The Washington times., 1914-01-16
LANDLORDS DEATH
. YELLED IN MYSTERY
Railroad Official Had No
! Reason to Take His Life,
| Friends Declare.

NEW YORK, Jan. 16.-Did Richard D.
Lankford, vice president and secretary
Of the Southern railway, come to his
death within two days of his wedding
by suicide? Or was his death due to
an accident? -..
This is the question agitating the
friends Of the popular railroad official
found asphyxiated in a bathtub in his
apartment Thursday. The New York
police declared that Lankford took his
own life. But what what his motive?
his friends here and in Washington ask.
Victim of Accident. &C.,
They contend that he was the victim
Of an accident and demand a probe that
will clear the dead mans name Of the
stigma of self-destruction. DR.. Lester
D. volk, physician to Coroner Ernest
Wagner, re-examined the body today
and on continued investigation Of the
bathroom In which the body was found
declared that Bankford came to his
death through accident
Friends of the dead man scout the
suicide theory Of the police, contending
that ordinarily of a cheerful disposition,
Lankford was unusually happy over his
whom he had been engaged for more
than twelve years. Miss Helen Patter-
son, Landlords fancee, is bitter in her
oenunciation Of the police report that
the dead man was suicide.
Wedding Plans Made.
Mr.. Landlord was forIy-seven years
old. Arrangements for his wedding TO-
morrowqo Miss Helen Patterson, ct her
home, S4 Prospect place, Brooklyn,
were completed. AS was his custom.
he visited her on Wednesday evening
and left the house about IL O'Clock
20 go TO his own apartments. Miss Pat
terson. who is thirty-eight years old.
and Mr.. Lankford had known each
ether for eighteen years. Before leaving
her that night, he stopped to talk with
her brother and father. They were the
last of his friends known to have seen
ttim alive.
His death was discovered at noon yes
terday by Evans Lynch, a colored por-
ter. Lynch attended to the calls from
Mr.. Landlords apartments. There was
none yesterday. A maid in the apart
detected a strong odor Of gas on the
top floor. Lynch traced 1t to the apart
ments of Mr.. Lankford. He opened the
windows to let out some of The gas and
The body Of the railroad official was
found undressed on the floor Of the
bathroom. Between the door and the
jamb was squeezed a bath towel, Lynch
told the police, and on The window sill
was a pillow. Gas was escaping from
an open valve. ---.-.-
with the window of the bathroom
closed and the door held fast by the
towel, the police regarded the clrcum-
stances of Landlords death as indica-
tive of suicide, but the absence OF a
motive caused his friends and associ-
ates in the railroad office to scout this
theory.
Had No Worries.
He had no worries, they insisted.
The towel in the door was placed there.
they said, to wedge the door up. IL
had sagged little. They explained that
the pillow was placed against the win
dow to hide the view from the outside
An investigation of the gas cock
showed that it was loose and the fix
ture is combination gas and electric
light bracket. The electric light but
and the electric light was burning when
Mr.. Landlords body was discovered.
His friends asserted that in turning on
the electric light button, Mr.. LAnkford
probably opened the gas cock by ac-
cident and the escaping fumes suffo-
Gated him.
The porter called Dr. Farrand B. Pier
son, of 1l27 Dean street. DR.. Pierson
had treated Mr.. Lankford before. He
said that the railroad head had been
dead several hours.