Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-14
YOUNG BISSELL
TAKES OWN LIFE
Former Davenport Boy, With
Brilliant Future, Blows
Out Brains.
soDY is FOUND BY MOTHER
No Known Motive for the Tragedy,
Which Takes Place in Chicago
Home of the Family.

The host Of tri-city friends of w. p.
L2issell, at one time a leading Daven-
port hardware merchant, will be griey-
ed TO learn Of the tragic death of his
son. Wayne p. Bissell, which occurred
at the FAMILY home in Chicago Satur-
Gay. The senior Bisseil was formerly
engaged in the hardware business at
F223 Brady street, Davenport, under the
firm name of w. P. BisseII & Co.. the
/ junior member Of the firm being S. NJ,
Reynolds, the present head of the bus
! mess
/ In 1888 the family left Davenport,
! taking with them their bright 5-year-
| old son, Wayne. the pride of his par
: ents' heart. It was this son who COM
mitted suicide Saturday.
Leaves No Explanation.
The Chicago Examiner contained a
photo of the young man and the fol-
flowing details of his sad death:
Wayne P. Bissell, 26 years old, so
ciety man and fellow member with
James A. Patten, Harrison B. Riley
and others in the fashionable Evan
ston club, also popular in the Evanston
Country club. is dead by his own hand.
He ended his life Saturday afternoon
in the basement of the home of his par
ents. Mr.. and Mrs. William p. Bissen,
1908 Maple avenue, by shooting.
HE left no explanation for his act
and his parents have not the remotest
3 idea why, with a brilliant career ap-
! parently before him, no love. financial
or business affairs to cause him worry.
he should kill himself. He had just
been appointed to the responsible po-
sition of western sales manager for the
Compound Manufa curing company.
229 Broadway, New York, and was OPP
timistically looking forward to sue
cess.
Revolver in Hand.
when the body was discovered by
his mother he was conscious and still
grasped the revolver in his right hand,
but lapsed into unconsciousress be
fore the arrival of the police and with
out making a statement Young Bis
sell entered the house at o'clock from
his customary trip to the business dis
trict and sat for a few minutes in the
sitting room, chatting with his mother
Then he got up and went TO the base
ment.
After he had been absent for al
most an hour she became curious as
to what was delaying him. She found
him at the foot of the stairs with
bullet in isuright temple.
Chief Schafer investigated the
shooting and announced it a plain case
of suicide Neither Mr.. B!ssell nor
his wife heard the report of the revoI-
yer, though both were in the house at
the time. Bissell's father is sales
agent for the American Steel & Wire
company, 403 West Lake street, Chi
cago.
Denies Former Attempt.
'It was rumored about Evanston
that Bissell had attempted to commit
suicide a year ago last August His
father denied this report and said that
bis son was shot at that time, but it
was by the accidental discharge OF
revolver which he had picked up from
a table in his room.
Later said the father. he was at
tended by DR.. w w. Grant of Denver,
and l asked him if it could be possible
that Wayne had inflicted the wound
himself He informed me that it was
not possible