The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-12
Prosperous Ysuni Calhoun County Far.
nsr Commits Suicide.
TAKES DEADLY POTION
Clinton ). MILESTONE, Returned
Home, Knelt as in Prayer, and
Took Dose OF Laudanum. Leaving
a Note Saying "I Will Find a Bet
ter Home Abe ye."
Returned

The st. Matthsw correspondent of
The News and Courier tells Of the
sad, unacccuntaale suicide of young
Clinton J. Whetgtone five miles east
OF that place sa turday nlgnt'
In his lonely bachelor quarters,
five miles east of St. Matthews, a
physician and saveral anxious assis-
tants strove vaEantly for three and
one-half hours ast night to thwart
Clinton ]. Whet:tone in his effort to
end his own life At one time there
was slight response from his hv1d
lips, his pulse leasserted itself and
sthe pleasure o. hope" revived the
drooping spirits Of those who were
helping him to segain his conscious
ness but the soothing potions which
he had i1nbibed bound him too Sc
curely in their grasp to allow perma-
nent. relief.
Just why a y9ung man, 70 years
old, in the pink Of health, of splen-
did family and in prosperous and
well-to-do circumstances should wish
to die will Doubtless never be fully
known, but the1e was abundant evi-
4 dence to show that he deliberately
planned the I'd. He was appar-
emily of happ:, and genial nature,
and young mari Of great energy.
His father no:iced during the day
Saturday that ha was drinking some
and pleaded with him to abstain and
20 to his home in the country. he
told him that he would lose the re-
spect of his friends and injure his
prospects in life. The young man
suspiciously remarked that he would
wind it up toni CHI" and drove alone
to his farm in the country. Others
noticed that he wabbled slightly IN
his gait, but displayed evidence early
of being somew aat under the influ-
ence of a "dope.
He and his ye unger brother, 1t ap-
pears, had soma words during the
day about a horse trade, but there
.was.no row or great ado over It. The
colored woman 1T his home said that
he emerged safely from his: buggy
and entered his house unattended;
that he complained Of feeling very
badly and Tefured supper. He. pre-
pared for bed and knelt down for
some time as If in silent prayer.
AS he arose ne called for pencil
and paper to write note. Sealing it
up he put a fish hook through the
envelope and a st. Matthews bank
deposit slip for s25, and then passed
the book through the paper covering
the little table upon which he wrote
making sure th,.t they would not be
lost. Upon the outer envelope was
written "Mr. ard Mrs. ]. NJ. Whet-
stone (his par.ents). Please don't
open except yourselves" Across the
top of the inner envelope were the
words in bold hand: II did 1t my
self"
Within the ilner envelope, on q
large sheet Of paper and in a still
bolder but STEADY hand, was written
the six lines as follows: II have been
cursed out for The lowest / have all
of this life. l VIII find better home
above" His ia her and brother tes-
titled to the ger uineness of the writ
ing, to which lie did not sign his
name. In one hip poc,set of his
trousers was small vial of lauda-
nun with a nea and fresh label and
barely teaspoonful taken from its
contents.
Mr.. Whetstor was member or
the Woodmen o. the World and will
be buried by tha order in West End
Cemetery, ST. NJ atthews. His devot-
ed mother is visiting an i'll sister in
Aiken County and was notified over
the phone at an early hour this
morning. The whole community is
in gloom over the untimely taking
off of this popular young man and
there is a sincere wave of pity and
sympathy for the grief stricken faith
er and mother.