The Washington times., 1931-12-24
POOR HEALTH
BELIEVED
REASON

| CH1CA(TO, Lee. "a oIldke
Ames, of Princeton. was taken
out of the lineup today-per.
manently.
The famous Tiger fhllback Of
yesterday ended the game of life
last night with the bark Of his
own gun.
In his later years he was known
as Knowlton L. Ames, financier.
newspaper publisher. and social
leader.
Seated in the tonneau of his
expensive automobile, he sent o
38-caliber bullet through his right
temple. A few minutes later he
responded to his last signal in
hospital.
Failing health and financial
losses were ascribed by relatives
as the motive for his act. He
was SO years old.
His death thrust grief and
gloom into the hearts of his fam.
lily and countless friends, replac.
ing the gaiety of Christmas Eve.
News of the tragedy shocked Chi
cago's highest business and social
circles. For it was in Chicago
that Ames removed his gridiro1
togs and donned the raiment Of
success as a business man and
a publisher.
Because of a recent nervous
breakdown AmeS had been away
from his office at the Booth Fish.
cries Company, where he was
board chairman, for a week.
JOvial at Dinner
Last night he was jovial while
dining with his brother -in-law,
Walter W. Ross, in the Ross home
at Evanston. The Ross family
said he appeared imbued with
Yuletide cheer.
But, few hours later while his
negro chauffeur, John Kindrid,
was driving him home. he COM
planned of feeling faint. The
driver stopped the automobile and
went into a drug store to buy
some spirits of ammonia. He re-
turned to the car to find his en-
ployer unconscious and bleeding,
with a smoking revolver clutched
in his hand.
Police were called and Arnes
was rushed 10 a hospital But. he
was dead before they were able
to get him on an emergency oper-
ating table.
Hurriedly summoned, his two
sons and their wives rushed to
the hospital. His sons. Knowlton
L. Ames, jr., publisher Of the Chi
cago Evening Post, and John
Dawes AmeS. They arrived after
their fathers death.
Wife Due Today
A Sorrowful Christmas was to
be the lot of Ames' widow and
their youngest daughter, Emily
Anne, S, who we're due to arrive
home today from Jacksonville.
Fla, where they had been vaca.
tioning. They we're on the train
when AmeS took his life.
Two surviving relatives, one a
daughter, and both famous. are
living in London. England. The
daughter is Rosemary Ames, "a. o
star on the London stage, who
recently became engaged to B. A.
Meyer, a theatrical producer IN
the British capital. Formerly she
was the wife of Ogden Ketting,
who headed the British utility in
tereSts of Samuel insult.
AmeS' other relative in London
is Gen. Charles Gates Dawes,
ambassador to Great Britain. He
was AmeS' second cousin and one
of his closest friends.
Won National Fame
At Princeton in the late eighties
Ames won nationwide fame as
one of the best fullbackS in the
gridiron game. He graduated in
1890 and came to Chicago to
pursue his brilliant career. For
a long period Of time he was
head of K. l.. AmeS & Co., an
investment concern. Then he
went into the newspaper business,
becoming publisher Of the Chi
cago Journal Of Commerce.
After relinquiShing this post to
his son, Knowlton. jr., the elder
AmeS became president Of the
Booth Fisheries Company.
Although AmeS was known to
have lost large sums in recent
investments. his poor health was
regarded as a more important
reason for his act.
Perry L. SmitherS, who sue.
ceeded Ames to the Booth Com
pany presidency. told police he
had talked with his business
associate on the telephone just a
few hours before the suicide.
Ames had exhorted Smithers to
keep a stiff upper lip" during
the conversation and had. said
Everything is going to be all
! Ti6lat -