Evening star., 1933-04-12
AUTOPSY ORDERED
IN DEATH OF KING
Preliminary Probe Indicates
Accidental Fall, Says Act
ing Coroner.

An autopsy was ordered today to de-
termine the circumstances Of the death
of Capt. Paul Browning King, 81, son
of Senator william H. King Of Utah,
who was killed shortly after 10 O'Clock
last night In a seven-hoor plunge INTO
rear alley from his home at the
Blackstone Hotel 10l6 seventeentn
street.
The preliminary inquiry indicated
Capt. King fell accidentally while Lean
ing from the window, according to Act
ing Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald,
although q death certificate viii be
withheld until after the autopsy, as
there were no witnesses to the tragedy.
Capt. Kings body, clad in pajamas,
was picked up from the paved alley by
hotel attendants, who investigated wnen
they heard the impact Of the fau. He
apparently was dead when help reached
his side.
Appeared III at Hotel.
Hotel attendants said Capt. King
registered there a week ago, and. so
far as they knew, left his room only
once during this interval. He seemed
to be i'll and took little food, attend
Last night Capt. King requested
Charles Riddle, the clerk at the desk,
to bring him some medicine. Riddle
went to the guests room In compliance
with this request and remained cnat-
ting with him for some minutes.
At that time, Riddle said, Capt. King
appeared cheerful. He was quite Ill,
however. and hotel attendants had been
in communication with his family. They
were informed, they told investigators,
that a representative would call about
midnight to take Capt. King to hos
pital.
Riddle had left Capt. King only about
two hours when the latter's body was
heard to crash into the areaway, strik-
ing an iron railing on the way down.
James McCeney, secretary to Senator
King. who Is chairman of the Senate
District Committee, came to the hotel
to offer his assistance. He said mem
bers Of Capt. Kings family had talked
to him yesterday and he seemed In the
best of spirits.
Both Windows Open.
After an investigation, DR.. MacDon-
aid said today that both windows in the
room were fully open and unscreened.
One of them was only few steps from
the side Of the bed on which Capt.
6AlllS lld0 UCCu ACotA16s u
The sills were Of a moderate height,
DR.. Macdonald said, and indications
were that Capt King had gone to the
window after becoming Ill, losing his
balance when he leaned out.
Capt. Kings wife, Mrs. Decline King,
and 16-year-old daughter live In an
apartment at North Cathedral Man.
sions. -
Capt. King, q World War flyer, had
since the war been a test pilot at Lang
ley Field. He is understood to have
suffered a nervous breakdown within
the last few months and only two
weeks ago was discharged from hospi-
tai on Long Island.
Friends said the late Rear Admiral
William A. Moffett had interested Capt.
King in flying and that the younger
man had been badly upset by news Of
Admiral Moffett's death on the Akron
crash. Capt. King told the hotel clerk
| few hours prior to his death that he
had many other friends aboard the ILL
fated Akron.
Capt. Kings survivors,
In addition to his mother and father,
Capt. King is survived by his wife and
daughter and two sisters, Mrs. Clarence
=. Miner Of Salt Lake City, Utah, and
001os O8A1 S1o14cI, WAC O1 tllc llISt 6CCs
retary Of the American legation at The
Hague.
Private funeral services will be held
tomorrow afternoon at Joseph Gawler's
| Sons funeral home, and interment will
be in Arlington National Cemetery.
Capt. Kings flying career began in
the Army shortly after the entrance of
this country into the World War and
he continued active flying In various
capacities for about 10 years. He re-
tired from an active aviation career
about six years ago, when he permitted
his letter of authority as a transport
pilot to expire. He retained his COM
mission as q captain In the Army Air
Reserve, however.
Born at Provo, Utah, King completed
his education at Pennsylvania Military
College and at the University of Utah.
He enlisted in the aviation section of
the Signal Corps, July 2, 1917. and took
his ground training at Princeton Uni
versity and his flying training at Min
nicola, Long Island He was commits
stoned first lieutenant in the air serv-
ice, October %, 1917, and was assigned
to active duty at Mount Clemens, Mich.
Served in France.
King then served at Rich Field, Waco,
Tex, and Rockwell Field, San Diego,
Calf, before receiving his commission
as captain on May 8, 1918, and being
ordered to France, where he served dur
ing the closing months Of the war. He