The Green Forest tribune., 1913-11-21
WILLIAM JENKINS SUICIDES.
Well Known Real Estate and Loan
 Agent Hangs Himself.

The people of Carroll county were surprised and shocked beyond measure when it was announced over the wires about sun down Saturday night that William Jenkins, "the well known loan agent and real estate man of Eureka Springs, had committed suicide by hang ing himself.
 MT. Jenkins had been playing game of "high finance" covering period of several years and he came face to face with accusations Saturday morning that showed him concusively that the game was up. Lacking nerve to face the matter he went to the basement of his home and hung himself to a joist and was dead when and officer seeking his arrest found him, the deed having been committed even unawares to his family.
 The secret of MT. Jenkins frauds was discovered by Attorney F. o. Butt who had been employed by Hezekiah Stowe, an aged capitalist, to look into papers that Mr. Jenkins had been forced to turn over to Stowe after having negotiated loans for him for about ten years. The mortgages were forgeries, the names and clerks certificates and everything having been made by MT. Jenkins himself and shown to Mr. Stowe, whose age and education pre- vented him from detecting the forger- ies himself. Then Mr. Jenkins would furnish safe room for the papers and the matter passed up after MT. Stowe having come across with the prerequi- site. Having implicit confidence in Jenkins as did many other financers, MT. Stowe permitted him to pass on the security, title and execute papers and do everything connected with the job.
 Jenkins would pay the interest on these securities himself, or extend the time as StoWe's agent as best suited his finances and so the business had rocked along for number of years until MT. Stowe had gotten in some thing over $9500 worth.
 Later disclosures show that other capitalists doing business with MT. Jenkins has suffered in the same manner, the extent of the failure amounting to twenty or thirty thousand dollars.
 MT. Jenkins was a man well respect ed and had business air about him that suggested him as very safe man to do business with.
 The following statement of his side of the story was found in his pocket.
 His Own Statement.
 Dear Friend: I have written out a statement for you to work on and pub l fish. 1 am inno shape to write just now. Please make this as readable as you can. 1 have not time to write any more. So good bye, my dear friend.
 Wm. J.
 To the Public: 1 want to to say that 1 have come to place that cannot go any further. 1 have tried to overcome the past, but 1 cannot. 1 became in volved in financial way some twenty years ago and have tried to overcome and pay out. l have had to resort tC things that are very bad, but 1 wanted to try to get above this deficit, but have only gotten into worse trouble. 1 You cannot do business and not pay your debts, and it is hard to get money to pay them. had large sum hang ing over me and 1 had to resort to wrong things to meet them, and this has grown on me from year to year. l have made some money, but things that have had to contend with has taken all this and more, too. The boy, Faye, has worked hard, but it has not been enough to pay out. l have only five people who will suffer bad on my account now. 1 paid out on a lot ot poor people, but l have managed tc pay them, so the poor will not suffer, but five men will suffer badly, ano this is awful for me to think of, but have done all l could. 1 thought last 1 October that l had a business outlook that would let me out, but there was a man died that put this to an end. only then came to worse place, but the worst has come and 1 am unable to stand it further. l am sorry to bring this to any one, but l cannot help it. There are some things wrong in the affairs of men about business. They are too hard on one another. When a man gets into hard place he cannot tell his fellow man and get help, and this causes many a. man to go wrong and have to do just what 1 will be compelled to do. No one knows what hangs over me now but God. My fam fly does not know it and it is going to be hard on them. Faye does not know anything about what l am writing to- day. l have tried to keep out of the church work for some time, but l have so much interest in the young people that have permitted myself to be put forward when 1 did not wish it to be done. But the mistake of my life was made forty years ago. l was called to the ministerial work, but let things keep me out and tried to make business go, but l have had no satisfaction since. l have made a hard battle, but lost. hope the people will put as 1 fair a construction on my acts as can be. l love all men. l have nothing against anyone, so good bye.