Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-01
Man for Love of Whom Pretty
Fannie Whitmore Suicided
is interviewed
DID NOT SUSPECT HER FEELINGS
He Tells the Story of His Acquaintance
With and Friendship for Miss Whit
more and Declares He Never Made
Love to Her Nor Suspected That She
Was infatuated With Him.
Special to mes-Republioan.

paper publishes the following inter
view with Seth A. Perkins, the travelling
man for love of whom it is said Fannie
Whitmore, of Union, Iowa, committed
suicide, after learning he was a mar
gied man.
Il was first introduced to Miss Whit
more about a year ago. Postmaster j.
G. Hays OF Union introduced me. She
had taken the place of another young
woman who had retired from the office
to marry.
THE postoffice at Union is in a sta
tionery store; or, at any rate line OF
stationery is carried by the postmaster
an connection with the office. AS rep
Tesentative of the Langan Bros. of Des
Moines haze been visiting Union flor
three years.
During the year that / have known
Miss Whitmore l held but three con-
versations of any extent or moment
with her.
s.The first was about five months ago.
arrived in Union on the evening train,
which got there about $40 o'clock.
got supper at the hotel. which is near
the depot, and then went up town. The
3
ly above the depot on the same street
as the hotel and station. The postoffice
Is the first building. / stopped there, as
usual
.swhiie there Miss Writmore began
putting on her wraps as If to go out. /
asked her why she was going out SO
early and she said 1t was time to close
Up. exressed surprise for the stores
1Ix, .inc OF or NJ
and / had been in the habit of visiting
the business houses which bought
goods OF me in the evenings. She ex-
plained that the custom of closing
early had just been inaugurated.
II suggested that If she had no OBJ
lection would walk home with her. l
did not know where she lived. She
consented and we walked to her home.
1t was not yet dark. Arriving at her
home, which is about half mile from
the postoffice. she invited me into the
house to meet her mother. I accepted
the invitation and went into the house,
where / was introduced to Mrs. Whit
more.
Seeing an organ in the parlor ask
ed who the musician was and the young
woman said that she played and sang
little. / asked her to give a selection,
which she did. She sang one song.
81 remained IN the house perhaps f1f-
teen minutes, ] am certain that 1t was
not longer than that remained only as
long as courtesy would permit
About two months afterward I agin
walked home with her
ION each of these occasions we
talked only of formal matters. We did
not discuss love topics, and our con-
yersation absolutely was of a char
meter usual between the merest ac-
uuaintances ! positively deny that
any familiarity whatever marked our
relations
II had known the young woman al
most year / had visited Union about
once every four weeks and had seen
her at the postoffice. At the office
treated her as any gentleman would a
lady. ] shook hands with her, chatted
about impersonal matters and treated
her as any gentleman would an ac-
quaintance. Beyond that there was
nothing. absolutely nothing.
81 did not represent to her that was
unmarried. There was no occasion tc
talk of personal affairs, and we did not
talk of them. We did not mention mar
fiage at any time or talk of any sub
ject which would have made it pos
sible even casually to mention my mar
riage.
"But every business man in Union
. and / think almost every one there
must have known l was married.
have been going there for three years
as / say. and knew many of the bust
ness men very well.
Il was in the habit of playing whist
when in that town with Postmaster
Hays and other business men. 1 an
ii prepared to prove that l was always il
the hotel, or attending to business call.
4 among my patrons or playing whis
with the business men with whom wa;
best acquainted every time that I wa:
in Union during the past year or ST,
months.
Il should say and am glad to stat
that so far as I know Miss Whitmor,
was an exemplary young woman. Sh,
was always ladylike and womanly, ant
her reputation was above reproach.
think she was fine girl. / believ,
she was faithful Christian and
good woman.
Last week / did not reach Uniol
Tuesday night, as usual, but reached
there Wednesday morning. / went t
the postoffice stationery store about
o'clock, I think. Postmaster Hays wa
going out and I went back about
o'clock. Mr.. Hays was not yet there
Miss Whitmore was at the postoffic
window.
Il noted that she looked at me with
very peculiar or funny look. This con
yersation, as nearly as am able to re
call It, then ensued
What is your name?' she asked.
'T told her.
You are married, aren't you? sh
asked.
II replied that was.
".You have disgraced me- she as
founded me by replying.
In what way?' asked.
"'Well, you have she replied
sT then asked her If I had not Away
treated her as a perfect lady and if on
relations had not been merely those c
acquaintance. asked her If I had eve
said anything out of the way in the tw
conversations had had with her or |
our ordinary conversations when I wa
in the stationery store on business.
"'No,' she replied, but l am dis
graced.'
az said that did not see where
came in had not thought myself dis
sraced by walking thru the bushes
part Of town with her, and did not sc
how she was disgraced by me. The