Evening star., 1924-06-23
THREE KILL SELVES:
ONE FAILS IN EFFORT
Family and Financial Troubles and
III Health Given. as
Causes of Suicides.

Three suicides and one attempted
suicide-two men and two women
have been reported to the police
within the last twenty-four hours.
all prompted by family troubles,
financial misfortunes or i'll health.
The dead are:
William H: Foster fifty years old.
clerk in the Veterans Bureau, of
2700 Connecticut avenue.
julius Sander. fifty years old, of
4707 Georgia avenue.
Mrs. Miriam Loud James, fifty-two
years old. of the Highland apart
ments.
The attempt at suicide was commit
ted by Miss Margaret Lynch, eighteen.
of Ills Monroe street, who is in Gar
field Hospital. She is expected to re-
cover.
Mr.. Foster was found lying on the
floor of his kitchen by Charles p.
Clark of 1886 Florida avenue. who
had gone to the apartment to deliver
laundry. Failing to receive any an
the door and noticed an odor of gas.
Tracing it to the kitchen, he dis
covered the mans body stretched out
on the floor. with gas flowing from
an open burner of the gas stove.
Mr.. Foster apparently had taken ex-
traordinary precautions to prevent
any of the deadly fumes seeping into
bedroom adjoining the kitchen,
lay asleep. Every crack in door and
window had been carefully "chinked"
When the boy was told his father was
dead he collapsed and had to be put
back to bed under the care of a
physician.
Borden told Sergt Marks Of the
Tenleytown police station that he
dreamed last night he saw his father
dead. When he walked into the
kitchen and found his dream had come
true he sobbingly fell to the floor in
coincidence, the boy is said to have
had another dream some time ago
about the death of a friend, who actu-
ally did die few days later.
Physicians who arrived with the
Emergency Hospital ambulance few
minutes after the suicide was discov-
cred said Foster probably had been
could be found. He was superintend-
ent of construction at the Veterans
Bureau and was supposed to be pros
porous. His wife and daughter have
been visiting in Philadelphia and are
on their way back home.
Mrs. James was despondent over
the death of her husband, Francis
Bacon James, prominent lawyer, edu-
Gator and author. who succumbed
month ago. She was also in ill health
herself. Melancholia over these wor-
ries prompted her to drink a quantity
of deadly poison Friday afternoon.
She was found in an unconscious con-
dition by her daughter, Mrs. Edward
K Morris, and hurried to Emergency
Hospital, but she died late yesterday.
Brooded Over Business Deal.
Mr. Sander also took poison. Brood
ing over a business deal, in which he
lost considerable money, he drank the
contents of small bottle while sit
ting on the front porch of his Georgia
avenue home late Saturday. Although
he had immediate medical attention
he, too. died yesterday at Emergency
Hospital. Mr.. Sander was prominent
in Masonic circles and was engaged
in the shoe business at 9th and H
streets. He is survived by his wife
and four children.
Miss Lynch attempted to end her
life because her mother had refused
to permit her to attend a house party
in the country over the week end.
Her daughter was in a semi-con-
scious condition. After carrying her
from the gas-filled room she hurried
ly opened all windows and sent an
emergency call for the Garfield Hos
pital ambulance. Physicians applied
restorative measures Immediately
and it is said that Miss Lynch will be
all right again in a, few days.