The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1905-01-12
JOSEPH Villas COMMITS SUICIDE.

| a complication of incurabe diseases and
despairing of all hope for recovery, ex-
Mayor Joseph Villas, one of the most
prominent and wealthy residents of
Manitowoc, and for a half a century
closely identified with its commercial
interests AID material advancement
committed suicide at his palatial home
on North Eighth street at an early hour
Saturday morning by firing bullet
from 32 calibre revolver into his brain.
Mr. Villas was 70 years of age and had
suffered from l-health for years, des-
pondency brought on by his physical
sufferings being the supposed cause OF
his tragic end. The tragedy was not
discovered until shortly after o'clock
Saturday morning, when Mrs Charles
Brandt, Who had gone into the room to
call him, found him lying dead in his
bed with revolver tightly clenched in
his right hand. Physicians We're i'm
mediately summoned and they expressed
| lut oliiliOIl iIdt Illt Dit oVCh tAtiiN
several hours previously. Charles Brandt
and Grover Keller who occupy rooms
in the residence of the deceased, had
gone out but few minutes before the
deed was discovered wholly unaware
of the fact that shocking tragedy had
darkened the palatial home few hours
previously No one in the house had
heard the report of the revolver, which
had evidently been fired while Mr.. Villas
Law in his bed. 1t is thought that death
resulted almost instantaneously. The
news of the tragedy spread with rapidity
throughout the city and came as a shock
to the public Flags were placed at half
mast on public buildings as a symbol of
public mourning.
Chief Pierce impaneled jury con
sistin,. of the following named men: w.
| =. Urbanek, f. T. Zentner, o. A. Alter
Charles Salak. Sr. w. +. Ohde, and
r. II. Markham. The inquest was held
at the home Of the deceased, the jury ren-
dering verdict that Mr. Villas had
come TO his death from a bullet from u
revolver fired by himself During the
last few months prior to his sad end Mr.
Villas had been under the care of a
physician most of the time. About 3
o cl, elk on the morning of the tragedy
Grover Keller, who occupies IA room
adjoining Mr. Vilas bed room, Was
awakened by groans seeming to emanate
from Mr.. Villas room. He listened for
a time and then. rs the sounds We're not
repeated, gave no further attention to
what he had heard, but went to sleep
| When he arose a few hours later, he
attended to the usual chores ard then
left the house without going to the roCm
occupied by Mr.. Villas Charles Brandt
went about the same time and IA little
later Mrs. Brandt, having received no
reply to call, entered Villas room and
found the dead body of Mr.. Villas in his
bed. with his head and shoulders reclin
ing on a pillow, a wound in his right
temple and revolver tightly clutched
in his right hand. 1t is thought that
Mr.. Villas fired the fatal shot while
sitting upright in bed and that his body
assumed the reclining position when he
was breathing his last cfter the shot had
been fired. The evidence brought out
|
before the coroners Jury seemed to in
dicate that the deed was committed at
about 3 o'clock in the morning Of the
day mentioned
The deceased was born at Ogdensburg,
n. Y, March 3lst. 1892 He was a scion
of the family of Peter Villas, founded in
1114. He obtained his preliminary
education at the Ogdensburg academy.
After completing the academy course, he
entered the Union college at Schenectady,
n. Y, from which institution he gradu-
ated in 1852, when he was twenty years
of age. He then came to Wisconsin
TO visit his sister, Mrs. Platt, al Manito
voc. At the time of his arrival he had
no intention of remaining; but after he
had been here for few weeks, he de
cided to make Manitowoc his permanent
home, for he was quick to see and appre-
ciate the opportunities offered here for
prosperous career. For two years he
taught school. Later he was employed
as "a clerk in the store conducted by Mr..
Platt and soon after this he was admitted
as a member of the firm a few years
latter the firm of Villas and Barnes was
established. At the time of the civil
war Mr. Villas served as draft commits
sioner His services in this capacity
were so highly appreciated that he was
presented with costly gold watch by
citizens. This gift was always treas
ured by him.
Mr. Villas was a prominent democratic
politician throughout his entire life. In
1859 he was elected to the state senate
serving one term. In 1868 he was elected
village president In 1866 he was pres
ident of the harbor board here and, in
that capacity, at the close of the civil
war, he was instrumental in securing u
large appropriation from the government
for the construction of the harbor piers.
His services to the marine interests of
this city We're highly appreciated.
On July 4, 1854 he was married to
Miss NJ. Platt, who passed away four
years ago One son was born to them,
Joseph StillwelI Villas, Dec. y, ls5s'
and he and one sister, Mrs. Morse