The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-19
SUICIDES BODY
FOUND IN WOODS
Remains Of Norman j..
Oliver Identified BY
His Wife.
DEAD NEARLY
FIVE MONTHS
Dependency Supposed to Have
Led Him to End His Life.
The Body Discovered by
Hunter Between Forest
Hill and Belt
Line.

Dccomposcd SO far that 1t was un-
recognizable. the body OF a white man
was found yesterday morning in the
woods between Forest Hill Park and
the Belt Line Railroad, and was later
In the day Identified by Mrs. N. ].
oliver, OF 1l17 North Twenty-third
street. as that of her husband. who
had disappeared from home on April
30th.
The discovery OF the corpse was
made by Mr.. w. r. Brown. of Swans
boro. who was out hunting at the
time. The body was lying beneath a
pile OF brushwood. Oliver had com
mi,ted suicide, and he had laid his
plans SO we'll for secreting his body
from the curious gaze that 1t had lain
hidden from human view for four and
a half months. Identification was made
by means OF the watch found on tho
dead mans person, on which were en-
graved the initials IN. j. o." for Nor
man j. Oliver.
Certain 1t Was Suicide.
Mrs. Oliver, wife OF the dead man.
who was seen last night, was OF the
unqualified opinion that her husband
had committed suicide, though the
Chesterfield county authorities at first
suspected foul play. "A vial formerly
had missed from the house. was found
lying but few feet from the corpse
1t Is thought that 1t originally con-
talncd carbolic acid. though Mrs. OIL
yer thinks that her husband died from
laudannm. Money amounting to sl.03
WAS also found In n pocket.
The "details leading up TO and form
Ing the suicidal intent of hr. Oliver.
are pathetic in the extreme. He was
nj he
been married but two months and
half. the marriage taking place on Feb
ruary 18th. Ten days after the we'd
ding his arm was crushed In an ac-
eident at the Locomotive Works. where
he was employed. and his inability TO
work led TO a deep despondency. The
syoungl man WAS naturally, 1t seems, OF
q rather gloomy disposition, for about
month before the actual deed ne
arose one morning from the table and
left his wife with the avow-ed inten-
ton of jumping from the Belt Line
Bridge.
Mrs. oliver passed 1t by with jest.
never thinking that he would really
carry out his intention, and. as matters
were, he returned. saying with smile
that he had taken the car to Seventh
and Broad Streets, walked about the
streets while, and then took the
car home AT another time. without
any apparent reason, he handed MS
watch 20 his wiee and told her to give
II to her son. Walter Larkin. and ask
him to wear 1t for him. and then said
that she would never see him again
Disappeared In April.
On Tuesday morning. APRIL 30th. he
went out a few minutes after O'Clock,
saving that he wouldn't be back Mrs.
oliver jokingly told him to go out.
but to return soon to breakfast. which
she was then preparing. She never
saw him again. His disappearance
caused her great uneasiness. city
detective was employed. and then Mrs.
Oliver employed private detective to
aid in the search. all without avail.
But for the accidental finding of the
body by hunter she would probably
have remained forever unaware of his
tate
Due to Dependency.
No other reason, Mrs Oliver stated.
could have led her husband to sui
clue. His domestic life was happy; he
was well-off financially, for he drew
accident insurance and half pay from
the Locomotive Works. The condition
Of his arm, coupled with a nervous
temperament, seems to have been the
only cause that could have led him
to take hsIlife. Why he should go
20 far from home cannot be explained.
except that 1t might have been that
he wished to relieve the family of all
embarrassment by dying away from
home. So far as can be learned. no
one saw him on his way to Forest
Hill. Alone in the woods, unseen by
human eye, he drank the poison and
then laid down to die.
WIS Third Husband.
Norman oliver was the third hus-
band of his wife. Her first husband
by whom she had three children, Wal
ter, aged eighteen, and Alma and
Lena, was named Larkin, and her sec
ond husband was William M. j Johnson
oliver was originally from Suffolk
and had been in Richmond but foul
years. Both his parents are dead, but
he Is survived by several brothers anc
sisters, one Of them. Charles Oliver
living on Twenty-seventh Street Ht
was member OF Jefferson Council. No
81. Jr. o. U. A. NJ
The funeral will take place at I
e'clock this afternoon from the under
taking establishment of Il. "A. Bowen
In Manchester, where the body was
taken soon after It's discovery, and In
lerment will be in Lakewood Cemetery
Members Of Jefferson Council will as
semble at 3 o'clock at Dabney's Hall
Third and Broad Streets, to pay thei
tribute of respect to tho dead
VERY LARGE TOMATO CROP