The Washington times., 1922-11-13
GIRL REVEALS
LOVE FOR BIAS,
VET SUICIDE
Mrs. Phillips. Waitress. De-
clares Sergeant Wanted
Her to Marry Him.

Corn liquor is taxed with re-
sponsibility for the latest suicide
in Washington's unprecedented
wave of self-destruction, that OF
Sergt. Jennings Bias, overseas
veteran stationed at Camp Hum
phreys, who shot himself through
the head with an army automatic
pistol o. .45 caliber at 6 o'clock
last night before patrons of the
Crystal lunchroom, 10 Massachu-
setts avenue northwest.
Wanted to Wed Waitress.
You won't marry me. so I'm going
to shoot you and myself" Bias shout
ed out TO his sweetheart, Mrs. Rich'
ard Philips. waitress. who had
been trying to persuade him to leave
the eating place. seeing he was under
the influence OF liquor, and fearing
she would lose her job.
AS she fled toward the Kitchen
Bias, standing at the cashier
counter, behind which was Louis Du.
bois. proprietor, placed the pistol
behind his left ear and fired. the
bullet passing through his brain ana
imbedding itself in the wall. To the
amazement OF Casualty Hospital
physicians, who rushed to the scene
in an ambulance, Bias lived TWO
hours, unconscious.
Mrs. Phillips collapsed, and was
still in such hysterical condltion
this morning at her room, in 3l4 ii
street northwest, that Washington
Times reporter had to summon
Casualty inferno to give her d
second hypodermic injection OF
morphine.
Tangled in the troubles of Bias
and Mrs Phillips, who sometimes
went under his name and sometimes
under her maiden name, Margaret
Bowers, is the story or love sne
returned the soldier but which could
not eventuate in marriage because
she is still legally the wife OF Rlchard
Phillips, of New York. go
Bias frequently expostulated with
Mrs. Phillips. she said. apparently
not being able to understand why
she could not marry him. lie also
had threatened her life several times
on visits from Camp Humphreys,
which he made about once in two
weeks. always bringing her money
and gifts.
Blame Suicide On Rum.
"He was terrible when the drink
was in him." sobbed Mrs. Phillips.
as she tossed about distractcdly In
her bed today. II know he loved
me. and / loved him, but he was
Jealous, and when his brain was in
flamed with this wretched moon
shine. he talked of shooting and
wanted to fight"
"He threatened to beat me up one
night recently" added Don C..
Shrier, whose father rents the room
to Mrs. Phillips.
Bias and Mrs. Phillips met while
the former was stationed at her
home town, Gettysburg, Pa, on re-
Cruiting duty last year. Shortly
after he was transferred to Camp
Humphries she came to Washing
ton with a girl friend, Irene Riggs.
who since has returned to Gettys-
burg. She had been employed only
few weeks at the Crystal. where
she was we'll liked by the manage
ment.
Bias ate his meals there when
he was in the city. Often he had
been drinking. and Mrs. Phillips,
comely woman OF twenty-eight,
feared scene would ensue that
would cost her her place. Yester-
day Bias came into the Crystal
three times before the suicide, said
Mrs. Phillips.
The army sergeant was taken to
Casualty Hospital, where he ex.
pired while a detail sent up from
Camp Humphries stood silently out.
side the operating room. Mrs. Phil
lips was given bromides and NOR
phine injection, but. slept little dur
ing the night. She had not been
told of Bias death. and moaned
this morning:
"Oh, is he dead?"
Bias enlisted in the army a short
time before the outbreak of the
war and had a good record, both
here and overseas, where he took
part in several major actions. He
was not a victim of shellshock or
other neuropathic troubles as q re.
suit Of battle service, Mrs. Phillips
said.
He Was 30 Years Old.
The exact status Of Mrs. Phillips
married life has not been learned.
She is separated from her husband,
but is still friendly with him, as
evidenced by a visit he paid her
at the II street dwelling several