Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-17
SUICIDE AT BELLAIRE.
George Il. Styles, Printer and
Stencil-Cutter, Shoots Himself
Fatally,

tied the residence OF Mr.. Styles and
found a large crowd OF peOple-many
drawn by curiosity, and others relatives
who were crowding in the house. Mr..
STYLES was laid out in an upper room,
and on examination We found a hole
about one inch from his right temple.
The shot had left but small hole, but
it seems that in the passage OF the bullet
it must have come in contact with some
of the blood vessels of the eye, as the
right eve was great swollen and the lid
puffed up and perfectly blue. 1t seems
that STYLES first tried 10 stab himself, as
a wound lust below his heart indicated.
The knife used was an ordinary pocket
knife, and it struck a rib. While sever
al theories are maintained, the most
plausible one is, that he first attempted
to end his life with the knife, but, find
ing that a failure, resort
ed to the pistol. The pistol
used was an old fashioned single-bar-
relied one. We neglected to state that
the unfortunate man had retired to the
privv, lust Immediately in the rear of
his residence, to cOnsummate the trag-
edy through which he was hurled into
| the "mvstic beyond" Mr.. Styles was a
good citizen, and had lived here for five
wears. He was well known in Wheel
ing, GAINESVILLE, Columbus and Clncin-
natl. He paid his bills promptly and
| i'm every respect was honorable and
well esteemed. His wife tells us that
| he has long been despOndent, and said
| that there was a terrible monitor urg-
| ing him on to seli-deStruCtion. His
wife saws she asked him to pray,
and she often got down with
| him and importuned Divine assistance.
| She read the Bible to him and cOunseled
| him TO put the tempter behind him.
| Friday he told her he had found for-
| giveness, and seemed in better frame
OF mind. We hardly think it necessary
to do more than submit the testimony
/ adduced at the inquest. styles was about
40 year old and leaves wife and two
children. Below we append the testi-
| mOny.
State Of Ohio, P,dtney To,Tlslip, Belmont
County, >s:
IN inquest by the undersigned Core
ner's Jury was held on the 10th day OF
December, in the year 1879, at the store
room of VIM. Dittman in said township,
over the dead body of George b. Styles,
who was supposed to have come to his
| death by violence. The fOllOwingis the
testimony of witnesses then and there
examined bv the aforesaid COrOner's
/ Jury, which was then and there reduced
| 20 writing, in pursuance of the Statute
| for such cases made and provided.
Mary STYLES, being duly sworn,
| stated: | am the wife OF the above
named STYLES; have been married twelve
wears last June. His health has been
| GOOD. Sometimes within the last three
months ne appeared deranged, as |
| thought, but he was under relig-
Ious conviction, as he has been
| frequently and nearly constantly,
| when at home, in prayer. lie appeared
very uneasy all this forenoon. lie ate
| his dinner as usual, After dinner he
I went out OF doors. In short time
after the little girl had occasion to 90
| 10 the p,ivv and she found the door
closed; she came back and SAID there
was some person in the privy; | went to
the privy and the door was shut;
/ pushed the door open and he was set
| ting with his back against the door, and
/ | saw the blood and pulled him out; he
| tried 10 speak To me, but he could not
speak the revolver and knife here eX-
/ hibited belonged to him, and were lay
| ing on the privy floor; the knife was
open, and / did not touch either; the
other day he said he did not
want to do ANYTHING wrong,
nor did he want to kill himself. This
was about a week ago. Since that time
/ he appeared absent minded occasionally,
/ but a few days ago ne represented that
/ he did not want to do anything wrong,
nor did not want to kill himself, but he
would repeatedly claim that some un-
| known enemy would come and snatch
/ him away from his family. He appear
I eel 10 think everybody was his enemy,
and said Satan tempted him. | frequent
/ ly. during the last week asked him ii his
/ mind was any relieved, and he told me
on Friday morning last that he was
| blest, but felt that his burden
was not all gone. He was
/ forty years old on the 26th day OF last
/ August. He never drank any spurious
/ LIQUORS. No better man could be to his
| family.
Mary d. Dittmcr first being duly
| sworn, says: live in the same house,
| i'm an adjoining room 10 Mr.. styles; |
/ was preparing dinner; | heard some
/ thing. as | thought, fall, did not 20 TO
| look what it was; | was busy about ten
minutes after Mr.. Styles little girl came
tn NV door and asked me to hurry out
that her IA was bleeding to death;
his nose was bleeding when ! went to
the urivv door. Mrs. Styles had hold
of him, pulling him out; took hold OF
| him and helped her pull him ont. He
WAS not quite dead, he opened his eyes.
The knife and pistol here exhibited
were both living in the priv; the knife
was bloody. l could not do anything,
and great many people came last sat
urdav night. he acted queer, as l
thought. and told my husband so.
j. W. Tripp, first being duly sworn,
saws: | have known Styles Tor the last
five wears. He never drank any spir-
ituous liquors. He was jOyial and
lively, and a good ueighbor until about
two months ago, when he thought that
he had invented Il machine which he
. expected 10 get patent on. lie made
application. but failed. Since then he
| has appeared down-hearted at times.
/ He was i'm my house Yesterday,
and spoke about 4 letter he had ex-
nectei 10 get from his brother,
but had failed, and he spoke in a very
dscouragiug manner about 1t. l con-
soled him rs in reference to the matter
as much as I could. Z, l examined him
after his death, and there was bullet
hole about one inch back of the temple;
also about two inches below the left
nipple the same size OF the blade OF the
knile here exhibited. The knife was
open when found. The pistol here eX-
hihited was also the one found in the
privy. 1t was empty when found.
The following is the verdict OF the
Coroner.
/, the undersigned Coroner OF Belmont
county, Ohio. examining the above
named witnesses rs to how George B.
STYLES, here being found dead,
came tohjs death. Alter having heard
the evidence and examined the body, l
do find that the deceased came to his
death bv violence used on his own body,
with his own hands, by using a pistol
| and z small pen knife.