New-York tribune., 1916-07-27
Detective, Stunned by
Fellow Catholics,
Shoots Himself.
DUE TO TAKE
STAND TO-DAY
Sought to Do Duty to Po-
lice and Church-May
Not Survive.

Detective J0nn y. henHel, bpo"
Catholic and a good policeman. shot
himself yesterday in the stuffy little
room in the Hudson Terminal Building
which is the headquarters of the police
tapping squad, of which he was
temporarily in charge. The bullet
struck him just below the heart, and
he is dying in Volunteer Hospital.
For weeks he had struggled under
the conviction of others that his duty
to his Church and his duty as police
man were in conflict. 1t was clear
enough TO him. He would do his duty
and be a good Catholic, too. He felt that
his friends avoided him, that they
looked upon him as renegade TO MS
church. because his superior ofhcer
had ordered him TO eavesdrop at the
telephone wire of a priest of his
Church and he had obeyed the order
His burden made his waking hours
dream and banished sleep at night. II
he slept he would awake crying:
Leave me alone!"
His Despair Deepened.
Since the test made at the hearing
before Justice Greenbaum a week ago.
in which Kennel listened in on a pre-
arranged conversation carried on by
attorneys representing Father William
r. Farrell, his despair deepened. he
had not succeeded in transcribing that
conversation. He was to have taken
the stand again to-day.
T am a Catholic, a good Catholic"
he said in the hospital. II simply did
nv duty. something l had to do and
was ordered to do, and did it honest
". and that is what hurts. My chill
dren. my family and myself were
snubbed by people whom | don't care
to mention-by people who could not
see my point of view.
81 got on the stand and told the
truth. What ! heard | put down.
What I didn't hear did not put down.
made no chant- s one way or the
ether. That is what hurts"
Everything Became Dizzy
Kennels habit has been to go out
TO lunch about IL o'clock in the morn
ing. Just before II yesterday he got
IN as he always did at that hour.
stretched, looked at the clock. took MS
collar from the switchboard and
walked over to his locker.
~ got up TO go out to lunch he
said. "I went over to my locker and
changed nv shoes. | reached for my
Rat and coat.
Suddenly everything became blue
and dizzy before me. l didn't realize
anything until they were standing
ovsr me on the floor"
Detectives Di Clio and Watson
were with Kennel at the switchboard
AS he Strengthened up after putting
en- his shoes they heard him mutter:
"Oh, the failure of this thing TO go
through. If it doesn't it will drive me
mad. Just look what it means to me
With the last words Kennels ser
vice revolver filled the room with
smoke and clamor His companions
saw that the wound was serious. They
notified Headquarters and called an
ambulance. Kennel was taken down
in a rear elevator and carried out 10
the ambulance which had drawn up on
the Fulton Street side Of the building.
Brother Rushes to Side.
As ne was lifted into the vehicle
Kennel muttered that the dirty write
ups" in the newspapers had driven
him mad. -,
Iieuten.nt William Kennel. his
brother. who has been stationed at the
CITY Hall for years as bodyguard for
the Mayor, hastened to the hospital.
The first physician to look at his
brother declared that there was no
hone and asked a priest be summoned.
The ambulance raced to st. Andrews
Roman Catholic Church and brought
back Father Woods. Physicians we're
summoned and Deputy Commissioners
Lord sent his automobile TO 81 Lott
Avenue. Forest Park. Kennels home,
70 bring his wife. son and daughter,
His first statement telling of snuos
by his friends was made by hehne'
IN Deputy Commissioner Lord and In
snector Faurot He made later one
in the presence of Assistant District
Attorney soyce. Mr.. Martin. executive
secretary to the Mayor. and others.
Didn't Fear Witness Stand.
Duty still was drumming at his mind.
He wasn't afraid to go on the witness
stand, he said, but the thought OF the
previous test and its failure kept re-
CURING to him. 1t had seemed IKE
evidence that he hadn't been square,
and he had been square--square with
bis church and square with the police.
That was the burden Of his somewhat
rambling talk. 1t was the test. hedged
Continued on psgs s. column -