The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-27
SUICIDE OF MIR. JOSEPH SHIELDS
PROPRIETOR OF THE DAvEN-
PORT WOODEN MILLS.
He Cuts His Threats, in His Own
House, o.. Account of Financial
Difficulties.

The citizens OF Davenport were startieu'
this morning, by the report that Mr..
Joseph Shields the we'll known proprietor
of the Davenport wooden mills. had COM
mitted suicide by cutting his throat. To
all who know Mr.. Shields the report
seemed almost incredible, but on investiga-
ton It was found to be too true. On re-
firing last night he kissed his two children,
Fannie a young lady Of about 20 years and
Eddie boy tabout 10 or ii years OF age.
good night, and Eseemed to be in a more
cheerful frame of mind than he had been
for some time. He was found in the
morning by his daughter who went to his
room to.see why he did not get up at his
usual hour, with his throat cut from the
left ear almost around to the other ear.
the jugular vein and loft carotid artery had
been completely severediiust above the glot-
It's, as though the deed had been performed
in determined and desperate manner.
1t was alterrible shock to the young girl to
thus find kind and loving father, who
had kissed her pleasant goodnight only
few short hours before, and to-day she is
nearly crazed with her terrible grief. The
rash act was premediated as he left note
addressed to his daughter, the contents oil
which she refuses to make public except
such portions as refer to the disposition Of
the body which she must of necessity tell
This is the request that they bury him to
| night or early in the morning without an!
public announcement or funeral service
whatever, and that none of his distant o
absent relatives be notified of his death il
time to be present at the burial; whethe
the note contained any injunction of secre
cy on her part as to its contents cannot no,
be ascertained. An old acquaintance an
friend of the family has, however, tele
graphed Mr.. William Shields, a heav
iron dealer of Newark, Ohio, who is
brother of the deceased, of the affair."
The deceased was born in Ulster county
n. Y, in 1881 and came TO Davenport
1859. From that time till 1862 he wa
engaged in various kinds Of business. |
1862 he went into the business of manr
featuring wooden goods and during the Wa
made considerable money and for year {
two after the war. Three or four year
ago he greatly improved and enlarge
his mill. built a costly residenc,
and became somewhat involved az
about year ago was obliged to affect
compromise, This was done so that /
continued his business with fair prospe
of success About month ago he begG
to realise that he would have to suspen
the continued depression in business re-
dering it impossible for him to meet b
paper. Only last night an officer of Il
bank was talking with him in his ow
house and thought they bad arranged pl;
of stock company whereby the bushes
, could be continued, and left him feelil
unusually we'll with the agreement
meet him this Smorning. met, Il
living and the dead,-they two who b,
t been friends for years, one to console gri
e stricken children, the other to settle befo
i a higher tribunal Only last Septemb
Mr.. Shields lost his wife, a sister of e
Postmaster General Tyner.o of Indiana; S
Il died suddenly at Geneseo, while on
q visit to that place. As far:as is now know
; Of the affairs of the deceased, he was
r. debt about $4,000, with the mill a
q property outside of his homestead to 2
&c it all except about $4,000, while the hon
o stead is worth more than double all t
70 encumbranee upon 1t.
1t has not yet been decided when t
;. funeral or burial will take place.