The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-20
ENDED HIS LIFE.
James Hunter, Formerly of
Topeka, a Suicide.
Puts Bullet Through His Brain
at Colorado Springs.
LOVE WAS THE CAUSE.
Tilted by Nurse at Topeka In
sane Hospital.
Reported He Once Tried to Kill
Himself While Here.

4 Colorado Springs, Colo, July 90
Seven years of constant brooding over
the loss of love that thrilled his soul
| for months. but which suddenly van
iShed on the eve of the date he was to
| have wed. and being torn from his IL
ancee when another admirer whispered
in her ears the faults of her lover. had
| their tragic ending when James Hunt
er, 33 years old. formerly of Topeka
and Smith Center, Kan, fired a bullet
| into his head and ended his existence.
| His success at self-destruction
| marked the second time Hunter at
| tempted such an act. Behind his
| troubles is a story of a broken heart,
| the relation of which sounds like fic-
ton. Seven years ago he was hard
working citizen of South Topeka. Kan.
There he met and courte da pretty girl
/ of the Sunflower state, who was en-
| ployed as a nurse in a Topeka hosp1t-
al. For months the two were INSOFAR
| able, each cherishing the love of the
other, and finally the wedding date
was set Happy in the thought that he
| had won the only girl he ever loved,
/ Hunter purchased residence property
and furnished cottage that was to be
| their home. All that goes to make
Iup a coy bungalow was installed and
he counted the hours until their we'd
ding.
| But fate ruled that their marriage
should not be. On the evening before
| L46lT. wedding ddy lu6y dtlcAOOO a
dance in Topeka. There was present
at the social gathering another admir-
/ err of the hospital nurse and, gaining
an opportunity when her fiance was
not present, he repeated the words to
her regarding the character of the one
she was to wed, pleading that she for
| sake him and accept his own hand.
| Despite the fact that he who
| wronged Hunter in the eyes of his
bride-to-be was accepted as nothing
| o;,,% IxvI, HE
words burned in her heart and at her
request she left the ball room shortly
afterward, in the company of Hunter.
When they reached her home she re-
| peated the accusations as they had
been related to her. Hunter attempted
to prove that the charges were false,
but his efforts were in vain, and the
| girl who had promised to become his
wife broke the engagement, with de-
claration that she had once loved him
but could not be his wife, although she
| could never love another and would die
/ unmarried.
/ Broken hearted over the dramatic Sc
/ quel Of his courtship, Hunter, on the
| date he had looked forward to as one
1 which would prove the happiest of mis-
| life, gave to his sister-in-law, Mrs.
| Thomas Hunter, with whom he resided
| in South Topeka and who is believed
| to now be living in North Platte, Neb-.
/ the home he had prepared for his
1 - W
/ furnishings. He vowed to never marry,
1 unless time proved to his former love
/ that he was not as he had been repre-
1 scented and she would at last accept his
| hand in marriage.
Shortly after that date, Hunter, while
crossing a railroad in Topeka in COM
| pany with his sister-in-law, attempted
| to leap in front of an approaching loco
motive and was only saved from death
bv her quick action in dragging him
1 <ra Mrs. Hunter succeed
ed in keeping him away from the ralIs
1 until it had passed. He had been BROOD
| ing over his lost love and to her de-
clared that some time he would take
| his life; that he did not care to live
| without the one who at the last mo-
ment had forsaken him
| AS time passed. Mrs. Hunter moved
to Nebraska and Hunter accompanied
her. From that city he went to Lake
/ George, Col, coming to Colorado
| Springs about the first of last January
obtaining employment at the gas
works, he rented a room from Mr. and
/ Mrs Collins, where he was staying at
1 the time he killed himself
/ Coupled with the troubles resulting
| from his broken engagement is the
fact that Hunter worried considerably
over his mother, in Ireland, his naive
country. In 1895 he visited her there,
but since returning TO america ne ma! naS
received information that she has died.
/ He has written to relatives there con-
/ corning this report, but again there
1 came no response to the eplstles- ne
Il had contemplated a second trip to Ire
/ land next October but 1t is declared
H that each week witnessed expenses that
II consumed his earnings and when he
Il died his total finances were 50. He has
no relatives in America save the sister,
| in-law.
i Hunter was a member of the Modern
/ WOodmen of America ana the hoya
Il Order of Moose.
II While many of the main incidents IN
1 the mans life are but indistinctiy re
vealed in the evidence collected by the
\ coroner there remains no doubt In MI
/ Jackson's mind that Hunter was mar
ried in Kansas about seven years ago.
Il that he was divorced four years ago,
| and that he leaves wife ana TWO
Il children now supposed to be living in
Il Omaha. From letters and keepsakes
II found in the dead mans trunk, the
Il officers formed their surTnises on these
II matters, and when William Keeling,
Il Young man from Hutch, COL, appear
ed yesterday and told his story OF Hunt
er's past, their suspicious were con-
II firmed
II According to Keeling, who knew
Hunter intimately at Smith Center,
i KAN the latter confessed to him that
he was married in 1908. and frequent
ly talked of the unhappiness of his do
nestle life. Much of the trouble be-
tween Hunter and his wife arose from
the habits of the former, who was at
that time heavy drinker. and about
three years after the marriage, and
after two children had been born, the
wife obtained divorce and secured
the custody of the children. Hunter
went to North Platte. Neb-, for time
and then came to Colorado. spending
some time in Denver, Lake George
Hutch and other places before finally
settling in Colorado Springs.
Friends Confirm Belief.
As a confirmation of Feelings story
several young men who had known
Hunter in this city appeared yesterday
and related conversations which they
had with Hunter, in which he referred
to his wife and children. and in one
instance he intimated that he was
going to send as presents to the latter