Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-10-19


May Atkins, of Not Loving Him and
Finally Carried Out His Threat Of
Suicide by Shooting Himself at Sup
per Table, After Refusing to Eat.
The settlement at the quarries of
the Blair Limestone Co. two miles
east of this city was the scene of a
tragedy Sunday evening when Samuel
f Brown killed himself by a pistol
shot through the breast at the home
of James Mills, where he boarded
He was % years old last Saturday and
it is sad coincidence that he com
mitted suicide ON the day intervening
between his birthday and the day OF
his intended wedding.
Brown had been drinking and was
intoxicated all day Sunday, and this.
ii would seem, was the direct cause of
his act of self-destruction. He was
to have been married this evening to
Miss May Atkins, of Luray, Va, who
had known Brown for long time and
who only recently came to the Mills
home at Blair, where she is employed
as a domestic. She was 10 years old
the LIST of this month. Brown had
frequently accused the girl of not low
ing him. and as often did she assure
him of her love and devotion to him
and try to convince him that his sus-
picions were unfounded, only warn
ing him that after they were married
he would have to mend his ways.
Brown, who was from Halltown,
Jefferson county, although born at
Shenandoah, Va. had been employed
at the Blair quarries for the past six
months. having charge of the hosting
engine. He took a pride in his work
and Sunday afternoon took Miss At
showed her around. When he came
to the Mills house about o'clock in
the evening Miss Atkins prepared sup
per for him, but he scarcely tasted a
morsel of food, still accusing the girl
of not loving him and threatening to
ten done before. When Brown pulled
a revolver out OF his hip pocket at the
supper table the girl, fearing that he
might shoot her as he once told an
other party he intended to do some
time and Their complete the tragedy
by turning the weapon on himself, ran
upstairs. Just as she reached the
room above where Mrs. Mills was sit
ting. she heard the report of a pistol.
After the shot she heard Brown utter
a cry of pain and call her name. Then
ali was still.
Mrs. Mills called out the window to
some neighbors, telling them of what
had happened in the room below. But
the first to arrive on the scene was
Browns brother Irwin, who had also
heard the shot. Lying on the floor
beside the supper table was young
Brown dead with a bullet hole through
his right breast and 32-calibre re-
volver lying by his side.
Coroner w. r. Kline was at once
notified of the suicide and he and Of
ficer c. H. Riddle went out TO the
scene. The coroner heard the testi-
mony of several persons including IT.
vim Brown, brother of the deceased,
and who is also an employe of the
Blair Limestone Co, and Miss May
Atkins. Irwin Brown said his brother
was drunk all day Sunday and was
with him part of the day, Witness
said his brother spoke several times
of killing himself all because of his
relations with Miss Atkins. The re-
mainder 6f the testimony was in ac-
cordance with the facts as narrated
above Inasmuch as il was a clear
case of suicide the coroner concluded
that an inquest was unnecessary
Later Undertaken Wien brought
the body to his rooms in this city.
Dr. w. T. Henshaw was summoned
there and, after examining the body
said the pistol shot through the right
lung had caused internal hemorrhage,
death following almost instantly.
This morning several persons from
Blair came up to see the body at the
undertakers, among them being Mrs,
Irwin Brown and Miss Atkins. The
latter was much distressed that she
should have benn innocently connect.
ed with her lovers suicide Both la
dies said Brown was insanely jealous
especially when under the influence OF
liquor, and at such times mis- naturally
violent temper was beyond control
and he couldn't be reasoned with by
anyone.
The deceased was reared by his UNI
Gle, Edward Brown, Of Halltown, and
is survived by his father, John w.
Brown. of Shenandoah. Va. His
mother having been divorced from
her husband, married the second time
and is now a widow in Pittsburg. Five
brothers also survive: Irwin, at
Blair; William and James, Shenan'
doah. Va; Charles, Of Trego, Md, and
Clinton. of Cumberland The burial
will take place tomorrow afternoon
in Greer Hin cemetery and funeral