The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-08-08
We'll Known Man, Residing
Near Dublin, Fires Two
Bullets Into Brain.
NOT EXPECTED TO LIVE.
WHITAKER HAD BEEN ACTING
STRANGELY OF LATE AND is
SAID TO HAVE THREATENED TO
TAKE HIS LIFE.

Dublin, Ind, Aug. S.-An attempt
ed suicide, which will in all probab-
ility result in the death of the would
be-suicide, is stirring the community
of Dublin. AS it is, James Whitaker,
aged in the neighbornood of so years,
is lying at his home a half mile NORTH
of Dublin with two bullets in his head.
one embodied at the base of the brain
and another under the right eye. Both
wounds were inflicted by 32 caliber
revolver. DR.. w. r. Little of Cam
bridge City, who was called after the
shooting had taken place stated that
Whitaker could not live and that it
was a singular and unusual fact that
he had not killed himself outright
Whitaker owns a small piece of
ground on which he raises garden
truck and small fruit for the local
market This morning he arose and
went about with his regular routine
of work. About o'clock he brought
some black berries which he had
picked to Dublin and disposed of them
returning home.
Martha Frazer, a cousin of Whit
takers who resides with him noticed
that he was acting uueerly and saw
that he went to the bureau drawer
where he kept his pistol. However,
she did not give it second thought
and in few minutes the report of
the revolver being fired twice startl-
ed her. She ran out to the berry
patch to discover that Whitaker had
shot himself in the forehead in two
places, directly over the eyes The
neighbors were alarmed and the
wounded man was carried into the
house. DR.. Littel was hastily sum-
moned and he attempted to extricate
the bullets but was unable to locate
them. Whitaker was conscious and
talked in rambling manner about |
going out to thresh, for he had promis- |
ed his services for the afternoon to |
assist neighbor in the wheat field |
He was able to tell why he had COM
mitted the deed, saying that he was |
discouraged with living.
Has Peculiar Habits.
Whitaker is man of very peculiar |
habits. He was always of quiet ma
ture and had little to say to any one. |
Although he was wont to take an oc-
a habitual drinker 1t is thought by |
many that his shooting of himself was
the outcome of insanity which has |
apparently been growing on the man. |
His father before him went insane /
and died in the insane asylum. The /
Insanity is evidently hereditary.
About six years ago after the death |
of his mother, Whittaker's cousin.
Martha Frazer, who is about his own
age. came from Michigan to live with
him. The couple apparently got along
smoothly together. The Frazer wo-
man had previously been married to
a man by the name of Prots. When
she came to live with Whitaker her
aged mother accompanied her but
since has died
Mrs. Frazer was given much credit
by those who knew her for the wav
in which she Strengthened ND the
place, planting flowers and making
things comfortable and home like.
she says she can see no reason for
Whitaker taking his own life as ev-
erything was flourishing and they
were saving some money. For sever
al days. so she claims, Whitaker
has been going to the drawer where
the revolver was kept and acting
strangely but she never suspected his
purpose. although outside parties
claim that he has been threatening
TO do the deed for some time
The fact that the man is able to talk
and at this time is apparently suffer-
ing no pain is very unusual oc-
currence. II is scarcely probable that
he will live to recover from his
wounds.
Jimmy, as he was known to every
Dne. was liked by every one who
knew him and if the man had an en-
emy 1t was never made known.
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