New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-23
GOT NOTE TOO LATE
TO PREVENT SUICIDE
Wealthy Cigar Manufacturer
Dead When Wife Reaches
the Grand Union Hotel.
REASON FOR ACT UNKNOWN
Wrote Farewell to Wife and
Daughter First-Body Found
by Boy Who Climbed
Through Transom.

A well dressed young woman rushed
into the lobby of the Grand Union Ho-
tel, at 42d street and Park avenue,
just before Z o'clock last night, and
told the clerk she must see Ferdinand
May, who had registered there in the
morning. The clerk told her the rules
of the hotel would not permit her to 90
to Mr.. Mays room, but that he would
send Il bellboy TO the room. The woman
became hysterical at this and cried:
I'm Mr.. Mays wife-this is a mat
ter of life and death--please allow me
TO go at once 20 his ROOM"
While the clerk was trying to soothe
the woman. the bellboy returned and
told the clerk he could not get an an
swer to his repeated knocking on Mays
door. The house detective, Daniel Car
ragher, vas sent up with the bellboy to
the room, on the second floor. After
trying to get in, he lifted the boy over
the transom.
In moment The boy opened the door
and Carragher entered. He went
though the suite Of rooms, and I'm the
bedroom found May, outstretched on
the bed, almost fully dressed. Blood
was issuing from wounds in his mouth.
He was dead
4 revolver was found beside the bed
and four of It's five chambers had been
discharged. A trace Of blood led from
the bathroom 10 the room where the
body was found. There were three bull
lets imbeded in the wall OF the bed
room. one of the bullets had passed
through a pillow on which Mays head
rested
The woman waiting in the lobby Of
the hotel was told as gently as possible
OF Mays death. She tainted, and after
being revived, left the hotel without
attempting to identify the body.
Half an hour after the woman had
gone, the telephone rang and the clerk
answered. A little girls voice inquired
II Ferdinand May was in the hotel
The clerk said he was registered there,
and then the little girl said she was Mr.
Mays daughter, ana that she was
worried about her father. because her
mother had received letter from him
In tho afternoon. had wcpt bitterly
after reading it. and had left the house
There is nothing the matter with
papa, is there she asked.
The clerk steadying his voice, told
the little girl her mother would soon
be home and that her father was all
right.
The hotel management made no at
tempt 20 communicate with the police,
and it was not until an undertaken
called on Coroner Holtzhauser that any
official action was taken in the case.
The police did not learn of the suicide
until informed by newspaper men.
three hours later.
Coroner HoltzhauSer viewed the body
and said May must have died at once
from the wound in his mouth. This
would contradict the evidence given
by the trail OF blood leading from the
bathroom. which would show that May
had first shot himself once while in
the bathroom and then lain down on
his bed and fred three more shots. the
last bullet bringing death.
May, who was cigar. manufactures
at No. 81 East JGth street. was forty
five years old and a German. lie lived
with his wife and two children, at No.
12l5 Madison avenue. He is said TO
have left letter for his wife telling
her he would kill himself at the Grand
Union Hotel. When an attempt was
made to see Mrs. May last night the
hallboy said she was not in.