The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-03-27
A SAD STORY.
Incidents Which Led up to Good
Mans Self DestructiOn-His Direc-
tors Refused 10 Stand to Him for
S3O,OOO-Debt on n $25O,OOO Plans
Only $4,000.

$3O,OOO-Debt on a $25O,OOO Plans
Only $4,000.
Yorkville Enquirer.
Mr.. J. r. Ashe, president OF the York Cot
| ton mills, and one OF the leading citizens o
Yorkville, committed suicide Monday night
OF this week, by throwing himself into well
| He was impelled to the dreadful deed by
mental alteration that was caused by the
financial embarrassment Of the big corpora.
tion over which he has for several years past
been the presiding genius; and 70 the s,sd success
His recent trip North, was for the purpose
OF making financial arrangements to meet
certain notes that are about TO fall due. and
operation OF the mill until the yarn market
regain its normal conditions.
| He felt sure that the needful financial
arraugen ents would be made with ease; but
whom be was counting, declined to give the
desired aid, his hopes sank lower and lower
until he was completely unnerVed. ne
returned to Yorkville In state OF nervous
and ment tai collapse that was indeed pitiable.
At meeting called for the purpose laat
, Saturday, Mr.. Ashe explained the mills
embarrassment. The story, in brief, was TO
the effect that there was about S00 600 OF tn.
debtedness in round mum bers. This included
SAC, 100 worth of machinery but recently
received and not yet In operation; but whlch
gave no cause for concern, because the credit
OF the mill was perfectly good with the peo'
pie from whom 1t had been purchased. Ia
addition to this. there WAS due some $4,000
for warehouse cotton that had been spun and
sold; and the proceeds diverted TO permanent @ zen,
taees. elc Then again, there was q note OF
s., 900 falling due during the present month,
and although the books OF the company
was no money on hand with which to meet
pressing needs.
All this Mr.. Ashe ex planned to the directors,
and he showed them how the corporation
| <.f nh..ftf IN
was only TO be obtained, under the circum-
stances, through their endorsement as indi-
viduals Of joint note. 1t was his plan 70
take up this note at the earliest possible
moment with bonds of the mill, to be issued
al soon as the necessary arrangements could
be perfected. Several Of the directors agreed
to sign the proposed note, putting their mill
stock behind It as collateral security; but
others refused. and the plan fell through.
Almost dazed before, MIR. Aahe now gave up
the struggle and took to his bed in state Of
nervous prostration.
During Sunday and Monday, Mr.. Ashe was
first up and then down. 1t developed that he
had not had an hour of natural sleep for
nearly two weeks. Unknown TO his friends
and business colleagues, he had brooded and
thought over the pending trouble until his
mind had become unbalanced.
| The reporter called upon Mr.. Ashe Monday
night and found him in bed. 1t appeared
that the only two things that the unfortunate
man realized positively were The facts that
/ he was in serious financial trouble and that
he was m entally unbalanced. During min
ute or two, he could talk clearly and COM
! trouble in completing his sentences. He
showed no signs of insanity; but only OF
alteration. In ali that be attempted 10 say
he was perfectly rational. and except from
noticeable popularity In his condition. II
am wrong In the head" he would say, as he
| found himself unable to complete sentence.
After and interval he was ready to begin
| q
enough. Speaking of the status OF mill,
during lucid moment, he was clear and logi.
cal. He said: "IL Is the best mill In the
South, and there is less dead capital around
II. On the first of October last, we were free
from debt. Our plans formed then we're fully
warranted by existing conditions. we now
least S25O,00O worth OF property. We need
only $50, ,OU0 TO tide US over but Of that $1,000
must be paid within the next few days. The
whole trouble with us is that we are too big a
thing for our immediat financial surround.
ihgs."
Shortly before 10 O'Clock. Mrs. Ashe missed
her husband from his bed. She had also lost
much sleep, not having closed her eyes for
two nights on account of the distressing con.
dition OF Mr.. Ashe. Waking from ftful
sumber, she found that Mr.. Ashe had gone.
Fearful that something dreadful had hap.
pened, she sent out and alarmed the neigh.
bors, number of whom promptly gathered
at her home. A search was instituted al
once. Mrs. Ashe explained her fear that
JneF6 was no nope OF MT. aSu0' alive
He had left his clothes in the room. The
searchers made careful examination Of the
premises and looked down In the well. They
let down the bucket without finding any.
thing. Then two or three OF the searchers
went out to the York Cotton mills, with the
expectation Of finding the missing man
either on the road or probably in the reser
voir there. Mr.. q. II. OLeary made 10 Other
sounding of the well and discovered some
thing III the water that gave q suspicion o
the horrible truth. MIR. J. E. Carol wen'
down into the well and found that the sus
picion was horrible fact. This was at abou
2 o'clock In the morning, aud the presump
tion was that the body had been in the water
for at least two houx5.
1t seems that the last visitors to Mr.. Asht
during the night before were MIR. =. NJ
Grimes, Mr.. f. b. Beard and Mr.. w. Il. Car
roll. This was about 10 o'clock. They came
TO tell him OF the result of a conference dur
Ing the afternoon. at which plan to ralst
the necessary money had beeu agreed upon
All three OF the gentlemen were con tident o
success, and they SO assured Mr. Ashe. III
: leaving. Mr.. Grimes told how IL was his pur
pose to start of early the next morning
(Tuesday) and that he would be back In tn
afternoon with the money. 81 hope you VII
get IT," or words to that effect, was abou
all that MIR. Ashe had to say: but none o
, the gentlemen suspiciOned anything u
warrant fear of the tragedy that followed
= On account Of the death OF Mr.. Ashe, o
course. the proposed trip was abandoned.
Mr.. John Il. Ashe was a native OF iors
county, having been born near McConnells
willie In 1856. With but limited litearJ
I education. he completed business course II
{ a Baltimore college, and, In 1876 commenced
' work for the firm of Clark Bros, in Yorkville
for SO a week He remained with Messrs
Clark Bros. six years. the latter portion q