The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-10

WELL KNOWN FIGURE IN DAY
ToNA, AND RESIDENT OF COT.
TAGE AVENUE, suIcIDED YES
TERDAY
Nick Erickson, a we'll known figure
in Daytona ,and resident of Cottage
avenue, committed suicide Wednes-
day afternoon by shooting himself in
the head with a shot gun
Mr. Erickson, who was naturally
of genial, kindly temperament, had
that failure, which SO often accompa-
MES an easy disposition like his, of
over indulgence in liquor. He had
been drinking again heavily for sew
eral days past, and it 81 undoubtedly
to this fact that hsi rash act is due
although he showed no sign of depres
sion just previous to his self murder.
1t seems that on the preceding day
he had told hsi wife that he. was go
ing to kill himself, but she did not
really take it seriously thinking it
merely fancy of his unbalanced
condition at the time
He was around as usual, and during
the forenoon went into R s. Maley's
hardware store and purchased a tank
for a gasoline stove. Again in the
afternoon, shortly after 200 o'clock
he entered the store and asked for a
box of cartridges. The clerk showed
nim box OF. smokeless cartridges and
saiu the price was seventy cents. Mr..
Erickson said he had only been pay
ing forty cents and was told that
that was the price for the black pow
uer cartridges, whereupon he paid
for box and departed with them
saying to Mr.. Maley, who was busy,
close at hand, Good bye, Bob, you
won't see me again; l am going TO
shoot myself
| AS he was in an apparently cheer
! full frame of mind, Mr. .Maley natur-
ally thought he was only joking and
called back, Good bye, Nick; but
wouldn't do anything like that
He left the store by the rear door
and as he passed the office, he al
SO said good bye to thebookkeeper
Miss Dittman, who was at the desk
Going home, he secured a single
barreled shot gun belonging to his
youngest son, Ralph, and as he pass
ed out of the house. said to his
wife II am going to do what | said
l would yesterday
This time Mrs. Erickson felt some
uneasiness and at once sent word tt
F r. Hunt. who, with his father, i!
rooming in the house
Messrs Hunt were at the post of
flee, and the younger man at once
set out with Ralph Erickson to fine
the boys father
Mrs H M Mcdonald, living acros
the street from the Erickson's, ha'
followed Mr. Erickson for some dis
tance and told Mr.. Hunt and Ralpl
that he had gone out Loomis avenue
They followed this direction and
lady living near the railroad said h
had passed that way, on a run, some
time before
The two kept on until they reacht
the property of l.. Hahne west c
the railroad and on the south sid
of Loomis avenue and at Mr.. Hunt
suggestion they turned in this place
thiekly covered with brush and wee'
to look for him, going in by differeI
' paths. In few moments Mr. .Hur
o heard Ralph call Here he is" an
d breaking his way rapidly through tt
3 tall weeds he found the boy stan
h ing over the dead body of his fat
+ er lying close to a well pump in II
). field, not far from the road.
n Mr. Erickson had placed the mu
d zle of the gun in his mouth and di
r charged it by tripping the trigg
a with a palmetto blossom stalk. whit
n was lying near the gun, literally bio
" ing his head to pieces
a Justice H T.. Titus, the corone
k was notified and viewed the bod
but owing to the clear case of 81
eide did not empannel a jury.
70 A colored man by the name of w
Miller says he heard a gun shot
about three O'Clock, and that W
Y. probably the time Mr. Erickson kill
-2l Continued on fourth page)