The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-04-21
Will SMITH SUICIDES
Well Known Lamont Citizen Takes
his Life while Suffering from
Nervous PrOstrdtion.

j. W. Smith, one of the best known
citizens of Lamont, committed sui
eide in the Farmers State Bank at
Lamont few minutes after / o'clock
Tuesday afternoon by shooting him.
self in the temple with 80 calibre
revolver, death resulting instantly.
Mr.. Smith for many years had
been a prominent and influential bus
inessman of Lamont, being the presi-
dent of the Iowa and Missouri Grain
lCo., which owned elevators at La
moni, and was an extensive dealer
in grain of all kinds. In the last two
years he has divided his time be-
tween business interests in Lamont
and Kansas City, and about the first
Of the year moved his family to Kan
sas City. But Mrs. Smith did not
like city life and in March they re-
turned to their pleasant home in La
moni Mr.. Smith had been in poor
health for several months, suffering
from nervous prostration and had
been under the care of physician
for some time. Within few weeks
he had lost over thirty pounds in
flesh, and had been a constant suffer-
er For some time he had been un-g
der the care of his physician who had
found 1t necessary to administer
quieting powders to relieve his suf-
fering. Tuesday shortly after dim
ner he expressed desire to go down
town to look after some business
papers, and Mrs. Smith accompanied
him as far as the home of his father,
~. r. Smith, who lived only two
blocks from the business section Mr..
Smith proceeded on down to the
Farmers State Bank, and met j. w.
Wiley just at the door, and spoke to;
him, appearing to be in a cheerful
mood. He passed on into the bank
and walked around behind the rail-.
ling and went into the vault and
brought out a private box of valu-
able papers which he placed on the
lcounter few feet from where the
cashier, Ora Teale, was standing at
/ the tellers window, waiting on a
customer. Mr.. Smith opened his.
private box, and just then Mr.. Teale.
stepped to one side to secure some
change for the customer at the win
dow, and in an instant Mr.. Smith
stepped over a couple Of PAGES and
picked up the revolver which was
lying directly under the counter in
front of the teller's window and
placing it at his right temple pulled
the trigger and the bullet plowed
through his brain, and he fell to the
! floor. Mr.. O.. M. Rev was staffding
at the outside of the window and
tried to reach through and secure the
revolver, but the wicker prevented
him.
DR.. Horner was hastily summoned,
W hot hn fof oil
jured, his pulse beating for only
seven minutes after he fired the fatal
shot.
Several persons were in the bank
at the time, but it all happened so
quick and Unexpectedly that no one
| had chance to interfere. Mr.. Smith
had suffered intensely for several
weeks and there is no doubt but that
he was suffering from mental aberra-
tion when he fired the fatal shot, hav-
ing an uncomfortable desire to take
his life. When the family returned
from Kansas City in March, while
unpacking their goods he came across
a revolver in drawer, and told his
wife to take that thing away, and
hide it, as he could scarcely resist
the temptation to use it on himself
IL Is supposed that he had no inten-
ton of taking his life when he en-
tered the bank, and the impulse
seized him when he caught sight of
the revolver lying under the counter
Me-. Smith for several years had
been dealing on the board of trade,
and had made considerable money, as
we'll as sustaining some losses, but
lat the time of his death he had
CLOSED out all his deals, and was well
fixed financially, having plenty of
money in the bank, owning the ele-
vator and big farm, and did not owe
anything, but he had been worrying
for some time before his death over
his financial condition, imagining
that all of his property was gone and
that his family would suffer. He is
Survived by his wife and little three
year old daughter. At the time of
his death he was carrying $4,000 of
life insurance.
The funeral services were held on
Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock,
from the home in Lamont.
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