Evening star., 1932-06-27
CAPITOL OFFICER
TAKES OWN LIFE
Kills Self in Montgomery
Woods Following Alteration
With Superior on Force.
BY stan Correspondent Of The star.

BY Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
SANDY SPRING, Md, June III
Beset with financial worries and fear
he was about to lose his job. Cyrus D.
Thomas, 26 years old, member Of the
United States Capitol police force in
Washington, ended his life here yester-
day afternoon by firing bullet through
his brain in the woods near the Mont
gomery County General Hospital
Notes indicating that fear Of dis
mlSsal from the police force as the re-
suit of an alteration with Police Lieut..
James Hall earlier in the day had
prompted him to take his life were
found in the mans pockets and were
turned over to Senator Lynn J. Frazier
of North Dakota, through whose efforts
Thomas was appointed Capitol police
man five years ago.
Capt. S. j. Gnash of the Capitol po-
lice force declined today TO discuss
the trouble between Thomas and Lieut..
Hall, but asserted he had no intention
OF diSmissing the officer as a result of
the argument.
Asks for Gasoline.
The young officer, attired in civilian
clothes, drove up to the home of DR..
at the county hospital, here shortly
after noon and asked Mrs. Tumbleson
for some gasoline for his automobile.
Informed that there was no gasoline
in the house, Thomas turned and was
about to depart when he noticed the
physicians name on the door. Wheel
ing, he produced a revolver and de-
manded that the doctors wife give
him some liquor
I'VE haven't any whisky Mrs. Tum-
bleson, who was alone at the time, said,
but I'll give you bottle Of home
brew"
Thomas drained the bottle offered
him by the frightened woman and then
left.
I'm going back in the woods and
kill myself now he shouted as he
drove away
Mrs. Tumbleson telephoned DR.. Tum-
bleson, who was on duty at the hos
pital nearby. and told of the mans
visit and his threat to take his life,
and the physician Immediately called
county police headquarters at Rock
vile.
Policeman Paul Watkins rushed to
the scene in an effort to Illustrate
Thomas suicide and was Joined soon
afterward by Sergt. Roy Rodmer and
nearly a score of Rockville citizens and
members of the Rockville Volunteer
Fire Department.
Thomas car was discovered in the
woods near the hospital about an hour
later while the body was found slumped
beside a tree about a mile away by
Milton Brown OF Rockville. A .32-
caliber pistol was clutched in the mans
hand
Four notes were found in Thomas
pockets and were turned over to Sen
ator Frazier when he went TO Rock
vile to make arrangements to have the
young officers body sent to his home
in North Dakota.
Two Notes to Mother.
Two Of the missives we're directed to
his mother, Mrs. F. S. Thomas of Lis
bon, N Oak, and Capt. Gnash, while
the remaining two bore no address.
The bcdy was removed TO a Rock
vile funeral home after a certificate of
suicide was issued by DR.. Jacob w
Bird
Thomas, fellow members of the Cap
itol force said, had been attending COL
lege in addition to his duties as a
policeman, and was a senior at George
Washington University. He was un-
married and lived at the Sigma Nu
Fraternity House, 1901 r street, Wash
ingtons