The Hattiesburg news., 1910-03-28
'SUICIDED BY
TAKING POISON
Death of Emmett w. Lea, Which Oc.
Cured Sunday Morning-Cir-
cumstances of the Case.

Emmett W. Lea died at his home in
this city Sunday morning between the
hours of and 5 O'Clock, as the re-
suit of dose of carbolic acid, self
administered.
The circumstances leading up to
the final end and to which the COM
mission of the rash act are attributed,
are extremely sad, almost pathetic,
and cover period of perhaps four
months. From gentleman who is
thoroughly acquainted with some fea-
lures in the case, of which the gen
eral public is not cognizant, a News
representative was informed this
morning that while the motive for
self-destruction had been attributed
directly to a personal difficulty be-
tween the deceased and W. l.. Scott,
of Prentiss, there were circumstances
ante-dating the difficulty which were
in fact responsible for the unhappy
ending.
According to the statement of this
gentleman, Lea had from time to
time held private and confidential
! conferences with him, and had told of
| scheme which had been formulated
by certain individuals to accomplish
his financial ruin by employing Sc.
Great methods in numerous card
games in which Lea and these indi.-
viduals had from time to time par.
ticipated. According to this informa
tlon, Lea had become so desperate and
incensed at the treatment he had re-
ceived at the hands of these men,
and the unfair means employed by
them, that he had arranged for an
other game to take place in this city
on Saturday night, between the hours
OF II and l o'clock, for the puprose of
showing them up to an officer, who
was to raid the place.
In the meantime, Lea met up with
w. l.. Scott, and a quarrel ensued.
This. quarrel, it is stated, was brought
about by a demand by Scott for the
payment of debt of s. which the
latter alleged to be due him. A fight
ensued, which resulted in Scott knock
ing Lea down, and in Scott after
wards being painfully cut by Lea on
the arm with pocket knife.
1t is stated that this difficulty with
Scott, added to the trouble which he
mad experienced as result of this
alleged combination against him, pro-
duced frantic state of mind which
02s responsible for the commission
or the rash act of Self-destructon.
1t is also stated on good authority
that Lea had informed an officer of
the law about the game which was
to take place Saturday night, and
that this officer had made prepara-
tlons to arrest the parties who were
to participate in it, But when the
officer arrived at the place where the
game was to take place, instead. of
ilndlng the game in progress, he was
advised of. the difficulty between Lea
and Scott
1t is stated that Lea had worried
greatly over his financial condition.
and that he had been annoyed to the
point of desperation by the schemes
and importunate demands of these
same parties.
While there are a dozen or more
run ors in circulation as to the cause
OF the regrettable occurrence, The
News gives the above as the best
authenticated statement it has been
able to obtain.
Funeral services over the body
of the deceased were conducted at
the residence I'll Bouie street, by
Rev. E j. Currie, and the remains
were Inferred in the city cemetery
at $3.50 o'clock this morning, being
followed to their last resting place
by large concourse of sympathetic
friends and relatives.