The Van Buren press., 1877-05-01
WILLIAM WHITFIELD.


nouncement that Mr.. William Whitfield
had shot himself, causing death Instant
! ly. Just before the time of committing
the act Of taking his own life, Mr.. Whit
field went to the front room over his
store where, it now seems he had made,
already, preparations in the morning, by
purchasing a pistol of Mr.. Thayer,and had
taken it to the room for the use to which
he intended to put it. A dull sound like
that Of a pistol, and fall was the alarm
given to the employees in the store be-
low. One of them, Sine Thruston went
to see what it was, and returned, pale as
death, to announce that the old man"
had shot himself; and several went to
him at once, but he was unconscious, and
breathed but few times after the fatal
shot. 1t seems that he had deliberately
placed the pistol to the right side Of his
head, directly back of the ear, and fired,
the ball passing through the brain, and
lodging just under the scalp on the left
side.
Events show that the suicide was pre-
meditated and prepared for, and, perhaps,
had been on his mind for several days.
So far as his intercourse with his family
and friends, and the business public was
concerned, nothing very unusual was
dicovored, nor, up to the time ofthe COM
mission OF the act, had anything showing
disordcred mind, made itself manifest.
Almost the last business act Of his life
wash is attendance at the meeting of the
Court House committee, Of which he was
a member, taking lively interest in all
the subjects under discussion.
In the examination of the body, at the
Coroner's inquest the following, written
on half sheet Of note-papcr, was found
in his pocket book in his pocket, which
had probably been written, during the
day.
More sinned against than SHINING. |
have lived and outlived my sphere ofuse.
! shall be denounced as q fool and c0u-
ard. 1t is, would be, difficult to refute
such a denunciation, but it, by a charita-
hIe construction, can be qualified. How
very, very little can bejudged OF the mo-
tiges melting such a course, We arc all
Of essentially different instincts-we are
moved and excited by an impulse, vari-
Gus as the mperaments-no one com
pared with another is identical in all
that relates to the instincts and the pecu-
liar circumstances that tend to render
existence ntolerable. Cato-IIamlet.
But why should | make an effort to jus.
tify? lam tired.
We learn from Mr.. Southmavd, his
book keeper, who understand the bust
ness of the deceased most thoroughly,
that there was no reason, financially, that
he should take his life. The fact, no
doubt, Of his holding ! 100 bales Of cot
ton in New Orleans, and the depressing
influence of Il European war on the cot
ton market, had an effect on his mind.
There is. perhaps, no merchant in our
town, whose death would be n greater
loss to the general public than William
Whitfield, being almost the only one who
is making advances to farmers and crop
ers in Van Buren, and to this class, par
ticuarIy, his loss will be incalculabIe.
William Whitfield was a son Of W. P.
and Charlotte Whitfield, and born in the
city Of London, England, May 18th,
1915. lie came to this country in 1929,
afterwards making Arkansas his home,
in 1882. Was married, in Logan coun-
ty, to Nancy T., daughter of Col. James
Logan, in 1910. He then went to the
Creek Agency, Indian Territory, where
he engaged in merchandising, remaining
there until January lst, 1860. At this
time be came to Van Buren,. In the fol-
lowing spring, he made a visit to Eng
land. After returning home, he did not
enter into any business, pretorring to
await the result of the coming election.
He saw that war was inevitable, and in
1861 went to San Francisco, California,
(eaving his family in Van Buren, where
he remained till March, 1866, and then
joined his family in Beloit, Wisconsin.
The following July he returned to Van
Buren,, and engaged in business with d.
G. Williams, for several years. After
that be bought the corner opposite, and
entered into business by himself, where
he continued in business up to the time
of his death.
Mr.. Whitfield was an honored men,
Der of the Masonic Brotherhood, and the
funeral service was conducted by them,
from his residence, Sunday afternoon,
and was attended by large coucourse of
citizens