The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-11-22
The Suicide of William F. COOlbaugh.

The Suicide Of William +. Coolbaugh.
The startling death of the late Will
liam T. Coolbaugh by his own hand,
says the Chicago Tribune, has cast a
gloom over the whole city, and will oc-
casion feeling of profound regret and
sadness in the business circles of the
East and West, in which he was well
known, formerly, as a leading merchant
and for many years great banker.
The unexpectedness of the event has
added to the force of the shock. If the
question had been asked of any resi-
dent of Chicago which one of her promi-
nent citizens would be likely to end his
life BY suicide on the morrow, William
T. Coolbaugh would have been almost
the last to be selected. Apparently he
had every thing about him to make life
agreeable and worth living for. He
had hosts of warm friends. His genial
nature had made him widely esteemed.
He had amassed a large fortune by hon
orable means, and lived in the midst of
all the luxuries that wealth can procure.
lie was at the head of powerful, sol
vent, influential banking institution. His
children were comfortably settled in life
Passionately fond of field sports, he had
a robustness of physique which enabled
him to enjoy them. Fond of good living,
ne was able to crafty his tastes Pos
sessing many friends, his natural gen.
crosby made him most hospitable en-
tertainer. Thus situated, living in a
palatial residence, and surrounded by
all the pleasant things that culture can
suggest and wealth procure-in one IA
tai instant of time he ends it all, and
passes from the pleasures and hopes of
life into the gloomy and solemn shades
of the dead.
The incidents of his career may be
briefly told. He was born in 1921, in
Pike County, PENNSYLVANIA, and went
into mercantile business for himself as
soon as he came of age. From 1912 to
1850 he was successful merchant in
Burlington, Iowa, but in the latter year
retired from mercantile business and
organized the banking-honse of Cool
baugh q Brooks. Twelve years later he
removed to Chicago and established the
clearinghouse of Coolbaugh & Co.,
which in February, 1865, became the
Union National Bank, with himself as
President. Upon the organization of
the Clearinghouse he was made its
President, and was also President of
the National Bankers Association for
the West and Southwest. Mr.. Cool
baugh had also occupied important po-
litical positions. He was appointed
Loan Agent by the first General Assem-
bly, of Iowa, negotiated the
first loans ever made by that
State, and directed the issue of its
first bonds. He was Douglas Demo-
crat during the eventful career of that
Illinois statesman, and voted for him
from first to last in the Baltimore Con-
vention. For eight years he was
member of the Iowa Senate. In 1856
he was a delegate in the Democratic
Convention at Cincinnati, and voted for
Buchanan and Breckenridge, but dur
ing the war, like the other Douglas
Democrats, he gave MIR. Lincoln and the
Government his hearty support. Al
though not taking a thoroughly active
part in politics, his name had been men,
toned in connection with the United
States Senate. If Tilden had been elect
ed, there is reason to believe that he
would have been offered the Treasury
portfolio. He was a leading member of
the Illinois Constitutional Convention,
and largely, if not chiefly, to his efforts
in that body is due the important pro-
vision limiting the issuing of bonds and
mourning municipal Indebtedness in ex-
cess of per cent. on the taxable value
of property.
With his career since he has been in
Chicago the public is already so familiar
that we need not refer to it. He had
been twice married-first in 1874 to a
daughter of Judge Brown, of Kentucky, !
and in 1864 to a daughter of C. F. V. |
Reeve, of Newburg, n. Y, by each of
whom he has had three children. In
his religious beliefs his opinions were
not sufficiently settled to lead him to |
identify himself with any particular de-
although he was quite regu- |
lar in church-attendance.
In cases of this kind, especially where |
the victim of suicide IS a prominent per-
son, the first question that springs to /
the lips is, Why did he do it? 1t is a
curiosity so natural that it may almost /
be said to be born of sympathy. The
first conjecture in Mr.. Coolbaugh's case
would be that some financial difficulty |
had occasioned it. Such, however, is
not the case. The Union National Bank |
is perfectly solvent, with heavy sum
in cash and large amount of excellent
paper in its vaults, and his private af-
fairs are not embarrassed. There was
nothing in his worldly business matters
TO tempt him to commit suicide.