The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-02

A few minutes before six O'Clock
Sunday afternoon Maj. Marion Noise
was found dead In his office in the
Lee & Noise Office building on Main
street. He was seated on a settee,
with body relaxed and head resting
slightly to one side, as II overcome
by WEAKNESS. he had fallen asleep.
He had been overcome by the over
whelming weariness of lifetime of
mental and physical labor that pro-
badly seemed to him In fit of de-
spondency too great to be borne and
he had fallen asleep to wake no
more. In his right hand was grasp
ed a revolver and In his temple was
the wound that had cut short his
useful life and brought him the re-
lief from the earthly cares that had
unsettled his mind and destroyed his
wonted serenity.
There Is no explanation for his
suicide other than dependency, fol-
lowing an attack Of grippe and a
general breakdown from long con-
tinued overwork. For several weeks
he had been despondent. and his con-
dition, so unusual, for a man Of his
cheerful disposition, sanguine tenn
parament and poise and strength Of
character, gave his family no little
worry. but II seemed to be a mere
passing phase, incident to his illness
and the recent worry he had had
over the burning Of his home and the
accidental shooting Of his nephew,
Alva Solomons. by his youngest son
Harold. and they hoped from day to
day that he would quickly regain his
health and throw OF the mental de-
depression that made him 80 unlike
himself. and nothing was further
from their thoughts than that he
would take his own life. His suicide
was a most terrible shock, not only
to his family and associates, but to
the entire community, for Of all men
he seemed most happily situated and
to have most to live for. He was sue
cessful In business and In this COM
munity no one was more highly es-
teemec nor more universs-l lily beloved.
His business was IN perfect order and
he was not oppressed with financial
cares or reverses and there existed
In his case none OF the conditions
that are ordinarily given as an ex-
PLANTATION Of suicide. What impelled
him to take his own life Is an mex
piicable mystery and will forever re-
main without explanation.
Maj. Noise was discovered by Mr..
Dosier Lee. who went to the office a
few minutes before 8 O'Clock to write
letter. When he entered the oface
he detected the odor of gunpowder
and remarked to himself, "sm ellis
like some one has been shooting a
gun In here" He found all the
shades drawn and the room was In
semi-darkness. He raised the shade
of one window and when he turned
to leave the ONCE he saw Maj. Noise
sitting on the settee just inside the
door. He did not recognize him at the
first glance, but when he lookd clos
er he saw that he was dead and that
he held a pistol in his hand, and on
the floor at his feet was an old der
niger. Mr.. Lee went to the door to
summon help but no one was In 81 ght
20 he decided to go 1t once to notify
his father. Mr.. r. d. Lee. At the
corner Of Main and Warren streets
he passed Mr.. Davis d. Noise, ldaj.
Noises oldest son. who was going
down town In his automobile. Not
thinking Mr.. Noise was going to the
office he did not stop him and tell
him Of his fathers death. Mr.. Davis
Noise went directly to the Office and
finding his father dead. rushed to the
door and called for help and then
collapsed In the doorway from the
horror and shock Of the terrible dis
covery. DR.. Cheyne was called and
arrived within a few minutes. He
examined the body and stated that
death had been instantaneous and
that Maj. Noise had been dead some-
time, although the body was still
warm.
1t cannot be determined at what
hour the tragedy occurred. but 1t was
probably about $50 o'clock, Maj.
Noise having gone to the office be-
tween $3.50 and 4 o'clock.
As soon as the news of Mai.
Noises death spread over the city a
large crowd gathered and on all
sides were heard axDraestor. -. -.