The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-31
GRIEF PROMPTED
HIM TO SUICIDE,
William r. Blanks, IT., Who Ended
His Life in Forest Park, WOr-
ried Over Wife's Absence.
PARTED THREE WEEKS AGO.
Husband, on Former Occasion,
Was Prevented From Taking
POison-Body Was Iden-
titled by Brothers.
PARTED THREE WEEKS AGO.

William p. Blanks. JT, formerly a clerk
| in the burlington Railroad Offices. was he
young man who ended his life in Forest
Park some time Saturday night with car
bolic acid.
The body. which was found Sunday :rorr
Ing. was identified yesterday by Robert and
Allen Blanks. brothers e the suiciic- after
they had claimed it they made arrange
ments to have it shipped tu Go-donsviile,
Ala, the former home Of the family.
According to the story OF Blanks mother
and brothers. who 1--we 1T No. $40 Maple
avenue. Williams suicide was Haussl by
grief over his separation from his brio OF
eight months for whom he hore an over
towering love.
Mrs Blanks Is now in the South visiting
friends. and her mother. Mrs. II. II. Nc
Lean. who lives at No. 425l F!rney avenue,
declines to say where she is staying.
Blanks had known his wife from child
hood. They were playmates and sweet
hearts in the same years. She was pretty
girl and he Il handsome. sturdy boy.
When she grew into beautiful womanhood
and he into re pleni'nt manhood. they
plighted again the troths Of childhood. Her
mother objected to the match. bat despite
her objections they were married in her
mothers home on November TO- last ysar
Blanks and his Young vile made their home
with her mother and stepfaJher. Iils ks
had a good position with the Burlington
and was fond and devoted husband
Three weeks ago Mrs. Blanks thinking
she would cauce her husband to cease his
cOnvivial habits, went TO visit friends in
the South.
Blanks did not know her whereabouts. He
grew Inorose and Respondent. and few
days after his WIFE had departed he went
out to his mothers home. He was very
dispirited. and when he left the house his
brother. Robert. fearing he meant 10 80
away with himself. followed him. William
went to Forest Park. to the very spot where
his body WAS found Sunday. and Vas aSoJt
TO swallow carbUlic acid when Rotert IAN
tip and dashed the bottle fem las hand.
After ms 9 tempt he seemed to regain
his usual spirits. but Saturday, when he
went home. he appeared TO be very de-
spondent. He left the house about o'clock
I'm the evening. but al that time his m n
ner was not such as would indicate that he
contemplated suicide. He was seen In the
neighborhood of the Mclean home an hour
later. and Il is believed he went from there
to the park and swallowed the poison.
At the Mclean home yesterday Mrs. Nc
Lean and her husband refused to discuss
the case. except to express regret for tho
young mans death AMI sympathy for his
family. They spoke IN the highest terms OF
him. Mrs Mclean refused TO tell where
her daughter IS. saying that it would serve
no purpose to have Il disclosed.
Mrs Blanks. Jr, was formerly Miss
Teresa SCENE. She is daughter of Mrs
Mclean by a former husband. She. was
reared in the Visitation Convent and gradu-
ated from that institution only short time
before she married Blanks.