The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-26
PENSACOLAN A SUICIDE
PAUL GRAY SHOOTS HIMSELF IN
 THE CHEST.
Business Man Who Had Been Forced Into Bankruptcy BrOOds Over His Financial Troubles and Re-
 solves to Die.

Pensacola, Fla, Jan. 25.-- Special. )--
 Paul Gray, until recently the head of one of the largest mercantile firms of Pensacola committed suicide yesterday afternoon at Cottage Hill, twenty three miles north of the city. The re- mains were brought here this morn ing and carried to his home at 12oI West Chase Street. The funeral took place at 3;30 o'clock this afternoon, and the ceremonies were in charge of delegations of the ,Woodmen of the World and the Knights of Honor, toI which in life Mir, Gray had attached himself, and had been an active work ing member.
 Until recently MT. Gray was en- gagged in the mercantile business. For many years he was identified with the firm of Johnson and Forbes as gen eral manager. Within late years. heI branched out in business for himself.
 Considerable surprise was occasioned when his failure was announced few weeks ago. After spirited fight in the federal court, he was declared bankrupt
 Mir Gray, 1t is said by his friends. was one of the most conscientious of men and they declare that financial troubles upset his reason.
 Sunday afternoon, after acting queer ly causing the suspicion that he would attempt self destructions he started to Cottage Hill to spend some time with his relatives residing there When the train had passed station known as Olive MT. Gray walked calmly to the rear of the car stood as if surveying the landscape for a time and then. passengers state, suddenly leaped from the rear platform. At the first this was regarded as an attempt at suicide but was so mentioned only as street talk.
 Though bruised. Mir. Gray's leap from the train was without serious hurt.
 Mir Gray, yesterday afternoon, ap- parently in the best of spirits, request as he desired to go into the woods for a hunting expedition of an hour or two. Ills relatives had feared that he had had designs upon his own life, but when the simple request was made for the weapon. the fears for the time had been forgotten. The gun was pro- vided and Mir. Gray started for the woods Two shots were fired in quick succession, and one of his relatives heard them. This relative rushed to the spot and found Mir. Gray sitting with his back to a tree, and the weap- | on between his knees
 Examination showed that the sui eide had been deliberately planned. | Seating himself at the foot of the tree, l he mad aimed the weapon at his head. l the first shot. for some reason. had gone wild in it's course. while the sec | ond had torn away the breastbone. making large and jagged hole in the chest
 A bush. almost directly fin line with his head had been cut away by the first shot
 The coroner was summoned imme- diately and viewed the body as 1t lay In the woods A search was made, and 1 Deputy Sheriff Smith found a note in | the dead mans pockets. This note | which was addressed to his wife gavel his reasons for the act, principal | among which wts business reverses. The note was written in the plain, steady business hand of the dead. and went to show that 1t was deliberateI suicide.
 Yesterday morning. Mir Gray had met and conversed with Deputy Sher- if Smith, with whom he was friendly Tn that conversation, no reference to a suicidal attempt was made. but rath- er 1t took the form of q jest at Mir. Trays fortune in falling off the train being killed. In the letter found on his person after death, how ever, the leap from the train was de- ,lared to have been an attempt to end his troubles.
 Mir. Gray came to this city some years ago from Georgia and had a wide acquaintance. especially with the men. He was a member of he First Baptist Church and had five children, all of who are residing with heir mothef in Pensacola. R. M. sray, formerly resident of Geneva. Ala. is his father. and he also resides n this city. Mir Gray has relatives in