Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-02-18
HIS LAST SAD AD|EU.
George Elliott's Poetic and
Sentimental. Missives.
D0TnEY F0RErELL A1RAeEDY
Telephone Lineman Says He
Has Drowned Himself.
May Mean the Deplorable
End of Domestic Jars.

End of Domestic Jars.
George Elliott. formerly . lines
man in the employ Of the Central
Union Telephone company. is miss
ing from his home at 61O Twenty
fourth street, and q letter which he
LETT addressed to his wife, with whom
he had not lived the past week or so,
says he has ended his life in the Mis-
sissippi river. Elliott visited 1T the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. David Smith,
his next door neighbors, last night.
He acted very peculiarly. seeming de-
spondent and uneasy. The accident
which occurred on Twentieth street
yesterday afternoon was discussed,
and Elliott took the philosophical
side of tho matter. About 1850 he
arose to leave. Mrs. Smith said he
should not be in hurry. but he in
sisted that he must be going, where
upon he WAS asked to visit them more
frequently. but he answered that
that would be his final visit. Moth.
ing more was thought of Elliott un-
til this morning, when Mr.. Smith ON
going to the front of his house no.
ticed . note lying on the porch. 1t
read:
"Should anyone call for . KEY to
the house, tell them it is in the win
dow shutter. Yours, goodbye.
GEORGE"
This naturally alarmed Mr.. Smith
and he proceeded to investigate his
neighbours premises. On the back
porch he found another note living on
q clothes-horse and weighted down
with chunk of coal. 1t said to
''call on Smith for q key. The key
to the coal shed is on the table. T"
Mr.. Smith fading no signs of life
about the house notified Chief Etzel.
The key to the house was found back
Of the shutters. The touse Vas
opened and Chief Etzel and Mr..
Smith entered. Three letters we're
found on q table. one addressed to
Elliott's wife and one each to his
wife's parents. Mr.. and Mrs. L. A..
Bradford, of South Moline. The lat
ter two were in one envelope,
stamped, but not sealed. while the
one to Mrs. Elliott was folded but
not in an envelope. The letter to
Mrs. Elliott reads:
"Isee thee no more, farewell my wife,
Ny friends and all;
From thee q loved one
The fates do call;
Weep NO more for me,
1t Is In vain
To call me back
To your site again.
''Oh Laura. only to think of what /
have done; loved you and I will
still love you. Laura. Yet when Law
down to rest this night in the deem
water, my last sigh shall be. Laura,
Laura; only that I could speak to
you in my last moments, Laura, l
would die more happy. Only that 1
could see your face once more. Oh,
Laura. forgive me, forgive me. /
can hardly hold this pen. Laura,
dear Laura, only that had NOT
asked You to become my wife, that
You might have had some one whom
you could have lived happy with, and
could have went on roaming as I
was. But now to be doomed like
this; it is . most terrible thought,
Laura.
Tell her the last night of my life
For ere the sun be risen,
My body will be out of pain
My soul will be out of prison.
MAY God bless. keep and comfort
you. Laura. in your hours Of grief.
Peace be with you, for it is said that
God will keep the widows and the
orphans. Only to think of this trv.
ing ordeal Of which am about to %
through. Ionly wish I could speak
to you, Laura. in my last moments.
You say that I have abused you, l
have been mean to you. God grant,
Laura, will never have any occa.
sion to be mean or to abuse another
poor. helpless woman, and G ID for.
bid that l ever did you. Laura. So
now am done, a. I can write NO
more. hope you and your little
Laura may live peacefully together
the rest Of your days, and may they
be long and many. now bid You q
fond farewell. and . kind goodbye
Remember. Laura, what l told You
last Monday morning. GEORGE"
Is't~ 70 HI FAshsr-in-Lsw.
In letter to his father-in-law, L.
n. Bradford, of South Moline, Elliott
says that the cause of the trouble be-
tween he and his vita was the child,
Laura. Mrs. Elliott's nsice, whom
she took to live With her, because
she (Ars. ElliotO said she WAS lone
some. Elliott intimates that his
wife left him several times, but he
asserts that he never did any thing to
warrant such treatment. 81 have re-
turned home from my work time and
time again" Elliott continues, lex.
Pecting 70 fiad Laura gone. l hate
sat down BY her side. and even knslt
to her. and asked to Be forgiven II I
AAA