Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-22
KILLS HIMSELF.
Suicide Of Charles s,
Leighton by Shooting
Early Tuesday Morning In
Manchester, Near Augusta.
Prosperous Farmer Takes His Life
Through Dependency.

Charles S. Leighton. aged IS, shot
himself through the body with fatal re-
suits Tuesday morning in the field of
Fred w. Snow, about a mile from his
own home Mr.. Leighton, who was
unmarried, lived with his aged mother
on the family place on the so-called
avenue at the Electric Road station
known as Whitten's The farm is in
Augusta, and Mr.. Shows farm which
adjoins it is in Manchester on the Mt
Vernon road which leads to the Allen
hill ncighborhood.
1t is supposed the deed was com
mitted early in the morning but the
body was not found until shortly after
noon when it was discovered by Rus
sell Snow, the 10-year-o son of Mr..
Snow 1t was lying under a scrub
apple tree close to the stone wall and
directly across the highway from Mr.
SHOWS house. The boy gave the alarm
and the neighbors who gathered at
once sent q telephone call to Coroner
Henry w. Pumnier. The body was
left untouched, with the straw hat and
revolver lying beside it. 1t was with
out coat or vest. From its position
1t was not at once recognized as the
body Of Mr.. Leighton and at first the
word went in to the city that an I'M
known man had been found dead, but
it was not long before the identity of
the unfortunate man was known.
Coroner Plummer was in Sidney at
tending funeral but was reached by
telephone and arrived at the scene of
the tragedy at o'clock 1t was so
plainly case of suicide that no in
quest was deemed necessary. There
We're two bullet holes, little to the
right of the heart and somewhat lower
down. They We're on the median line
and one was about an inch above the
other. The shirt and undershirt had
been unfastcned and turned aside be-
fore the shots We're fired, showing the
careful dcliberation with which the
deed had been planned The revolver
was of the hammerlcss type 80 cali
brc, with one empty chamber and two
used and two unused cartridges Not
only had two shots been fired, but he
hammer had been snapped on a third
Shell without exploding it, In one of
the pockets of the trousers worn by
Mr.. Leighton were found half a dozen
/
or letter giving any reason for the
decd
The Snow family recall that during
the breakfast hour Tuesday morning
Il noise was heard like the firing of a
revolver. but somebody remarked that
| it was probably some children of the
neighborhood exploding firccrackt rs
and nothing more was thought of the
matter until Russell Snow happened
to cross the road and found the body
half Il dozen hours later. The condi-
ton of the shoes indicated that Mr.
Leighton had walked through the grass
when it was wet with the heavy dew,
and it is supposed that he came
through the fields from his home at
an early hour as he left home then
and was not seen later.
| He ana Mr. Snow were close friends
| and on Monday he was at Mr.. Snow $
| for a long call Mr.. Snow recalls that
he was more Respondent than usual in
| his talk, though for some time he has
| been blue and melancholy to an extent
| that it has been commonly remarked
! upon by his friends and ncighbors In
| the woods through which he must have
| of Mr.. Snow a man committed suicide
| by hanging close to half a century ago.
Mr.. Leighton vas a man of excellent
character and was we'll liked by all who
| knew him. He and his mother lived
| on one of the best farms in that part
| of Augusta, though since his fathers
| death few years ago he has not dis
| played his former interest and energy
| in carrying it on. His sister. now
| dead. was the first wife of Roscoe r.
| Penney who has lived on the same
| road on 'ncighboring farm. 1t is said
Mr.. Leighton has brooded much upon
the unfortunate tangle in Mr.. Pcnney's
financial affairs, and he has frequently
stated that it was wearing terribly
upon him. His own affairs were in OK
celent condition. The only reason
that can be assigned for his suicide
is the dependency which has FOR
years been growing upon him.
Mr.. Leighton was a member of Au-
gusta Lodge No. 141. F. and A. NJ. of
this city and also of the New England
Order of Protection.
The funeral will be held at O'Clock
Thursday afternoon at his late home
on the Coombs Mill road.