EXTRA!
From the _New York Courier_, July 27th, 192--
At 3.40 this afternoon Ernest Riever was found dead in a house he
occasionally occupied at -- East 39th street, this city. He had shot
himself through the head.
The sensational developments in the Counsell case during the past two
days were brought to a still more sensational conclusion this afternoon
when Ernest Riever was discovered to have killed himself. Ever since
yesterday morning it has been an open secret around town that Riever
was the unnamed millionaire so often referred to in the new evidence
brought forward in Counsell's defense. It now appears that Riever has
been under the surveillance of the police for three days, and this
afternoon detective officers were sent to the above address to arrest
him. Their ringing at the door elicited no response, and as the men
who had been detailed to trail Riever insisted that he was in the
house, an entrance was forced.
Mr. Riever was discovered lying in his dining-room with an automatic
pistol in his hand. There was nobody else in the house. He had held
the pistol under his chin pointing upward. There was smoke in the
room, and the body was warm, indicating that the deed was done as the
officers rang the bell. Death was instantaneous. So ends one of the
strangest stories that has ever come to light in our courts.
Mr. Riever's self-inflicted death renders the acquittal of Counsell
merely a matter of form. It is said that the District-Attorney will
now make no effort to refute the testimony tending to show that Collis
Dongan was shot by an agent acting under Riever's instructions. The
jury is expected to bring in a verdict without leaving their seats.