The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-07-11
Thc Lac Christopher Little

cbllu OF w liilah jtttlS WHO llNeu dhi!
died at West Nottingham, whose lands
adjoined the West Nottingham Presby-
terrain Church, aid a portion of which
now forms the cemetery OF that church
So far as we are Informed there are no
members of this family Of Little now
living in Cecil county, although there are
numerous relatives and connections, to
whom The following letter from IA daugh-
ter OF the deceased to Mr.. George Sim
cOe Of Bay view, and containing The
facts OF Mr.. Little's death y ill dOu btless
be interesting.
POTTSvILLE, PA. june 30tE, 1891.
GEORGE SIMCOE, ESQ,
Bay View, Cecil Co., Md.
Dear Nr SINCE, Your letter of une 23d
was duly received by my mother ard was
handed to me 10 answer. have delayed
doing this TO- several reasons, the most i'm
portant of which Is that | have really not
had time to write you as fully as | wanted
to do.
81
copy of the Miners JOUrHaL of June l1th,
1891, which contaius, probably, the best ac-
count of my fathers death that can lie
given with the exception Of one or two
errors.
If you Will notice, tEi4 account states that
my father was found III his room with his
right hand holding revolver. This, as
understand, is not the case. Before retiring
his watch and chain, through the guard Of
the revolver. When found, his watch chain
was entwlntd round the wrist OF his right
arm. The revolver was what they call d.
''hdmmeriers' revolver, and suppose Won
know that they require cooking III order
to be discharged but the slightest pressure
on the trigger will discharge the same with
little or no rerceptible motion on the part
OF the holder OF the same.
The theory that father was disturbed
during the night, in my mind, has nothing
III il, tor the simple Ison that when found
his body was IN the most quiet and peace
ful position one could imagine. and there
was nothing, either about the features and
expression OF the face or the body, TO indi-
cafe tH&t lie hat been conscious OF ANYTHING
after he had fallen asleep. His death must
have been irstan infamous, and | do net be-
Ii We that lie ever knew when he was pass
ing from this world into the next.
Any idea that he did this OF his own &C
cord or with tie least reconciliation is
absurd to my mind and | would want the
most positive proof 10 make me believe any
thing of the kind. 1t there was any one
thing that my father could never make an
excuse for, it was suicide, and we have all
heard him say many times that no matter
what happened to him, what adversities lie
right encounter or what mi 5fortuue might
beIall Inn, he wanted 10 live every hour
that his Maker would give him This TO-
gether with other expressions, not only tc
his family bur 10 his friends, and his whole
manner Of living do. ) away with TIE least
suspicion of suicide or generalization on
his part. | look at his death as being one
Of those fearfuly unfortunate accidents
that took him (I am thankful to say from
this world to better one without any
realization on his part of the change but III
such way that We on this side will never
be able to know how or why it should have
teen.
Ny father had been in very good health
for long time previous to his death and
with the exception of a slight cold was
perfectly well when he left home, which
was on Tuesday. June 9th. He lett ia with
the intention of going to one or two places
on business and eventually ending at
the railroad By which he was compelled TO
stop at Tamaqua for about two hours in
order to make Il certain train. My brother.
DR.. George Little, is married and living at
this place and father spent this time with
him and his little family. From there he
went to Mauch Chunk arriving during the
latter part OF the afternoon or early in the
evening. He registered at the hotel and
some of bis Masonic friends who all speak
Of the usual good humor and spirits he
seemed to be in. After leaving them he
went back TO the hotel and wrote a letter To
my mother iii which he detailed his doings
from the time he left home ard spoke about
coming home (Pottsville) some time the
next Il ay, although lie said h could not fix
the exact time. He also wrote letter to
my older BROTHER, Frank, telling him not
to forward his mail the next day as lie
would be home during the day. That was
about ten o'clock as he spoke of the cock
striking ten while lie was writing. He
hen took these letters down stairs to the
clerk and went up to bed. That was the
last that was seen of him alive, and from
that time the mantle of death has shrouded
him so that no mortal eye can tell for one
minute what was done or what was not
done.
We received word of fathers death about
ten o'clock Wednesday morning, June 10th,
and my two brothers, George from Tama
qua and Harry from Pottsville. left for
Mauch Chunk and brought father home at
/ 80 in the afternoon. On Friday, June
18th, at twelve o'clock noon we had ser.
vice at tho house for the family 81 eclally
and at ; 80 in tn afternoon a young lady
W no has become a beautiful singer and who
owes " ha tever she can do to day In that
line to my fathers early training, came to
the house and sang my fathers favorite
hymn, Nearer my GCd to Thee At four
O'clOck the Masonic fraternity came to the
house in body md escorted the remains
to Trinity Episcopal Church, Of which
ia Their has teen i member and vestrymau
for years as well as senior warden. Services
were held there and then we proceeded to
the Oh arles Baber cemetery, where, after
the short service of the church, the Ma,
sonic service was read and that ended all
that we could do for my father in this
world
His face looked very natural no express
sion OF distress or suffering about him, and
while | would rather have had him to pass
away at home with his family, still there
are so many circumstances connected with
his death that | can truly say that | am
he did not have to linger and
suffer for weeks and may be months before
his death but was permitted to pass away
without being conscious of when the
change was taking place, for it was always
much harder for my father to see any of
his family suffer than to suffer himself.
The blow to my mother especially. was
fearful, but she has the com fort in being
able to look back over a married life of SO
and one half years III which my father was
the kindest and most devoted of husbands.
He WAS never cross or unkind in any way,
and whatever mistakes he may have made
i'll his life were those made by too kind
and loving nature and not with any idea
of wronglng or harmiug creature.
Father left to survive him, my mother