The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-16
AN ENGINEER ENDS HIS LIFE William Raplee Found
 Dead in Bed. HAD TAKEN MORPHINE Left Directions for Disposition Fl of His Body. Lost Position With Atlantic Coast Line and Became Despondent. To Ship Remains to Mother
 in Michigan.

Bowed down by i'll health. a victim of the drink habit and Respondent because of losing his position William Raplee, a former prosperous locomotive engineer employed by the Atlantic Coast Line. took morphine and ended his life. His body was found early yesterday morning in a room of Burkhardt's quar- ters. negro tenement houses. on Bell street. where Raplee had lived during | the past few months. He had evidently taken the poison during the night as he had been dead some time.
 Coroner W. H. Tice was notified of Rap lee .. death and immediately visited the quarters. In the pockets of Raplee's clothes. the coroner found several letters and notes which indicated that Raplee in- tended to commit suicide. On the back of one of the letters was written My name is William Raplee, Home eos. R. R. street, Jackson, Mich" On a long paste board card found in his pocket was writ ten "Mrs. E. W. Rapiee. my mother's address is 7cs Cullen street. St. Paul. Minn."
 7. Verdict Was Suicide.
 After an inquest by the eorcner. the verdict of the jury was: Death by over dose of morphine taken with suicidal inc tent"
 The body was taken to an undertaking establishment on South Court Street, where itF lies awaiting orders from the relatives of the dead man. who have been notified by the coroner.
 Most of the letters taken from the pockets of the suicide were from his mother telling him not to be worried over his rnisfortunes. but to come home and stay with her. She said she often won dered if he was cold or hungry. and was sure that she could find employment for him in Michigan.
 An official of the Atlantic Coast Line said that up to about three years ago Raplee had been an old and faithful en- gineer of the old Plant System. About this time he began drinking and gave up his position, returning to Michigan from whence he had come to Montgomery many years before.
 Lost His Position.
 About year ago. this official said, Rap lee returned to Montgomery from Mich igan. On account of his drinking habits he was not trusted with an engine, but was given an ordinary position In the railroad shops. The habit grew on him and about four months ago he lost this position. Since that time he had been leading c shiftiess life.
 ''Raplee dead?' asked a well known locomotive engineer of Montgomery. 'T am sorry to hear 1t. There was a time years ago. when he was one of the most popular engineers in Montgomery. Away back wonder I recall, he had a wreck at Grace's Gap. while running on the Louis- vile and Nashville Railroad, and waa re- ported as killed. The newspapers had him dead, and arrangements for hts funeral were actually made. He also said he en- joyed the unique distinction of having turned up at his own funeral Poor fel. low: I'm sorry"
 r1ed. He had no relatives in this sec- ton of the country.
 Coroner Tice received a telegram last night from the mother of Raplee direcA ing him to ship the body to Jackson, Mich. and it will be shipped to-day.