Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-09-21
SUICIDE ON
RAILROAD TRAIN
PASSENGER FROM BEACH, N. d.,
SENDS BULLET THROUGH
HIS BREAST

While the N. p. train No. 6, was
passing through the jamestown yards
Tuesday morning. J. w. Whitmer Of
Beach, N. D., stepped into the toilet
room in one of the day coaches, and
shot himself through the right breast
with 80 calibre pistol. Passen-
gers heard a shot fred and when the
train stopped at the station the
brakeman found Whitmer breathing
his last. He had a ticket from Beach
to Washington, D. c., and some mon
ey on his person. He is supposed
to have been a farmer by occupation,
and was probably partly demented.
The remains were taken to a local
undertaken to await further instruc-
tions. Whitmer was about rs years
old.
The body was taken in charge by
the coroner who made an examina-
tion of the person and found, among
other papers, bill from the Inter-
national Stock Food Co., also paid
up subscription receipt for Beach
newspaper.
While on the train Whitmer had
some conversation with a couple Of
girls in which he appeared to try to
get up Irritation with them. One
of them called him down hard and
about ten minutes afterwards he dis
appeared and shot himself.
One of the girls referred to-, stop
ped over at this station to take a
south bound train and at the depot
told other passengers that Whitmer
had proposed to her on the train,
and on being refused, made proposal
of marriage to another girl on the
same train. Being twice refused in
short space of time appeared to
be too much for him, and he con-
cluded to end his love making by the
revolver route which he did with
neatness and dispatch.
A telegram was received from a
brother of the deceased, stating that
he expected to arrive on the even
ing train and directing that the body
be shipped for burial to Broadway,
Va.
S. G. Whitmer of Beach, brother
of John Whitmer, who committed
suicide on the N. P. train Tuesday
morning, arrived Tuesday evening,
took charge of the remains of the
dead man and proceeded with the
same to the old home at Broadway,
Va, for burial. The brother related
lamentable story, one of the many
prairie romances and incidents of
pioneer life, that end in a tragic
manner in North Dakota, and in 9th
er western states. ]. w. Whitmer
was 26 years of age. He had re-
Gently proved up on a homestead,
containing 160 acres of good land
and was prosperous young farmer.
He had seven head of horses, large
quantity of grain in store in his grah-
ary, good houses, and barn, and was
considered a thrifty and lucky young
farmer. For several years, accord
ing to the brothers story, the deceas-
ed had been courting daughter of
a neighboring farmer, with the OBJ
ject of matrimony and his suit was
reciprocated by the girl. At first
the father and parents of the girl
greatly encouraged the young mans
suit, but afterwards without any ap-
parent reason, frowned upon 1t. The
brother stated that recently the faith
er Of the girl had made threats to
kill the suitor of his daughter,
and burn the buildings, and it is al
legged came to the house Of the de-
ceased one night accompanied by two
other men making threats. The de-
ceased then told his brother of his
troubles and was advised to sell some
grain and go back to Virginia, to
spend the winter and let the matter
drop. This the dead man had de-
cided to do. He sold the grain to
the amount Of $105. bought a ticket
to Washington, D. c., and had about
$50 on his person for his other ex-
penses. His brother was fearful
that the young mans mind was not
exactly balanced and explained that
in early youth he had had q fall,
and a bad fracture Of the skull which
might have been the cause OF his
condition. 8. G. Whit
man left on Tuesdays train with the
body of the deceased.
Miss Mary Gates, who is at the
City Hospital, is reported az doing
nicely. and she may be able to leave
the hospital at the end Of the week.