Atlanta Georgian., 1913-03-10
NBEARAB[E PAIN
[|R|VES De CANT
| To SUICIDE
Iminent Atlanta Insurance
! an Is Found in Lakewood
park Lake by Boys.

n .~v surrounding the death OF
DeGant, prominent Atlanta
nc. man. whose body was found
agswood park lake, is not cleared
p, 'N,or,z developments except by
stior Of the theory that he ended
o. life because he was haunted
o;, of an incurable disease.
~ a-rar for a long time from kidney
'- :, violent form, DeGant is
p 20 have been the subject of an
s'ratjon which drove him Saturday
"a wood park and to his death.
- Trovnham, assistant general
- ,f the Home Friendly society,
q asol Es5ov that DeGants affairs were
.rf.cr and prosperous condition
hat the probably self-infllcted
' "o,,,5 not have been due to trou-
& in thar quarter.
81 scants body was founo ounuaS
.,ng hv two boys, as it floated IN
ar water at Lakewood park,
81 +bo shore. He had been miss
n ,noe oarlv Saturday morning, and
NJ ',i, i..o., had been put on the search
7. DeGant was about 90
old and had been in Atlanta
~. o. years. He was we'll known IN
nass in Atlanta, and founded lhe
r,a Friendly Insurance Company
E. declare that DeGant had sew
tin,os before the fatal day threat
bis life when spells of morbid
u soizad him. but that each time ne
raJ his balance and his cheer
81 ne his i'll health passed.
NIGHT of Agony.
night of sleeplessness anc
-. Daciant arose early Saturday
:.a ~, ~ his home, 253 Courtland
,'''9 :. 2.rcre he lived with Policeman
\ Allen In this he broke the or
= routine of his life, and was al
81 office in the Austell building Two
n r.. before his custom, pelole Inc
=. elevator boy had become accus-
Cd 70 his morning surroundings.
Sbose who entered the office later IN
a do, found letters and papers neatly
rgsd and ordered for the days
DaGant placed the keys Of the
d in the vault of the safe, label
& each and placing apart from the
e Re KEYS his own personal keys. blht
Drer alton of the suicide is found
he orderly preparations.
5a elevator boy in the Austell
ding remembered yesterday that
iant had descended from the office
& him goodbye and had gone out on
street A man answering De-
~ description caught a Lakewood
81 at about $50 o'clock, and rode TO
end Of the line. This fact was
euainod by detectives, who were on
lob of finding DeGant after he had
ed to show up at his Courtland
lei home OF at his office late in the
bic two boys who found the body
81 and Louis Billet, are the sons OF
manager of Lakewood park. They
ught the floating object was log
& decided to wade out to investigate.
! ky found the dead mans body, puff
and discolored and evidently having
"a in the water for many hours. De-
MT soft hat was pulled down tight
II on his forehead, his nose glasses
Il placed naturally before his eyes,
"a his heavy overcoat was buttoned
4 ttly
Body Floating in Water.
he body was floating in two feet
81 #Eater. Nowhere in that part of the
3 where the body was found is the
CT of sufficient depth to prove dam
4 BUS to an able bodied man.
S Coroner Donehoo was notified, ana
81 body was removed to the establish
BIT Of Creenberg & Bond, where an
q uest was held at 4 o'clock Sunday
d @moon, resulting in a verdict OF
th by drowning. A number of wit
Ses testified, among them Y. I. AL
81 with whom DeGant lived, and who
e as his opinion the statement that
Eant ended his own life because OF
n illness which has beset him for
#ny months.
peGant's closest relative is Mrs.
#fte Probey, of Washington, his
fghter, who has been notified of his
IN, and who probably will reach
Fh'a today to take charge of the
m and IL f,rn,,n1 u n-,,n ornr,nntc