The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-12-05
Commits Suicide by Shoot
ing Himself Through Head
with Revolver in a Down
town Hotel.
MOTIVE FOR DEED
is NOT KNOWNi
Lies in His Blood All Day
Until His Body Is Found
by a Porter Who Discov-
cred the Deed. r

Lying on his bed in a room In the
Grand hotel some time yesterday, Ivan
NJ Dye, aged Is, placed q revolver to
his head and committed suicide by
shooting himself. The body was
found at 1880 o'clock last evening. The
motive is believed to have been Ill
health.
The suicide has many peculiar facts
connected with it. That no one heard
the report of the revolver tends to
show that young Dye. whose parents
reside at Urbana, Ohio. and who has
been employed at the Starr Piano fac
tory, took especial precautions to muf-
file the sound of the report.
1t is believed that this is one reason
why he committed the deed while ly-
ing on the bed. The soft mattress as
sisted in muffling the report. The
mattress was burned with powder. IL
is also believed that Dye shot him
self at time when no one was in that
part of the hotel where his room is To-
Gated and at a time when there was
considerable noise made by passing
street cars and street traffic.
Coroner Pierce is unable to state
just when the suicide occurred. He
says that il must have been done at
least five hours prior to the finding
of the body, which when found was
rigid, stiff and cold. Police Chief Cor
mon believes that the deed was COM
mitted. either early in the morning or
on the night before.
Father Claims Body.
No note was left by the youth as to
his motive in ending his life. How
ever he had informed other roomefs at
the. hotel that he had not been in good
health for some time. In his letters
to his father, an insurance agent, who
came to Richmond this morning he
spoke of his ill health, but did not
mention or hint that he would take his
! life
| According to those who were &C
quainted with Dye, he avoided the
companionship of others. He was not
seen about at night, staying close to
his room. When others attempted to
strike up a conversation he would
answer in monosyllables and az soon
L
would leave them.
| Dye had been in this city for about
eight months. He had been employed
in the local piano factory a. string
er.
In case Coroner Pierce's theory that
Dye shot himself between and
O'Clock in the afternoon is correct.
| Dye must have remained In his room
during the entire day. The chamber
his room yesterday morning but the
key had been left in the keyhole from
the inside of the room. The girl be-
Iieved the occupant of the room to be
sleeping and left.
/ Found BY Porter.
AS is the custom of the hotel. Her.
bert Moore. porter. inspected each
room after O'Clock. He arrived at
Dyes room about 1880 o'clock. He at.
tempted to open the door but found il
locked. Peering over the transom he
noticed that the light was turned on
in the room. He saw Dyes body
stretched across the bed.
Moore Immediately notified the of.
flee and the coroner was called. The
bed was covered with a pool of blood.
Dye had on work clothes although his
shoes were not on
1 The bullet, from 80 calibre re.
volver, entered about one-half inch in
front of the right ear.
The room which was occupied by
Dye was on the fourth floor and was
the second room from the front on
the west of the building.
/ Dyes father, Isaac NJ. Dye. arrived
here this morning from Urbana, with
Thomas Dye. an uncle of the boy. The
father stated that he had never heard
his son hint at taking his own life.
The funeral will be held Friday aft
ernoon at o'clock at the home of Mrs
William Smoker, west of Arlington
The burial will be in the Arlington
cemetery Friends may call this even
ing at the undertaking parlors Of vii
son, Pohlmeyer and Downing to view
the body.