The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-04
DEATH OF JOHNL. PARKER IS SHOCK
 ID ENTIRE CITY Prominent Druggist, De spondent From HI Health,
 Takes His Own Life
DECEASED ACTIVE
 IN CIVIC ENDEAvOR
Said To Be in Good Shape. Carried s151,000 Life Insurance. Act Was Discovered by
 J. T. Wiley

John L. Parker, one of the best known druggists in Alabama, and for years president of the Birmingham board of education, shot himself through the right temple yesterday afternoon shortly be- fore o'clock in the basement of his store on the corner of First avenue and Twen- tieth street. Death is thought to have been instantaneous.
 The funeral will be held at the residence, 221g Highland avenue. this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, the Rev. Dr. H. NJ Edmonds officiating. Interment will follow in E.lm- wood cemetery The pallbearers were an- nounced last night as follows:
 Active-J. T. Wiley. w. A. Porter. T. B. Perry, J. B. Patterson, W. C. Hamilton, Ed D. Smith. Ben M. Jacobs Sid w. Lee. Honorary-Dr. J. H. Phillips Dr. J. D. S. Davis, J. B. Cobb, Frank B. Fowlkes, A. L. Smith, w. W. Crawford. Leo K. Steiner, Dr. George H. Stubbs, Dr. E. F. Hogan, z. T. Rudulph, L. J. Haley. Eu- gene Fies, J. w. Mcqueen, G. B. McCor- mick.
 No one was with Mir. Parker at the time of his death, and in conversations
 
 took his life he appeared in a nor nal frame of mind. Probably 20 minutes elapsed between the time Mir. Parker was last seen and the discovery of his life less body in the basement of the store.
 Friends of MT. Parker attribute his suicide to i'll health. MT. Parker had been suffering acutely from asthma for the past 12 months, and had been repeatedly warned by physicians that it was impera- tive that he take a rest. He did not heed the advice and as a result is believed to have completely broken down.
 Result of Sudden Determination
 The circumstances of Dr. eParkers sui eide indicate that 1t was the result of sudden determination rather, than a we'll thought out plan. He had an engagement to lunch with J. T. Wiley. assistant chief law agent of the Southern railway. At 12;4o o'clock MT. Wiley went to MT. Par ker's office and informed him that he was ready. MT Parker told him he was feeling quite well and they moved out into the seed department where a few customers fingered.
 At MT. Parkers suggestion MT. Wiley went upstairs and after speaking with a customer the druggist went into the part of the basement furthest removed from others in the store and there fired a bullet from .32-calibre automatic Colts revolver into his brain. No one heard the sound of the shot. The revolver was later found near his body.
 Tn the meanwhile Mr. Wiley had gone upstairs to the fountain and ordering a soft drink, awaited MT. Parker for about 20 minutes. Finally becoming impatient, he returned to the basement of the store and after a moments search discovered the body huddled against some chicken coops.
 Aid was at once summoned. D. P. Dur ban of the seed department was first on the scene at MT. Wiley's call and Dr. Frank Lupton soon followed. The phy- sician saw immediately that all efforts for Mir Parker were useless as he was dead. Coroner Spain was summoned and after an investigation ordered the body removed to the Johns Undertaking com pany. The news was broken to the widow by Dr. H. M. Edmonds of the South High lands Presbyterian church and Henry Co., ing.
 Few Men Better Known