Telegram-herald., 1891-01-31
A CRASHING BULLET
Aimed OF Eilas Godfrsy's Brain BY
HIS Own Hand.
IT IS LUCKILY TURNED ASIDE
And merely Isciets . Fasafui Wssss-
40 kAsieaat hs~sss ter the Ast--
Basiaess Anneyasses SAP
posed 40 be The Caase-

shocked ali Who heard AZ IL Was that
silas Godfrey ia . nj Of temporary IN
sanity had shot himself dead in his
Office on Ionia-st. The report proved
TO be true only in part
/. appears that shortly before II
O'Clock, Mr.. Godfrey went into the
Office oil A. c. Torrey. secretary of the
Western Plaster Agency, ana there re-
eeiyed letter which seemed TO greatly
disturb him. He went down stairs into
Spauldlng q Co.'s store and there
bought Smith 4 wesson revolver. IS
calibre. remarking that some one had
been prowling about his home lately.
There were more doors and windows IN
II now than formerly. aud he wanted
something to protect his home nights.
He was cheerful, pleasant and ap-
parently as calm and unconcerned as
ever he was in his life.
From there he went 10 the Office Of
Godfrey Bros, SO Ionia-st. Carroll
Godfrey. his nephew, was setting at a
desk writing when he entered. He sat
down at bis desk, wrote few minutes
and then went down INTO the basement.
A moment later the young man heard a
pistol shot, but suppos;ng 1t to be some
one pounding with a hammer in the
store adjoining, paid no attention TO IT.,
fas. hA hoo vH
groans. Rushing down the stairs he
was Mortified TO find the old gentleman
lying on his face On the floor of the
water closet in pool of blood, which
was flowing rapidly from a wound In
the side of his face.
The young man ran to the street and
summoned assistance, who placed the
wounded man IN sitting posture. He
was groaning as if in great pain but
unable to speak. Drs. Barth and Wood
responded instantly to ! summons, and
the wounded map was placed in hack
and taken to his residence On Park-st.
He had in the meantime recovered
somewhat and was able to speak. He
assisted himself up the stairway to his
room, and as the physicians were dress
ing his wounds he groaned:
"They drove me to it. They drove
me to it."
The wound was not as bad as at first
supposed, and, sfter An examination,
the physicians announced that be
would recover. The bullet entered just
back of the check bone, taking a
directly horizontal course and coa.ing
out Oh the left side of the face. No
vital spot was touched. and the only
danger was from hemorrhage, which,
however, was soon stopped. Very for
tunateIy, also, the optic nerve was not
touched, and the results will not be
serious. ..-.-.......
{. b. Judd, who was at the residence,
said: "There is no doubt that suicide
was intended by the old gentleman, for
he admits 1t himself. He says they
drove him to it, and | suppose he
means the plaster syndicate. Ne, there
is no reason under the sun for such an
act, and was thunderstruck when |
heard of 1T. He has been worrying
greatly over his plaster interests, with
what cause | don't know. but there is
no occasion for serious consideration
that know OF. There has been some
trouble with this plaster association,
but nothing OF any account that know
of. He could lose his whole mill and
never be crippled i'll the least. He is
worth, l believe, S2o0, 900 or 500, 900
and don't owe dollar in the world.
lie was very happy III his domestic
relations, but has been melancholy for
some time over his business cares"
The TELEGRAN-HERALp has seen a
large number of the life long business
companions OF the would-be suicide, 10
ascertain, if possible, the motive that
might bee supposed to lie back of this
strange act. Joseph Houseman, Geo.
d. Sisson, Alderman Sproul, John
Jameson. uenIy Spring, Aldermen
CreQue, Stebbins, Mills, Carpenter, l..
L. Hawk ms, Dr. Marvin. any many
other old friends of Mr.. Godfrey were
seen, and there was not suggestion
that came from any OF them that could
he formed into probability al said
that the mans action IS Inscrutahic
DR. Marvin said there surely is such a
a thing as temporary insanity. Point
ing down the street, the doctor SAID 10
the reporter: "You see that crosswalk.
You may never cross IT. A little
blt OF an artery may burst IN your
BRAIN that may not let out blood enough
70 paralyze you. but vet IT might de
range your whole nervous machinery
and cause your spirits 20 90 upward or
downward. An autopsy might not re-
veal the cause, and you night 90 down
to your posterity as q suicide when the
fact IS that YOU nave broken a sone-
thing in your body. have no doubt
that Godfrey was insane II the sense
that he had met with an accident 10
his inner anatomy"
Joseph Houseman SAID that It Is 10
line with all the suicides that have oc-
Cured in history, presenting the same
d tsicuites OF explanation. 1T q not
wealth nor poverty" sad he. mot
prosperity nor adversely that
make up life. The majority
of suicides occur smong the class that
are Teputed TO be farthest removed
from the necessity Of L. DO you re-
member Coolbsugh, the Chicago
banker, vbo shot himself af the foot cf
4 monument n a large pubic park, And
left s750 900 70 be Quarreied over by BIS
hesrss 10 you remember BeimoBt's
son about year ago. DO you renem-
tzr the Crown Prince of 11sfr a
whose suicide has occurred within
the present year. DO you rot
know that the SUICIDES of the world
sre mostly among men ot whom tae
same fuQu5res we're made that yoa are
now making shoat Godfrey ] tel you
tae world = young. We have Faucn =
learn. and tie one important ttine tof
"a 10 sncv, snd which ee knoN tic
l..... ..rA.s a...s f..sLa