Republican farmer., 1918-10-04
FIRE CAPTAIN
 RILEY TRIES
 TO END LIFE Shoots Himself at Home With .38 Calibre Revolver
 Early Today. BUT LITTLE HOPE
 OF HIS RECOVERY Worry Caused By III Health Assigned As the Cause
 By His Friends.
Saturday, Sept. 2S

Captain Benjamin Riley, of Engine Co. No. l, Bridgeport Fire Depart ment, attempted self destruction at his home, SIP Park avenue, at 9:55 today, by shooting himself near the heart with a bullet from .3S calibre revolver. He was immediately rush ed to St. Vincent's hospital where he is not expected to live.
 The only reason advanced by the authorities and his associates in the Fire Department Is that of i'll health, although up 10 quite recent date he appeared to be in the best of health and spirits.
 When last seen by the men of Co. No. 1, Captain Riley seemed to be in very cheerful spirits and the news of his rash act came as a shock, not alone to the men in his company, but to host of friends in every section of the city.
 The first intimation that the popu- lar firefghter had attempted to take his life was when F. B. Price, living in the house at SIP Park avenue, heard a heavy fall in the room over head this morning and rushing up stairs found the unconscious form of Captain Riley sprawled across the bed, to which he had dragged him. self after firing the bullet which doc tors believe will prove to be fatal.
 Instantly the inmates of the house were alarmed and a hurry call was sent both to the Emergency hospital, to Fire Chief Daniel E. Johnson and Aa Ia to arrive at the scene of the attempt ed suicide before the ambulance from the Emergency, bringing Dr. J. F. Keegan, could reach the house.
 Both doctors did what they could for the wounded man and had him rushed to St. Vincent's hospital with out much hope for his recovery. Dr. Keegan, when he made his first ex- animation, failed to find even a trace of pulse and Dr. Curley concurred in the opinion that in all probability the self-infiieted wound will prove fa- tai.
 Captain Riley has been married twice and has a daughter about Is years of age, who is living with his married sister and father in Hurd avenue, near Goodsell street. He also has two brothers, one of whom is employed in Boston.
 The surgeons at St. Vincent's hos pital held out little hope of his re- covery and stated that the shot would probably prove fatal, but that it was question how long he would hover between life and death.
 The bullet penetrated the left breast and apparently grazed the heart as it passed entirely through his body. When taken to the hos pital Captain. Riley was suffering from internal hemorrhages so that there was little chance for the surgeons to find out exactly what damage if any had been done to the heart. Much comment was made about l town as soon as word of Captain | Riley's act became public and it all centered upon the fact that this is the third Saturday a tragedy has oc- cured. Three Saturdays ago Alder man Daniel E. Walker was shot and killed. Last Saturday a tragedy hap pened in The Stratf1eld, and this morning Captain Riley, one of the 1 most popular of Bridgeport's fire | fighters, fired what is believed to be a fatal shot into his own body. There are rumors to the effect that 1 there were other reasons beside that l of i'll health for the desperate act but his brother officers in the fire department refuse to say anything about the captains affairs and the | authorities have given ill-health as the official reason for the attempt al | self-destruction