The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-06-12
TOOK HIS own LIFE
Adelbert Shaw Shoots Himself Last
FRIDAY Night.
HE WAS TEMPORARILY INSANE
The Affair Was One of the Most Shocking
Occurrences In the History of Wash.
burn.-Deceased Was Highly
Honored Citizen.

+ oHc ~ JUS mos shocking Grdge-
dies in the history Of Washburn oc-
cured last Friday night, at which
time Q NJ Holt. returning ID the
home Of A.Shaw to spend the hight
found the latter dead, lying in pool
of his own blood, with . bullet
through his head. Mr.. Shaw has
been poorly for some time, and for
the last two weeks in particular has
been confined to his home the great
er part of the time. Friday he was
down town and talked with his
friends. He stated that ia tie
course ola few days he would go
east with his wife to spend short
time in recuppratlng his health. He
went to see Mr.. Holt and gave him
the key to the front door of the
house, saving that he might retire
early. He also called on one of his
friends and made many business ar
Judgements, stating that some
thing might pos slbly happen to him
on his trip east. : Then he borrowed
a rifle under the excuse of wanting
| it to kill cat with and went home.
This was in the afternoon. In the
forepart of the evening he visited
with one OF the neighbors. No one
heard the fatal shot, and the first
intimation of the terrible tragedy
was when Mr. Holt opened the house
door. Gun powder smoke was
strong in the house, and upon open
ling the bedroom door on the first
floor of the house the horrible oc-
curences of an hour before were
plain. MIR Holt rusned from the
house in a dazed condition, and sum-
moned help. In a few minutes
number of friends of the deceased
were at the house. and a coroner's
inquest was held under the direction
of Fred T. Yates, acting as coroner.
A verdict of suicide was rendered
the following morning. To add to
the misfortunes Of the family Mrs.
Shaw and her son were in Everett,
Washington, visiting. They were
Immediately sent for, and returned
Tuesday evening. Willis Shaw, a
brother of the deceased, came here
from Ellington, N. Y, Monday.
Words cannot describe the horri-
bic tragedy which ended in the I'M
timely death of man who was es-
teemed and respected throughout
the town. He has lived here for ten
years or more, all of which time he
has been steady industrious and
respected citizen. He was first
class book keeper. and was in the
employ Of the A. A. Bigelow Com
pany until they went out of business
here few weeks ago. Since that
time he held the same position with
Hines Lumber Company. It is sup
posed that dependency oyer his
poor health and the breaking down
under too much work wrecked the
nervous system Of the victim Of his
own act, and that in fit of tenn
porary insanity the horrible deed
was carried out. Trivial matters
seemed to cause him an endless
amount of annoyance. Mr.. Shaw
was member of the Congregational
Church of this city, and also Of the
F. & A. NJ, the latter organization
taking charge of his affairs while
sick and until the arrival of the be-
reaved widow.
Adelbert Shaw was man whom
everybody liked, and for whom all
had kind word. His untimely and
sad death has shocked the city as it
perhaps has not been shocked before
in great many years. If he had
troubles of any kind that were I'M
usual none seemed to know them
He had very pleasant home and his
family relations were ideal. The
blow has been an awful one to his
wife, who has had to travel across
half the continent only to find the
man whom she idolized cold in death.
The deceased was 35 years of age,
and was married to Miss Florence
Baptie about seven.years ago. Be
sides the widow there is bright
boy to mourn the death. Short
services were conducted at the resi-
dence yesterday afternoon, and the
remains started for the old home
near Ellington, N. Y, on the $50
train last evening.