Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-12-17
SUICIDE. OF W. H. SMITH.
Ono OF Bowling Green's Most Popular
Citizens.


Smith, Cashier of the Commercial bank
OF Bowling Green. aud Corporation
Treasurer of that village was receive |
here on Friday last.
The particulars of the sad affair can
be learned from the following, taken
from the Daily Sentinel
HOW TT OCCURRED.
Wally arose and went about his busi-
ness that morning us usual {: AT aud be-
fore breakfast he appeared no different;
was apparently cheerful and happy.
SO perfectly natural aud happy was
Everything about the home that Wal
ly's mother, Mrs. Laura Smith, went
out east of town at an early hour, 10
spend the day with her mother. Mrs.
Samuel Walker, leaving Mrs. w. I'll.
Smith and her little daughter ut bone.
After doing her mornings work,
Wally's wife. in passing through his
bedroom, noticed some business papers
lying in n disordered condition ON II
table or bureau, something unprecc-
dentcd in the house. for her husband
was unus;illy particular in his business
affairs.
'oHc luSbdHtiN SuspcCJcu Sohct1lIlE
was wrong: and leaving her baby with
Mrs. \. L. Royce. next door. she ran
to the bank and inquired il Wally had
been there. They had not noticed him,
but had thought nothing of IT,, Tvs lie
frequently took ride or went to wl ere
he was building u handsome residence
en South Main, before going to the
bank.
Mrs. Smith husicncd to the new
house. where she asked james Ordv ny.
who was at work there if he had seen
her husband: he had not. so she pro-
ceeded to the barn just back of the new
house, where Mr.. Smith kept his horse.
She opened the door, and IL
HoRRID SIGHT MET HER GAZE
On a horse blanket, spread on the
ground, in front of the door, lying ON
! the right side, the face covered with
blood, lay the body Of her husband. cold
in death. y 81 calibre revolver lay on
the blanket ut his side.
| Almost parulized with h0rror, Mrs.
Smith ran from the scene To where Mr..
Ortlway was. and told him Wally had
killed himself. Calling Geo. j. White,
who was pnssing Mr.. Ordway and he
went to the barn and found the body us
stated.
Mrs. Smith was taken home. and Mr..
Ordway, leaving Mr.. White at the
barn, went after Coroner st. John,
who arrived i'm IL few moments. He
and DR.. Bryant made IL hasty examina-
tion of the body, but there was SO much
clotted blood about the face and head
they could not, for awhile, find where
the shot had entered: but, by order OF
Coroner st. John, the body was taken
to Kenower's undertaking establish
ment where ii was washed, and it was
then found that the bullet had entered
the lett ear. and was lodged near the
surface on the opposite side of the head.
Death had, of course, been instantane-
Gus; and as nearly as DR.. St. John
could estimate from the condition of
the body, the fatal shot had been fired
about $50 Il. IN. George Harvey, who
was working with Jas. Ordway on Mr..
Smiths house, heard the shot, but of
course paid no attention TO it. He
thought it was about half an hour be-
fore the body was found.
From the surroundings it was ap-
parent the man had gone about the
deed very deliberately. There were
two blankets spread out on the ground
barn-he lay ON the right side rs il
asleep. and all indicated careful pre-
meditation.
THE REASON FOR THE ACT.
Wully Smith was not the style of a
man to be suspected of any such an act,
and no one who knew him would for a
moment think him in his right mind
when the deed was done. For years he
has been suffering from that terrible
disease dyspepsia, which is in itself, al
most the worst form of a living death
and while he kept about his busines:
avocatiOns, and kept crowding his brair
with work, his system was constantly
being weakened by disease, until at last
his brain, unable to withstand the ter
rible strain, gave way, and while il
this frame 81 mind, he determined tt
end an existence which was slowly
wearing him out.
Mr.. Smith was born July, l, 1854, ant
for many years was connected with the
Exchange bank, with Reed & Merry
He had been married about six years Il
Miss Jessie Baker, OF Norwalll. and thu
family consisted of himself and wife, 1
three year old daughter and his mother
Family relations wero the very hes
and happiest possible. He WAS in good
financial circumstances, and had not m
enemy, and when one thinks of it., it il
impossible to believe Wally Smith wa.
in possession of his mental facultic.
when he ended his existence
Dock Thomas writes us that ne
thinks George Gaghan would be