The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-07-21
OF Robert Keith Dargan, OF OAR
lington Who Deliberately
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
His Brother Said to Have Been Present
When lie Took the Poison. lie
Left Written Statement Of
the Cause of the Act.
And a Letter.

A dispatch from Darlington to The
State says Mr.. Robert Keith Dargan,
formerly president Of the Independent
OIL company and Of the Darlington
Trust company, committed suicide be.
tweed and o'clock on Tuesday night
Of last week by taking carbolio acid.
Mr.. Dargan was on thu streets Tues.
day afternoon and appeared In this
usual manner. He had been reticeDt
since the recent trouble Of the large
concerns Of which he had been the
head, and Tuesday afternoon he made
appointments to meet several gentle.
men later in the evening, one Of these
being Mr.. w. It. Dargan, who states
that Mr.. Il. *. Dargan told him he
would 60 to Mr.. w. e. Bargains Office
within an hour from the time they
were talking.
A dispatch to The State says there
were no developments at Darlington
Wednesday following the tragic death
of Mr. Robert Keith Dargan by his
own hand Friday night. Tho tragedy,
and the circumstances leading up to
it, were the almost sole topic OF con
versatiOn on the streets, in stores and
ofllces during the entire day. 1t has
been raining all day long and business
seems to be almost at u Standstlll. In
almost every protected place can be
seen group Of men, all discussing In
hushe voices the one subject that
seems to be on all minds. The coroner's
inquest, which WAS to have been held
Wednesday morning, was postponed
6a ot u
in order that Mr.. Pegram Dargan. the
most important witness, would not be
required to leave the house of mourn
ing until after the funeral.
The circumstances of the suicide
all indicate that 1T was most deliber
ately planned. There has been no tes
timony and no statement concerning
what transpired In the law flee where
'-.-r.ss DafganG TOOK MS life litts been given
out, but the faots, as gathered from
reliable men, are that Mr.. Pegram
Dargan went into the drug store Of L..
B. Phillips some time between and
6 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon and
bought the four ounces Of carbolic
acid. He was alone and did not 90 in
the direction Of the law Office when he
left. The two brothers, Mr.. Pegram
Dargan and Mr.. Robert Keith Dargan,
went to the law Office OF their father
opposite the Darlington Guards armory
building before 8 O'Clock and locked
themselves in. One Of them poured
out most Of the four ounces Of acid in
a glass and the rest he poured in a
small bowl and mixed about gill OF
rye whiskey with it, This CONGO ction
was TO be used to deaden the pain from
the raw acid but only part Of it, II
any, was taken, as the bowl, which is
in the possession Of the coroner, still
contains a small quantity.
After a portion had been taken Mr..
Dargan remained In the room with his
brother until life was extinct and then
notified their cousin, Mr.. W. F. Oar
gan, who in turn quickly called DR..
Edwards, but their arrival was too
late for human aid. The suicide had
left brief statement which stated
that he had ended his own life and
that his brother had procured the (here
he made dash) and that he may have
mismanaged but he was not a coward
He also left letter which was not ad.
dressed but Is said to have been for his
wife. Robert Keith Dargan was born
In 1866. He was a son OF Mr.. E. Keith
Dargan, the dean Of the Darlington
bar, successful lawyer and man Of
the highest character, a Confederate
soldier who served as an ofli cer Of ar.
tillery in the corps Of Stonewall Jack.
son. The mother Of Mr.. r.. x. Oar.
gan before her marriage was Miss
: Elizabeth Woods, a sister OF Associate
Justice O. A. Woods OF the supreme
court. The sui jsct Of this sketch
graduated from Wofford college anC
was afterwards admitted to the bal
and practiced for a short time with
his father. After an interim Of retire
ment from active business on account
OF nervous breakdown, ne accepted
clerical position with the Darlington
Phosphate company and exhibited
such a remarkable capacity for bust
ness that he was made general manag
er Of the company.