Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-23
HANGING BY NECK.
Suicide Of Harold Alton FIagq.
Last Night, at HaIIoweIl,
Apparently Cheerful and Well But
Few Minutes Before Ending Life.
Found Hanging BY Neck II Stable. Dead nv
YoSnger Bother.

Hallowell Me. April c2.-(Specian
The city vas sho, kod, this evening bv
reports that Harold Alton Flacg had
committed suicide by hanging. i'm the
upper part of the barn situated back
of the homc of his GRANDPARENTS. Mr.
and Mrs Daniel W. Flags, at the
western end of Lincoln street No nos.
sible cause can be found for the act
ard it seems that il must have been a
case of sudden insanity.
Flagg WAS but a boy, being Il years
OF age, and was employed at johnson
Bros. Shoe shop. He worked. today.
as usual and was at his home. after
leaving the shop in the afternoon, and
seemed in his usual good humor, talk
ing and joking pleasantly. No one
could imagine from his actions that he
was planning to take his own life. In
the morning, he had announced his in
tention of SiN ing his bicycle "a coat of
shellac and. about ) O'Clock this after
noon, he went To the upper part of the
barn which is fitted up for work
shop.
ne Htu bctIi S'UE Dut Snolt Tune
when his grandmother went into the
barn. She did not so up stairs but
called to him saying: What are you
doing, Atom he answered. Not
much of anything" She then said:
Here is that shellac you wanted and
leaving it in the lower part of the barn
she went back to the house.
A few minutes before 6. Flagg' :
brother Walter. n lad of l. years. went
into the barn and went up the stairs.
He was Mortified to see his brother
hanging by a rope which was around
his neck. The rope was tied to a stick
which was passed over two beams
above the stairs and the moose hung
so low that the boys knees almost
touched the floor and his feet was
stretched out on the floor behind him.
Walter began shouting for help and
caught hold of his brother trying to
raise him up. The grandmother and
aunt, Miss Edith Fiagg, ran into the
barn. up the stairs and Miss Flagg cut
the rope. which was small affair,
hardly larger than cord. When cut
down. there was no sign of life in the
boys body. The heart had stopped
beating. Drs. Brookings and
Thompson were quickly summoned.
They pronounced life extinct. Thc boy.
who but an hour before had been talk
ing and joking with the other members
of his family. was dead by his own
hand.
Harold. or Alton as he was generally
called by his associates. had lived all
his life in Hallowell aud attended the
city schools. leaving the High school.
last January. to enter the shoe shop.
He had always lived with his grand
parents and aunt. His mother is dead
and his father does not live in Halo
we'll There seems to he no reason
whatever for his act. IL he has had
troubles he has not shown it by his
demeanor and his actions, today. We're
not at all out of the usual course. He
was naturally quiet: not the kind of Il
boy who tells all his thoughts. nut ne
was accustomed to go out and asso-
ciate with other young men and boys
and always seemed of a cheerful dis
position Everything points to sud
den lit Of insanity. 1t is said that some
of his past relatives have not been
we'll balanced. AS one of the
family said to Journal man: 1T runs
in the F'Iagg blood"
The entire family had been planning
to go to Ocean Point. in June, ana
Harold was continually making plans
for summers outing camping out
with some of his friends. The family
is sorrow stricken. and the condition
of Mr. Flagg. who has been Ill all WIN
ter. is extremely precarious. me
shock was the harder to bear because
of its sudden and unexpected nature
The funeral arrangements have not yet
been made.