The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-04-07
ASKED FOR AUTOPSY.
Body of Marblehead, Mass, Banker Was
Found Yesterday

Lynn, Mass, April David X. Phil
lips, president OF the National Grand
Bank OF Marblehead, and senior member
of the real estate firm Of D. X. and
l.. II. Phillips of Boston, threw himself
into the surf at Phillips beach, opposite
his home in Swampscott yesterday and
was drowned. The body was recovered
two hours later, and viewed by Medical
Examiner Pinkham, who returned a YER
dict of suicide.
Phillips was Of a peculiarly nervous
temperament, and by hts business as
sociates il said to have worried much
over the matter of certain improve
ments demanded by his tenants, with
which demands he had not found it
possible to comply. He was born in
1853, and with his wife occupied a
beautiful home overlooking the scene
of his death. His father, Edward Phil
lips, was pioneer in the fishing in
dustry of Swampscott, and largely re-
sponsible for the development Of the
industry in Boston.
Besides his connection with the Mar
blehead bank and the Boston firm, he
was a director OF the Salem Savings
bank, and owned considerable real es-
tate.
Phillips went to the bank at Marble
head as usual yesterday morning, but
did not remain long, returning to his
home on Atlantic avenue, Swampscott,
at II o'clock. AT that time nothing out
Of the ordinary was noticed in his behav-
ior. A half hour later he visited his
stables and soon afterwards was seen
crossing the fields in the direction of the
beach. Attention was attracted by the
fact that he wore neither coat nor vest.
At 1:20 o'clock two men saw his body
in the water and notified the medical ex-
aminer. When officers arrived on the
beach the body had been washed high
on the sand, the face and body being
badly bruised.
Eben Phillips, a nephew of the dead
man, declared that his uncle had not
committed suicide, as determined by the
medical examiner soon after the body
was found.
Mr.. Phillips is believed to have had
several thousand dollars ON his person
and this with his watch was missing
from his clothing. The undertaken, who
took charge Of the body, said it bore
evidence of having been in the water
at least four hours.
Cashier Everett Paine Of the Nation
al Grand bank, in speaking of Mr.. Phil
lips, said that the latter paid his GUS
tomary daily visit TO the bank yester-
day forenoon, arriving there few min
utes after O'Clock and remaining there
an hour. He seemed to be feeling in
even better spirits than usual, and
showed no evidence Of any mental de-
preston.
Mr.. Phillips, he said, was never a
borrower from the bank and was an
unusually conservative man in bust
ness matters, in fact, being considered
too conservative by some of his asso-
ciates. He had been president of the
bank fifteen years, and director for
twenty-eight years.
Mr.. Phillips reached his home in his
carriage about noon, and after playing
with his dogs short time, started for
the beach.
1t was his cnstom to take daily
stroll along the shore, accompanied by
his dogs, of which he had a number.
Yesterday he would not allow them to
accompany him, but drove them back
when they attempted to follow him.
An hour or so later his body was dis
covered in the water.