The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-06-29
SUICIDE IN BIRMINGHAM.
BANK PRESIDENT DIES FROM
SELF INFLICTED WOUND.
Mrs. Harding Seems to Have Careful
ly Planned Her Sucide-RepOrted
That johnson Shot Himself After
Learning of WOman's Death
Families Deny Deaths Result of
Suicide Pact-Both Society Lead
ers.


tn news of the suicide last night of
Mrs. w. p. G. Harding, and the death
early this morning Of G. r. johnson,
who shot and fatally wounded him
self last night. half an hour after the
suicide Of Mrs. Harding.
Mrs. Harding, who was the wife of
the president Of the First National
Bank Of Birmingham, was one Of the
most beautiful women in the South
and very popular socially. Mr.. John
son only short time ago retired
from the vice presidency Of the Ala
hama Consolidated Coal and Iron
Company. and was prominent in club
and society circles.
According to the best Information,
Mrs. Harding shot herself with q pis-
tol about o'clock yesterday after
noon at her beautiful home in Glen
Iris. after having sent children and
servants away from home.
One rumor has 1t that Mr.. Johnson
called up the Harding home by tele-
phone shortly after the act was COM
mitted and was told that Mrs. Hard
ing was dead. At any rate, it is de-
declared, before o'clock he went
out to his home on Iroquois street
and shot himself just below the heart
and died from the effects at an early
hour this morning.
Friends Of the Johnson and Hard-
ing families, who include practically
all Of the most influential people In
the city, are indignant over the pub
lication Of stories limiting at a suicide
pact between the two. Mr.. Johnson's
brother. J. E. Johnson, Jr., who Is
superintendent Of one Of the big fur
niture companies insists that his
brother took his life because Of finan-
cial reverses. because he had become
mentally irresponsible and because Of
worry over the way he was treated
when he was recently deprived of his
position as general manager Of the
Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron
Company. He states that his broth
er upon his death bed insisted that
this was the cause of his act.
Intimate friends Of Mrs. Harding
can assign no motive for her act, un-
less 1t be that she had suddenly lost
her reason.
She had evidently planned the act
for several hours, however, as she
sent all Of the servants away, one
by one, during the afternoon, and
sent the two little children to visit
at neighbor's house. The only 9TH
er person on the premises besides
Mrs. Harding was the old black
nanny, Mariah, who had nursed
Mrs. Harding when she was an in
FAINT.
This old servant had been sent out
to gather some flowers and heard a
shot in Mrs Hardings' room upstairs.
She ran back and found her mistress
on the bed wounded, Mrs. Harding
smiled. gave two short gasps and ex-
pired.
News Of Mr.. Johnson's suicide did
not become known outside the family
until after 7 o'clock last night. Mrs
Johnson had been to the base ball
game during the afternoon, and
reached home shortly after 6 clock
and found Mr.. johnson wounded in
his room. A neighbor was called and
physicians summoned, but the doe.
tors held out no hope from the be-
ginning for his recovery. He die 1
shortly after o'clock this morning.
Mr.. Johnson's future in Birming-
ham was thought to be unusually
bright. He had opened an office as
consulting engineer and was be-
lieVed to be doing well. He only re-
Gently got some valuable options on
the oil and gas lands in Fayette coun-
ty, and had organized a million dollar
company to bore Tor gas and oil.
Friends of Mr.. Harding have gone
to Savannah to meet the steamship
and break the news Of Mrs Harding's
act to the husband.
Mr.. Harding left New York yester-
day afternoon for Savannah by water,
and is accompanied by their oldest
daughter.
n special train has been chartered
in Savannah to hurry them to Birm-
ingham.
Mr.. Harding will reach Savanna h
tomorrow morning, at o'clock, and
should get to birmingham at to-
morrow night. Mrs. Harding's fun
eral will be held Saturday.
There Will be a private funeral to-