Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-31
THANK YOU"
WORDS OF GRATITUDE THE LAST HE
EVER SPOKE.
Forest Ellis Drops Dead of ApOplexy while
Busy About His Ice Factory.

Mr.. Forest L. Ellis, president Of
the Ellis Ice Company, dropped dead
at his factory in this city about $40
o'clock Saturday morning.
He left his home in his usual robust
health and shortly after eight o'clock
began to assist Superintendent r. A.
Peck and a colored wagner to load
vehicle with ice to send to the asy-
lum. He was on the high platform
showing the cakes along the platform
so the colored man could reach them.
when he suddenly complained Of
feeling peculiar suffocating sensa-
ton in his chest. He stepped of the
platform and walking ten steps to the
engine room door and sat down on a
rough bench, saying he felt very i'll
Mr.. Peck went inside and got chair
and he got up and took a seat in the,
chair saying Thank YOU, These,
were his last words. Mr.. Peck turned
and went inside, after telling him he
would ring for doctor. He had
hardly gotten inside when the driver
called to him that Mr.. Ellis had
fallen out of the chair, Leaving the
telephone he ran to him and one
glance showed that he was dead or in
dying condition.
In falling his head was slightly
down hill and raising his head Mr..
Peck dashed glass of water in his
face and then rushed to the telephone
and told central to send a doctor
quick. In very few minutes DR..
Eager arrived, but it was too late
In fact Mr.. Ellis was dead when he
dropped TO the ground. He literally
dropped dead and never moved after
falling.
The news soon spread over the city.
and caused universal sorrow.
His brother, MIR. Lee Nils, was out
in the city delivering ice and was,
soon summoned Mrs. Ellis was has
tily conveyed to the mill, but was
SO Frustrated that it was necessary to
take her home at once. His only
son, Lewis, boy of sixteen, was in
Madisonville and did not reach home
until the afternoon train came. His
Younger brother, DR. G. ID. Ellis, Of
Cleveland, o., was notified and came
on the first train.
Coroner Allensworth was notified
and he d the usual inquest in such
cases. The verdict was that death
resulted from heart disease or apo
plexy. IL was most likely the latter,
as Mr. Ellis was very large and
flesby man, weighing more than 200
pounds. He had never been sick in
his life and appeared to be the very
picture OF perfect health.
His father, the late WIN. T. Ellis,
only recently died at the very adj
vanced age of nearly 80 years. He
appeared to have as fine a prospect
for long lease of life as any man
could wish. But death came with
shocking suddenness and when least
expected.
Mr. Ellis was very successful
business man. From modest be-
ginning he had accumulated d large
estate and was doing big business
with his ice factory, the only one in
the city.
He was born Jan. 70, 1851, and was
educated in the schools of Hopkins
Vile la 1872 he went into the hardware
business, but retired from this bust
ness in 1876 to engage in milling with
h,o fokhar 10 Y,,oHa nannau o. Abso
but in ten or twelve years the destruc-
ton of his mill by fire at heavy loss
gave him a serious backset. In 1888
he erected the present ice factory on
the mill site and during the last nine
years has prospered greatly in
this venture His mill property is
very valuable and he has bought 500
acres of fine land near the city and
accumulated much other property.
At the time of his death he was rated
as one of the wealthy men of the city.
He was prominent in business and
political circles. He was director
of Hotel Latham and was candidate
for Councilman on the Republican
ticket at the last city election.
He was also director OF the First
National Bank and held a similar
position in the Hopkinsville and Cam
ton Turnpike Company.
The funeral services were held at
the residence ON West Twelfth street
yesterday afternoon at four o'clock
and the interment followed at the
cemetery. A large concourse of
friends followed the body to the
grave.