Evening star., 1946-05-23


Alan Nathaniel Steyne, At, wealthy
State Department official who was
found fatally wounded yesterday
afternoon in the basement of the
Metropolitan Club, left nine letters
which indicated he has been both
i'll and mentally respondent, police
said today.
The career diplomat, who was to
have been married next week to
British divorcee, Mrs. Jane Coleman,
was shot in the left breast, just below
the heart, according to police, at
about 2:30 pm. Despite desperate
efforts of Emergency Hospital physi-
clans and his personal doctors to
save his life, Mr.. Steyne died at
$50 pm. in the emergency room at
the hospital.
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
said he will issue a certificate OF
suicide today after an autopsy at
the District Morgue.
Mrs. Coleman, who arrived here
from England less than month
ago to marry Mr.. Steyne, told Police
1t. Anthony Richitt of the third
precinct that her fiance had threat
ened to take his life in fits of des-
pondency several times in the past
three weeks Police said they
learned that Mr.. Steyne had been
under treatment of Drs. c. D. Briggs
and Roger S. Cohen for a stomach
ailment. nervousness and depres-
sion.
According to reports furnished the
Homicide Squad by employees of the
Metropolitan Club, l700 H street
NV. Mr. Steyne arrived there at
about 1:30 pm. from his Office in
the State Department. He then
asked the clerk for the keys to the
luggage storage ROOM saying he
wanted to remove some possessions,
police told reporters
At approximately 2:30 pm, Adri-
enne Morgan, 1045 Sixth street
NV, maid, said she heard some
thing which sounded like shot,
but did not investigate.
Employe Heard Cries.
AS police reconstructed events, an
other employe. Helen Thompson, 81
of 481 K street SW., heard feeble
cries and moaning sounds coming
from the basement storage room
about IS minutes later. She went to
the room and discovered Steyne ly-
ing on the floor.
She ran for help. detectives said,
and called Frank Mccormick, SO,
bellhop, of 1927 Veitch street, Ar
llngton, and porter, Lewis Newton,
56. of 1912 Marion street NV.
When the two men reached the
storage room. they saw Mr.. Steyne
on the floor and asked him what was
the matter
There is no trouble. Leave the
room" they quoted him as saying,
and take these letters up to the
desk with you" They followed his
dying instructions and called Emer-
gency Hospital, DR.. Briggs and po-
lice at once.
Police found a .38-caliber revol-
yer beside the spot where Mr.. Steyne
fell. Detectives said bottle of
Scotch, less a small quantity. was
found in brief case in the storage
room. In Mr. Steyne's pockets,
police said. were six untitled pre-
scriptions for sleeping potions, and
an empty sleeping medicine box lay
on the floor.
Mrs. Coleman rushed to her
flance's side as soon as she learned
OF the shooting. She would not dis
cuss the affair with reporters.
Police said she is staying with
friends at the Caravel Apartments.
1903 Connecticut avenue NV.
Notes to Be Delivered.
Police said the notes will be de-
livered to the persons to whom they
were addressed. Two of the notes
were addressed to Mrs. Coleman, re-
porters were told Others were for
Mr.. Steyne's sister, Mrs. Eugene I'm
termeyer of 525 Park avenue, New
York; Paul Herzog, chairman of the
National Labor Relati tions Board and
a first cousin of Mr.. Steyne; Eric
Warburg of 12l East Fifty-second
street, New York: Eric Marks of
1893 Thirty-second street NV:
Leonard A. Block of 2ll9 Leroy
place NV; Attorney Milton King
and Mrs. Clara Turquet.
Mr.. Steyne, more than IS years
with the State Department, made
his home at 1900 Q street NV. He
was attached to the American For
eign Service Office of the Interna-
tional Trade Policy Commission as
a special assistant to Director Clair
Wilcox, a post he had held only
three weeks.
The son of Abram and Nina
Steyne, the diplomat was associated
with the wealthy clothing manu-
featuring firm of Stein Bloch of
Rochester, N. Y. He was born in
New York City November 10, 1896.
Mr.. Steyne was educated at Phillips
Andover and Yale, where he gradu-
ated in 1921. He also studied at the