The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-09-18
PROMINENT ZIMMERMAN TAKES
HIS LIFE AT HOTEL HATTiEs-
BURG THIS MORNING.
NO REASON FOR RASH DEED
Thought Perhaps That Some Unknown
Or Recent Business Worries The
Cause-Lived at Lumberton And
Leaves Wife And Two Sons.

Leaving no reason for his rash act
John F. Forsythe, of Lumberton,
Miss, this morning, some time be-as
tween 80 and s O'Clock, ended hisst
life in his room, number 800, at the
Hotel Hattiesburg by sending bull
let through his brain. III
The suicide had evidently been 4
dead some fifteen or twenty minutes
when found by the chambermaid. In
her statement to the coroner's jury,
convened Immediately after the tragedya
became known, the maid stated tsine
she heard a shot but did not pay ba
attention to it and thought the souhgis
came from the street the bursting ost
automobile tires being frequent hap2l
pening on the Mobile street side of thet
hotel and the report being similar to
a bursting tire. She proceeded about
her duties and in passing the room of
the deceased she noticed the door.
slightly ajar knocked on the door ana
getting no response pushed II OPEN
to discover the body lying in a pod
/ of blood in the middle of the fioo1t'
/ The maid at once notified Mr. Bedells
! the assistant manager Of the hoteE
who went Immediately to the room.
and found the body with the head lyr
ing in a pool of blood and life extincta
Mr.. Bedell states the weapon with
which the deed was committed was
not in sight and he turned the body
over from the face downward position
in which it was found both hands be-
ing under the body. and discovered
the pistol clutched in the left handl
The weapon was an automatic Har1
rington and Richardson make, 80 CALI
bre and one cartridge had been dis
charged, but with such unerring aim
as to cause instantaneous death. The
bullet entered the brain about an inch
and a half above the right ear and
back of the temple and ranged in an
almost straight course through the
head to the skull bone on the other
side.
Manager OF Wells Lumber Co.
The suicide was well-known to man!
of the business men of Hattiesburg
q especially the lumber dealers. having
for eOpoo tipoo most bald tho rasDopsi
t BILE position of manager of the Well
+. Lumber Company at Lumberton. H
e had been stopping at the hotel severa
e days, but little was seen of him by tn
l. clerks as he kept rather close in hi
i room; but he had remarked on differ
ent occasions of not feeling well, an
his demeanor would indicate that h
: was troubled about something
A thorough search was mad
through the suicides effects with tn
hope of finding a note or somethin
, to indicate the intention of self d.
struction, but nothing was found this
would reveal the cause. The fndin
of three whiskey bottles in the ROOF
led to report that the deceased ha
IS been drinking, but Mr.. Floyd Hughe
at states that this was mistake, that b
C. was with him until or 10 o'clock la!
+. night and he was not drinking the
le and that the bottles were probabl
left by a former occunant of the rOOr
d. Another gentleman stated that NJ
I'd Forsythe had not taken a drink
of three years. Mr. 7. o. Watkins. wi
De knew the suicide quite well states
ce was with him several hours yesteruf
he and talked to him and that he had n
a. been drinking at the time He STATE
M however to Mr. Watkins that he WI
So troubled about certain timber de
IN al Lnmherton. This worry may ha'
10 been the direct cause of the suicid
he but his conduct while with Mr.. w;
OF kins would not indicate that he CO
no. templated taking his own life.
st The only effects of value found
m the room was watch. $l.15 in mon
dr and several articles of jewell
on Among the papers found in the 81
fContinued from pasa Eburl