Robert Monroe

New York Times (New York, New York) - October 3, 1897

They Were Suffocated by Gas in a Room Over the Broadway Garden.

Two men were found dead last night in a room over the Broadway Garden, 1261 Broadway. They appeared to have been suffocated by gas. They were dead some hours when discovered. The tip from the gas jet in the middle of the room had been taken out and gas was flowing in a steady stream from the jet.

One of the men, who gave his name as Robert Monroe, engaged the room a week ago. He said he was organizing a theatrical company, and advertised for soubrettes, stipulating that they must furnish their own woredrobes. Friday night Monroe came into the garden a companied by a man twenty-four years old, well dressed, and respectable looking. Both men went to their room.

Yesterday morning at 11 o'clock Monroe left the place, but he was unaccompanied by his friend. He came back at 4 P.M. and went direct to his room. Last night after 11 o'clock Bruno Bretschneider, an attaché of the garden, detected gas escaping, and he traced it to Room 6, occupied by Monroe. He forced the door, and found the place filled with gas. Both men were lying in bed dead. A policeman was called, and also an ambulance, but the doctor had nothing to do. No papers or documents of any sort were found in the room to indicate who the men are.

The hat worn by Monroe contains the brand stamp of "Bert, Baltimore". The police at first were inclined to regard the case with suspicion. A more complete investigation convinced them that it was a plain case of suicide. The bodies were allowed to remain in the room pending the arrival of the Coroner.

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