Evening star., 1915-02-24
CAPT. ARTHURE. HARDING
SUICIDE IN PHILADELPHIA
special Dispatch to The Star.

L
PHILADELPHIA, February 24.-Capt
Arthur e. Harding. who gave distin.
guished service in the United States
Marine Corps and was an aid to former
| President Taft. committed suicide here
some time during the night. He was
discovered by a valet this morning In
his apartment at the Racquet Club
There was a bullet hole in Capt. Hard
ings temple, and, 1t is believed, he had
| been dead some hours. The revolver lay
near him. No motive for the suicide
has been learned.
| Capt. Harding was married only a
| few months ago. and an effort is be-
ing made to get into communication
! with his wife and to bring her to this
| city as quickly as possible.
Capt. Harding was attached to the
/ Office of the judge advocate of the navy.
He was a member of the Metropolitan
| bership in other clubs there, in this
city and in New York. He was an
army-navy member of the Racquet
Club.
Seemed in Good Spirits.
Capt. Harding had been in this city
only a few days. and had been making
the Racquet Club his home while here.
His friends at the club observed moth
ing out of the way with the officer. He
chatted with them as usual last even
ing. and seemed well and in good
spirits. He retired early and this
morning when 9 o'clock came and
Capt. Harding had not appeared the
valet went to his room to see whether
his services were needed. He was hor-
rified to find the officer lying across the
bed, apparently lifeless. blood trickling
from a bullet hole in his temple.
q doctor was brought to Capt. Hard
ing's room in a few minutes, but the
officer was beyond aid.
Capt. Harding was Marine Corps aid
to Mr.. Taft at the time Maj. Archibald
Butt was the former Presidents mill
tary aid.
Capt. Harding was adjutant to Col
Waller in the Philippines, and has
record in the islands was an excellent
one. He served with the feet at Vera
Cruz last spring and summer, and then
was detailed to office duty at Wash
ington.
No Reason Assigned for Act.
Beyond brief telegram saying Capt
Harding committed suicide by shoot
ing himself in a hotel in PHILADELPHIA
yesterday, headquarters of the Marine
Corps in this city has no information
regarding the circumstances of his
death, nor is amy reason known for
his act.
Capt. Harding was a resident of
Quincy. Ill. where he was born April
Is, 1873. He was appointed a second
lieutenant in the Marine Corps in July,
1899, and was commissioned captain
in March. 1903. Prior to his appoint
ment. to the Marine Corps he served
as volunteer in an Illinois infantry
regiment for about six months during
the Spanish war.
cial duty in the Office Of the judge ad-
vocate general of the navy at the Navy
Department and served there until a
few weeks ago, when he was attached
tect American interests in Santo Do
mingo. When those marines returned
to the United States d short time ago
Capt. Harding was detailed to duty
with the 1st Regiment at the advanced
base of marines at Philadelphia, and
that was his status when he died,
Mrs. Harding Goes to Philadelphia.
Mrs. Harding, wife of Capt Harding.
through a long distance telephone mes
sage received shortly before noon, ac-
cording to Mrs. J. N. Hayden, her sis
ter. Mrs. Harding is living at 1741
Ianier place northwest. and was max
ing preparations to join her husband
in Philadelphia Friday.
Mrs. Harding does not know the
cause of her husbands death, and her
sister did not know until informed by
a Star reporter shortly after noon. Mrs.
Harding and her sister left for Phila-
a al an. t,A~