The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-15
SAD ENDING OF LIFE.
Suicide Of Lyntou 7. Flippo, q Native el
Caroline County, In Louisville.
Disappointment In Lsvs and Intermittsnt
Fever the Cause or the Act

u
vile, where he had temporary employment
suicide on wednesday.
The Courier-Jolrndl says:
About week ago he was taken with q
light attack Of Intermittent fever, which
confined him to his room after short ILL
ness. Wednesday morning about S:15
O'Clock John Groves, one OF the hotel
walters, went 10 Flippo's room to take his
order for breakfast. Receiving no response
to his knock, he opened the door, and was
horrified by the sight of the young mans
body lying stretched on the floor, and
scarcely cold from the agonies Of death.
Running down stairs, he communicated
the shocking discovery t,ints clerk, Mr..
John Duffy, who ut once went up TO bis
room and made An investigation.
Youag Flippo was lying in bis under
| clothing, stretched at full length on the
focr, where he had evidently fallen of the
bed. A gbastly bullet-wound In his right
temple left no room for a moments doubt
as to how he received his death. A small,
thirty-two calibre Birdwbistler re-
volvsr lay on the floor, where IL had fallen
from the nerveless fingers OF his right
hand, while the floor OF bis room was
strewn with torn notes and hali-destroyed
manuscripts. Death must have been in
stantaneous, and the body and features
were already set and rigid in the last ex'
preston OF mortality.
TUE cORoNER's INQUEST.
Coroner Miller was Immediately sum-
moned and jury empaneled, but only
| few additional facts were elected. 1t was
remembered by some OF the hotel people
that muflcd report, something like pis-
tol shot, had been heard about s O'Clock,
but It attracted no attention. The deceased
left no letter or word Of explanation as to
the cause which prompted the rash deed.
and the only light thrown upon the action
was the discovery Of letter TO his father,
which seemed to indicate great financial
distress and depression OF mind. 1t was
addressed in pencil to Nv. S. Flippo,
Flippo's, Caroline county, Va.," and in
one corner OF the envelope was written
"deliver immediately" On the envelope
was printed "Return to Lynton Flippo,
Attorney-at-Law, Princeton, KY" The
epistle itself read as follows:
"Pa,-For Gods sake send me S25 to
Louisville, KY, care Commercial Office, to
come home on, and LET it get here in forty
eight hours, II possible. As you love my
life send it, and right away. l expect
can save some Of it. II / get there can
explain, and I'll try to get there II the
money comes in time. YOUR SON.
"July o."
HIS SWEETHEART.
In spite of the urgent need expressed in
this letter, il had never been mailed, as was
also the case with one or two others. One
OF these had been written June 26th on
Galt-HOuse letter-head. and, like the first,
was addressed to his father. In it he spoke
cheerfully Of his prospects, saying that he
had secured position on the Commercial,
the second largest paper in the State. where
he expected to obtain salary OF at least
Sl5 week, with fair prospect for an i'm
mediate advance, with other expressions OF
a similar nature. One paragraph In this
Is very suggestive. He says:
~ hated to leave my sweetheart In
Princeton very much, but / hope / shall
soon so far forget her as to find another
sweetheart either in Louisville or Paducah,
where am rather expecting to 90 soon."
His trunk and vaise were searched, and
proved to contain variety OF letters and
papers-two or three OF which were re-
commentators and testimonials as to his
journalistic ability. In a Morocco pocket
book were found TOntine paid-up policy
for $4,000 in the Equitable fe-Assurance
Society OF the United States. and two pho
tographs One Of these was his own, the
other was that Of a handsome young lady,
doubtless the sweetheart OF which he spoke
in his letter. Accompanying the pictures
was a short lock OF dark-brown hair, tied
in piece OF blue ribbon and pinned in
narrow strip Of letter-paper. on which was
written in delicate feminine hand, From
one will never forget YOU"
LOVE.
A pawn ticket which showed that he had
received 1925 on gold ring was also found
in his pockets, and indicated his straitened
financial circumstances. All the indica-
tions point to the fact that bis suicide was
prompted by melancholy. and the coroner's
iury so returned their verdict. From some
remarks he let fall it is inferred that he had
been lately disappointed in love, and this,
with his sickness and the fear Of losing bis
position while i'll, was undoubtedly the
cause OF the suicide. He had been ex-
tremely homesick for several days. but de-
termined to remain here, at least for awhile.
The deceased was young man about
twenty-iour years old and quite prepossess-
ing in appearance. He was tall and slen-
der, with dark complexion, eyes, and hair,
and light moustache. He was always
dressed very neatly, and had pleasant, re-
| fined expression.
Mr.. Flippo was but little known here,
and seemed rather averse to making ac-
auaintances. Reporting seemed to be un-
suited for his temperament, but he was
hardworking, ambitious, and did the best
he could. He was very well educated, and
was quite q talented young man. In spite
of his reserve, il was known by his associ-
ates on the Commercial that he was In need
of money. and they offered to lend him
what he wanted; but this friendly propo-
sition he declined.
HIS LIFE AT PRINCETON.
AT one time Mr.. Flippo was practicing
LAWYER at Princeton, where he also acted
as county attorney. Later he became asso-
ciated with Captain e. Il. Allen, editor OF
the Banner, on which he was engaged for
some time. and then he took charge OF an
other paper in Independence. Mo-, where
he remained about eighteen months. He
also held a position as correspondent for
several other papers. Letters found in his
possession spoke highly OF his general
moral character, and be seemed TO be with
ont any bad habits while here. His tenn
peramcnt was a nervous, melancholy one,
and to tins the state OF mind which
prompted his suicide is attributable.
The hotel people had his body removed
10 the undertaking establishment OF Mr.
Wash. wyatt to await directions from his
family. They endeavored to communicate
with his father, but no such station as
"Flippo's could be found on any Of the
railroad or telegraph lines. He was known
to be relative OF Captain Sam. Gaines, and
the latter, who is on visit to Virginia, was