The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-26
GUEST LEAPS FROM
WINDOW OF HOTEL
HAD REGISTERED AT MURPHY's
AS j. r.. WILLIAMS, OF
PHILADELPHIA.
MAY NOT BE HIS NAME
REMOVED ALL MARKS OF IDENTI-
FICATIoN. BUT NOTE BOOK
INDICATES HE WAS IN
LUMBER BUSINESS.

body of a man who had registered
in the hosiery as J. r. williams, Of
Philadelphia, who may be known in
Richmond, was found early yes
terday morning by q porter in the
courtyard in the rear Of Murphys
hotel He had been dead several
hours, and death must have been in
Simultaneous. There was no doubt that
1t was a case of suicide and that
Williams had leaped from his room
on the seventh floor onto the cement
paving of the courtyard
The body first struck on a roof
covering some elevator machinery,
about eight feet from the ground.
williams IS supposed to have takeB
his fatal leap about ! o'clock In
the morning, as w. Y. Ruffiu, of Dam
Vile, who occupied room No. 1871.
heard a sound as of some body strik-
ing on a roof about that hour of the
morning.
williams registered at the hotel
about / 0 O'Clock Monday night. Clerk
John O'Riordan assigned him to a
room, and the man Immediately took
the elevator upstairs. He had no suit
case. and all the clerk saw was a
small bundle covered with a piece OF
tarpaulin, He locked his door and.
TO all appearances, seemed ready to
retire for the night
Body Is Discovered.
His body was discovered at s
o'clock when a porter peered through
a window into the courtyard as the
dining room was being prepared for
breakfast. Clerk John Graham. who
had then come on duty, opened the
gates to the courtyard, entered and
saw that the man had been dead
several hours, The police We're noti-
fed. and Detective Atkinson arrived
st the hotel within a few minutes.
He called Coroner Taylor to the
scene. and the body was transferred
to the morgue Of l. T. Christian, at
1912 East Broad street. where it was
taken charge Of by Detective Sergeant
Wiley.
Coroner Taylor the detective.
James Disney, manager Of the hotel,
and Clerk Q 'Riordan examined the
body and the mans effects in the
hope Of finding some mark Of iden-
tiffcatior. But Williams-ff that was
his nafne-had ohliterated all marks
which might have served to identify
him, even tearing off the tag Of his
neCktie. There was no name in his
clothes, and the flyleaf of a leather
bound notebook. which may have
contained his name, was torn out.
In the notebook were found how
ever. numerous addresses Of lumber
phia, from where he had registered.
and it is supposed that he was en-
gagged in the lumber business. The
notebook also gave the prices Of
various kinds Of timber, which had
evidently been tabled for reference.
The bundle which he had carried
was found in his room at the hotel
II contained only two soft collars a
necktie, key ring and keys, an army
blanket and coat and pair of trous-
ers. on the blanket was marked
Color Sergeant L. S. A" Inside the
tarpauline was marked IS. KrauSe,
Bugler, NJ. y. G., White Plains, y
&, July SIS, 1905" 1t seems prob
able that Williams was once q men,
Der Of the National Guard.
May BE known Here.
Miss Lemma Boguess, OF 322 South
Third street who had a friend Of the
same name. went 10 the L. T Christian
undertaking rooms last night with De
tective krengel. and gave krengel two
photographs with which to Try 10
identity the dead man. One was taken
in uniform, the other in civilian dress
She declined to look at the body her
self. and identification could not posi-
lively he made, She said that the VIII
Hams she knew left Richmond four
years ago to ga to New York, and that
he entered the army. becoming a
hugler, and that her fstcnd sometimes
mentioned a man name krause in let
ters to her.
There was remarkable coincidence
In that, hu, The man she described was
nearly six feet tall, whereas the dead
man is but five feet SIX inChs Delen-
tive Sergeant Wiley. who talked with
Miss BoguCss later was inspl essed
4avtfb a .>o{prfSapra
cIined TO believe that the suicide was
not the man Miss Boguess had known
The blanket and poncho found among
Villains effects showed that he had
been in the army, and was probably
bugler, and the blanket bore the
name Of Krause, The condition OF
Williams body may have made aC-
Curate measurement impossible. and
Miss Boguess promised last night Il
view the body some time this morning
Seen by Three Popl.e
According to Capta4n A. S Wright
Of the Third police district. and r. ]
/ Crowder. whose place Of business is al
! zoo East Cary street, Williams was
evidently suffering from delirium
tremens, Captain Wright saw him al
. seventh and Perry streets about 2
o'clock Monday night, Williams was
exceedingly nervous, and admitted
that he had been drinking heavily. He
said that somebody was after him. and
wanted to know where he could get a
good room. Captain Wright advised
him to so to Murphy's.
Mr.. Crowder met d man answering
the same description Monday night on
! Broad street The man gave his name
as Williams, and wanted to be directed
10 a good show He changed his MIND
suddenly, and said he didn't want Il
see a play He said that he had LOST
his Job with some New York lumber
firm, but that he had $1,000 life in
suranCe. which he would give to any
one who would shoot him or cut his
throat On the same night he was
seen by a woman in a moving picture
show He sat behind her. and was
SO t1dgety that her intention was at
tracted to him She asked him if he
were i'll. and he said he was feeling
bad He chatted with her few min
utes, introducing himself as Mr. VIII
liams.
Williams had in addition a safety
razor and shaving outfit and pipe
and sl3.75 in cash. He was dressed
in q blue serge suit and a new cap
which he had bought from NJ. H. Gar
nett, So3 East Main street. He left