The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-05-06
E. W. HUFFCUT
A SUICIDE
Governor Hughes Legal Ad.
wiser Shoots Himself
FROM STRESS OF POLITICS
0verworked to Perfect State Legs.
lative Measures, Eminent Law.
yer, Kills Himself

NEW YORK. May G-The stress OF
politics as practiccd at Albany, II Is
said, caused the suicide at an early
hour In the morning ON board the
steamer Charles W. Morse Of Ernest
Wilson Huffcut. the personal friend
and legal adviser OF Governor Hughes,
who shot Himself In the head.
Overworked through his ceaseless eff
forts 10 perfect the public utilities bill
aud other measures upon which much
OF the success Of the governors adj
mlnlstration will depend and worried
nj the tactics shown In the case Of
Otto Kelsey. state insurance superln-
tendcnt, whom the governor insisted
should he removed. MIR. Huffcut be-
came mentally unbalanced.
That his work ON the public utilities
bill broke down his mind none Of Mr..
Huffcuts friends doubt lie practical
~ undertook the entire work VI per
fectinp this hill himself. lie was con-
suited as 10 every detail. prepared the
answers 10 all the arguments OF the
corporations against the bill aud In ad-
dition was delegated by the governor
closely Ia scrutinize all bills lntroduc.
ed in the assembly 10y the notorious
Black Horse cavalry. To Mr.. Huffcut
the governor had delegated the task
OF finding all the ''jokers" aud Of al,
vlslng him Of the actual merits Of
each blll.
To perform the manifold duties 90
which he had been assigned occupied
all Of Mr.. Hutfcut's time. lie gave up
all social life and spent from sixteen
10 twenty hours n day examining lex.
islation or preparing Il 10 meet the
Views Of Governor Hughes.
To his oyertaxed brain the Kelsey
defeat came as a crushing blow. ON
Friday he IN known "a have told his
friends that he feared the combina.
ton at Albany would be- too strong for
the governor ant. that the adnlnistra-
flon would b. unable to accomplish
anything. He did not conflde these
fears 10 the governor. with whom he
talked NJ late as Friday afternoon at
5 o'clock. lie was apparently cheer
fui and hopeful NJ this Interview and
readily made an appointment TO meet
Governor Hughes and his party at the
Hotel Astor In New York nj noon ON
Saturday. II was arranged that the
governor should come down ON an
early morning train and that Mr. Hun.
cut should come down by the steam.
boat Charles W. Morse. which leaves
Albany about \ o'clock nj night.
Il believe the long nights sleep In
the boat will do me good" Mr.. Hufcut
told the governor when the plans were
being discussed.
Il shall have n chance a. get In n
full nights sleep without disturbance"
Mr.. Huffcut continued.
Mr.. Huficut boarded the steamboat
shortly before = O'Clock as he had plan.
ned and was assigned 90 stateroom No.
"a. He went Immediately 20 his state
room and spent the time until midnight
I'm writing n letter 10 his sister. Miss
Lillian Huffcut Of New York. aud an
other 20 the coroner OF New York
and In sleeping. How long he slept no
one on the boat knows. but the berth
showed In the morning that II had
been occupied. He left the stateroom
between ~ O'Clock aud midnight.
mr.. Huffcurs acti0Hs excited no sus.
plcion. The officers aud crew believe
that Mr.. Huncut shot himself some
time between I and 2 O'Clock In the
morning. When the member Of the
crew who saw AFR. IIuffcul Ut O'Clock
passed that way again about 2 o'clock
he was not In sight. Nothing more was
secn or heard Of him until the steam.
boat was warped 10 lts pier nj Z O'Clock
In the morning. After the boat had
been made fast 20 the pier Second
Mate Joseph Egan went 10 the upper
deck 70 supcrIntend tire removal Of
chairs piled ON the deck. lie climbed
up on the stack Of chair. and was sur.
prlsed 10 see n passenger apparently
asleep. The passenger was sitting up
In chair. his feet comfortably propped
up In another and his head bent for.
ward on his chest. Mate Egan shouted
90 awaken the man. Getting no an.
swer. he climbed over the chairs aud
saw that the man was dead.
The letter which Mr.. IIuffnut had
written 20 his sister read M follows:
Dear slsier-f left Ithaca tonight and
decided u take my body down 10 you N
You will attend 90 that for me. N you
have any difflculty call on my old friend
DE L.. who will assist you.
I am going down the river and am en-
joying the prospects % going out 10 sea
The ashes I leave behind may b. disposed
of AZ present NJ the others prefer. bal
eventually you alone will take them q
East Lawn, and don't permit AIRY public
services 10 be held over my body
I was never 20 glad a. rest In my life
We must be- quiet and live 10. havs
been thinking all o. the way down tbs
river of the sweet lines
Sweet after toll II sleep.
Then wherefore sorrow for him whs
sleeps
And will no, wake tomorrow
0oodby. ! don't want you or any o
the others 10 be troubled about this. I've
really postponed u often on account o
others. but this time 7 am doing Y. Afiei
way Of escape You must stay and q,
what is necessary. Anectionalsly,.
ERNEST.
The funeral will take place at Bling
hsmton. N. ". today, aud presIdcn