The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-08-01
HUNTINGTON D|ESI
SON TRIES SUICIDE
TRAGEDY AT VERSAILLES HAS
GROWN MORE SHOCKING.
GLOOM OVER THE CITY
Henry, Who Shot Brothers and Sis
tiers, Attempts to stransle
Himself In His
jail Cell.

Versailles, July 30.-The death OF
the aged American soldier himself and
an attempt at self-destruction on the
part of his son Henry. who sh his
sisters and brothers on Sunday in the
last hours of his dying father. impart-
ed additional sadness Monday, to the
shocking tragedy In the home Of Maj.
Henry A. Huntington, which has
caused sensation in the American
colony and diplomatic circles Of
France.
Mai. Huntington died Monday even
ing shortly after the news was given
out of his son Henry's unsuccessful
attempt at suicide, but the father was
spared the anguish Of knowledge both
of this incident and of the terrible
crime which shattered his household,
as he was unconscious to the end.
The Frustrated widow, the daughter
Edith and the son Douglas, whose
slight wounds permitted them to pay
the last honors to the dying man,
were present in the chamber when
the end came. .......
... Henry Attempts Suicide. ...
According to the police, Henry at
tempted suicide In his cell with silk
handkerchief, which he tied round his
neck and fastened to the bars, seeking
to strangle himself slowly by means
Of a tourniquet The jailer, who had
been instructed to watch the prisoner
closely, detected the act In time to
prevent serious results.
The swift sequence Of tragic Incl
dents in the Huntington family. which
is one Of the best known here, has
cast a gloom over Versailles. Though
plunged in grief at the death Of the
head of the household, the mother and
children have had time to interpret
Henry's effort at self-destruction as
additional evidence of the mental ir-
responsibility which they say he has
manifested for long time in certain
directions.
Insanity or Remorse2
His wife, however, declares that 1t
was the natural result Of remorse at
the dreadful acts which he committed
In a sudden outburst Of uncomfortable
fury at the interference of his brothers
when he hurried to, the bedside of his
dying father.
The French judicial authorities feel
that searching probes alone will bring
out the exact happenings In the Hunt
ington villa which antedated the shoot
ing.
On the subject of Just what occur
red on the night of the tragedy, there
is conflict between the story Of the
Huntington family and the statement
Henry's wife says he made to her, but
both agree that the man was carried
away by passion which unbalanced his
mind.
.... AIonzo Likely to Die.
The condition of Alonzo, who was
shot in the head, and Elizabeth, who
was shot in the region of the heart, is
serious. Alonzo it is believed will
die. They are being treated in their
home. Edith, who was wounded in
the arm, and Douglas, whose head
was grazed by a bullet, are not seri-
ously hurt. ..
No direct message from the prisoner
has come from the jail. except letter
sent to the manager Of the hotel
where his wife is staying, praying him
to send information as to the condi-
tion of the members Of his family.
Il beseech you," the prisoner wrote,
"in the name of humanity send me
news of my wife and father and those
! have wounded In the madness of my
despair"