West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-01-04

A Prominent Local Boy Ends Life
with The New Year by
Blowing Out His
Brains.


Wilson Martin, the we'll known
clerk for Mrs. S. +. Nuzum's Palace
grocery, was found dead in his
room ct the home of Mrs. Mary A.
Abbott on High street, this morn.
ing with bullet hole through his
right temple. While his many
friends can hardly believe him
guilty of taking his own life, the
case indicates suicide.
Shortly after midnight Sunday
night the young man was talking
with his roommate and cousin, Der.
nard L. Martin, night clerk at the
Marietta Hotel. He appeared de.
spondent and intimated that he was
seriously thinking of taking such a
step. His friend and roommate
told him to stop talking in that
manner and to brace up. He soon
left and said he was going to his
room.
Mr.. b. l.. Martin wondered at
such talk on the part of Wilson and
this morning when he failed to APP
pear down town became very un-
easy. AT 8 O'Clock the young man
had not yet appeared and Bernard
went to the room on High street to
see about him. There he was found
lying across the bed and at once
Bernard decided that he had com.
mitted suicide. DR.. ID. p. Fitch
was Immediately called and then
the young man was found to be
dead, the bullet having entered his
right temple. Lying on the floor
near his feet was the revolver which
had done the work.
Just as the bells and whistles were
proclaiming the New Year, Mr..
Wilson Martin. probably one of the
best known and most popular young
men of the town, walked to the desk
at the Marietta Hotel, where his
| cousin and roommate Bernard l..
Martin is night clerk.
cit is good time to end il all.
l am going home and to bed. 7
may never wake up; don't care If
1 DON'T" he said.
Bernard Immediately shamed his
cousin for such a remark, stating
that ii he had no further use for
his own life he should be consider.
ate of his mother and family.
After a few more words Wilson
left the hotel and went to his room
at the boarding house of Mrs. Mary
A. Abbott, at No. at High street.
Following his departure Mr.. Ber-
nard Martin could not get the con-
versation from his mind. The fact
that Wilson had been respondent
for several days was brought back
to him forcibly and he worried over
his conversation all night. At one
time he had almost made up his
mind to call up Mrs. Abbott and
have her look into Wilson's room.
Early this morning Bernard made
two trips TO the Palace grocery
II
store, where Wilson was employed,
to see If he had reported for work.
Becoming alarmed at his non-ap-
pearance, his cousin went to his
room to only meet with a hor-
ribly shocking sight.
There lying fully dressed across
the foot of his bed with his head
resting in a pool of blood lay the
body of Wilson. On the floor be-
tween his feet was a 3z.caliber re-
yolver. In his left hand was half
burned cigar This and the gaping
wound in the right temple told the
story OF how this young man, liked
by all who knew him, but unhappy
through ill-fortune had heard the
glad tidings of the New Year ring
out, and then quietly and alone had
placed the pistol TO his temple and
pulled the trigger.
1t was all over in a moment
The bullet went crashing through
the brain and out of the left temple.
Possibly few drops of blood
gushed over his clothes before he
fell. The pistol dropped to the
floor and he fell back upon the bed
dead.
No one heard the shot fred, In
ABIDING rooms members of the Ab.
Abbott family slept, little knowing
what a terrible tragedy had been
enacted so near by.
Coroner Amos was called for, but
II was some hours before he could
be located. In the meantime
number of sorrowing friends called
at the house.
Coroner Amos was called and
after viewing the body concluded
that it was a plain case of suicide
and that 1t would not be necessary
to hold an inquest Immediately
after the coroner left the body was
removed to the undertaking rooms