The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-10-17
FRANK 7. HUNT =
SHOT HIMSELF
Was Formerly a Resident of
BrOOkingS County.
JEALOUSY OF Wife LEADS TO DIVORCE
BrOOding Over Misfortune Caused
Him to Kill Himself

From the Grand Junction, (Colo.)
Daily News we get the news o. the
death by suicide of Frank r. Hunt a
former well known citizen of tnIs
county. Mr.. Hunt lived in Alton town.
ship, northeast OF this city, for a num-
ber of years. and sold out about twelve
years ago and went to Delta. Colo,
where his death occurred He was
very well known in this city. as he
did all OF his trading here. Both he
and his wife We're greatly respected,
and the news of his death by suicide
Will be received with surprise by his
old friends here
The following account of his death
is from a dispatch to the Grand juno
ton Daily News from Delta:
I'm a fit of despondency following
two weeks after the secret granting
of divorce to his wife, Frank r. Hunt,
mayor OF Delta and n leading business
man of the town, last night committed
suicide by shooting himself through
the head. The body was discovered
by messenger who had been sent
to his rooming house to ascertain
why he had not appeared at the store
Failing to get response he called
the landlord who forced an entrance.
The corpse was lying on the bed partly
dressed. A revolver was grasped In
his right hand.
A note scrawled I'm lead pencil on a
piece of wrapping paper was pinned
to the pillow and read:
DR. and Will: | can't stand the
strain on me; it's dreadful but there
Is no one to care now
Frank"
The Doctor and VIII to whom May
or Hunt wrote the letter are DR.. A. Fl.
Stockham and William b. Stockham,
his partners in the hardware business.
Hunt was 80 years old and one of the
best liked and most respected citizens
in the community. He had lived here
for twelve years. Hunt was deeply in
love with his wife, but since she OBJ
tanned divorce he has not been him
self He brooded over the separation
and appeared heart broken.
He Is reported to have said that he
could not live without her. In the d.
vorce complaint Mrs. Hunt charged
cruelty. The action was brought on
the general grounds by agreement.
Hunt did not contest the case and the
decree was granted secretly.
'It broke my heart but we could
not get along so | decided the best we
could do was to get divorce said
Mrs. Hunt today According to friends
there were no grounds for the divorce,
Mrs. Hunt was of a jealous nature
and suspected her husband of paying
too much attention to other women
but, according to her friends, this was
all imagination. Mayor aunt used
3S caliber revolver which ne took from
the stock of his store for the purpose
of ending his life.
During the past month Mrs. Grace
Elliott, wife of a prominent business
man and daughter of the mayor made
several Intellectual attempts to effect
reconciliation and have him remarry
his divorced wife. Hunt always de-
clined to consider the matter and each
time he and his daughter parted i'm
anger. At least two times Hunt ended
the meeting by saying he would end
his troubles by committing suicide
Mayor Hunt attended regular meet.
ing of the council last night and ap-
peared in his usual spirits. He then
went to his room above the First
National bank. This was the last time
he was seen alive.
When the body was found this morn
ing the muzzle of the gun was still
in his mouth. The bullet had passed
entirely through his head coming out
the back. Hunt leaves a fortune es-
timated at 100000 He came here
from Brookings, S. D., and became in
terested in the First National Bank
and for a time was Il director in that
institution. He was a heavy stock
holder in the bank at the time of his
death. He was married I'm Harvard,
H., and has brother, Charles Hunt
living there
Besides his divorced wife. Hunt is
survived by two daughters, and two
sons. Mayor Hunt was serving his Sc
cond term having been elected last
spring on the Business Mems ticket
He was member of the Presbyterian
church and a number of secret orders