The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-12
A COOL SUICIDE
Plans His Death With
Strange DeIiberation.
An Indiana Boy at Bingham School
Hangs Himself. The Cause Sup
posed to Have Been Home
sickness.
Especial to News and Observer.


Asheville, \. c.. Jan. Oscar y.
Whitaker of Paragon, Ind, aged
seventeen years, a student of Bingham
School committed suicide last night
lin Victoria by hanging himself with Il
half inch cotton rope tC a small white
oak tree. The only reason assigned
by those who knew the boy and by
Col. Bingham is that he was home
sick Sometime after O'Clock this
morning seeEral small negro children
while going toward the southern .tall-
way tracks from the town of Victoria.
saw an object hanging to Il tree III the
woods surrounding Victoria Inn and
about two hundred yards from That
place. The children became frighten-
ed, and goin" to the home of j. r.
Nichols. Il short distance from the
place, Informed that gentleman of the
find Mr.. Nichols in company with 9
boy named Earl HoldingGWorth, who
had also heard The screams of the
children and had followed them, went
to the scene Of the hanging. Reaching
the place Mr.. Nichols saw that the OBJ
jert was man, and telling the Hold
ngsWorth boy to remain nearby went
70 the Glen Rock Hotel and notified
Sheriff Reed. This officer went to the
scene and Immediately took official
charge OF the case lie cut the rope
and ascertaIned that the man was
dead, searched the pockets for all ef-
fectS and send ing a messenger to Z
nearby phone summoned Hare Bard 4
loC to take charge Of the remains.
Repchin@ the city with the corose
the sheriff notified Coroner Hemp
bill at Arden. and that officer arrived
shortly after Il O'Clock and held an
nuucst this afternoon.
The suicide of young Whitaker was
evidently planned with minute care
lend executed in a mcthodical manner.
,Jhe place selected by the Indiana boy
.or ending his life is a thckly wooded
spot closc to a tail leading from the
main Victoria road to the tracks of the
Southern Railway and some two han
,lred yards from Victoria Inn. The rope
usc dwas Of new cotton and every pre-
Icaution was taken by the intended
suicide to prevent an accident or mis-
carriage OF his plans. Upon reaching
the woods and the tree selected. q
small white oak with several limbs rot
far from the ground Whitaker re-
moved his collar and tie and together
placed them near the base of the tree"
The rope was then doubled and q run
ming moose formed and placed about
his neck. He climbed the tree Ia
IN b some ten feet from the ground,
;tuG with his feet on another small
dead limb tied the rope around the
upper limb in q secure manner. There
was too much rope. however. and the
ends not in use were thrown across
another short limb and the body of the
tree. Young Whitaker then placed
both hands deep into his trousers pock
cts and jumped into space.
2 the inquest Col. Bingham testified
that Whitaker was brought here by
his father last Tuesday aud placed i'll
school. that the hoy became hOmesick
and dcspondent and that when he
failed to respond to retreat last ev-
.cning Gel. Bingham supposed that
Whitaker had run away and this
lnurning notified his father 10 send
him back if the cadet returned to his
home in Indiana. The cadet when
brought here had Just recovered from
an attack of illness.
\ telegram was received this even
ing from j. G. Whitaker, Of Paragon,
Iud., father Of the dead boy, directing
that the body of his son be shipped