap-
peared to be devoted couple. He wa.
sure that Mr.. Gillis shot himself acci-
dentally.
Mr.. Gillis was the son OF Charles A.
Gillis, who with Stephen j. Geogheean
formed the steam heating contracting
firm OF Gillis d Geoghegan in 1895. The
firm is the Oldest in that line in the city.
The son was graduated from the Column
bia Law School in 1880. but he at once
took an active part in the business and
devoted but little attention to law. Upon
the death OF the founders OF the firm
their sons took over the business. Mr..
Geoghegan's interests being taken by
Charles A.. Joseph g. and Walter +.
Geoghegan. OF late years tho business
had been conducted by the Geoghegans
and two years ago they bought out Mr..
Gillis.
After disposing OF his share of the
business MIR. Gillis became worth over
81 .O0O. 900. and he has since been out OF
business entirely. He called at the Office
about three times a week to talk with
his former partners, and as late as last
Friday told them he thoug ht he would
like to have an Office there again and
asked to have his name marked on the
door.
Mr.. Gillis's associates in the firm did
not know that he was married and the
address and telephone number they had
for him was at i2s East Twenty fourth
street. where it was thought he had been