Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-04
". F. la BONITA SHOOTS
HIMSELF At HIS OFFICE
Former Purchasing Agent Of Chesa.
peake and Ohio Railway Com
mits Suicide.
LEAVES NOTE FOR HIS WIFE
Ill Health Given by Family as Cause
OF His Act - Found by Young
Woman Stenographer Who Had
Gone to Lunch.

| TWO sealed notes. addressed to. his
WHO and opened only by her, are sup
posed to set forth the reasons why w.
F. La Bonita. OF 1916 West Grace street.
committed suicide in his office. 30l
American National Bank Building.
shortly after $3.50 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. The notes were found on
inc mans desk by his stenographer,
Avenue Barton Heights. who discov-
cred the body few minutes after the
shot had been fred Miss Moffatt de.
lvered the notes to Detective Willy and
keilam, who had Edgar Allen, Jr., de-
! liver them to Mrs. La Bonita.
Detective Sergeant Willy viewed the
BODY and gave permission for its re-
| moval to Benefits undertaking ostab-
lishment, Coroner Taylor being con-
hned to his bed by illness.
The funeral will take place from the
residence tomorrow afternoon at s
o'clock. and interment will be made in
Hollywood Cemetery. Two sisters from
Illinois Will come on to the funeral.
They. with Il sister living in this city.
and his wife, survive him.
FORMERLY PURCHASING AGENT
FOR CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO
Mr.. La Bonita was formerly employed
as purchasing agent for the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railway Company.
More recently he has been acting as
manufacturers agent for several APP
pliance concerns. and has been occupy
ing the Offices at sol American
National Bank Building.
He went cut to lunch at the usual
time Yesterday and returned to his
office about 2:3O o'clock Miss Moffatt
was absent at lunch at the time A
Few minutes after his return to the
room an elevator hoy heard the sound
| OF shot. Miss Moffatt returned to find
the office door locked. She entered
and discovered Mr. La Bontas condi-
ton. Her screams gave the first alarm
Her employer was seated in his Of
fee chair facing his desk. His head
was thrown back over tho back of the
chair and blood flowed from a single
bullet wound in the right side of his
Just beneath his nervcless hand. lay the
.3S- caliber revolver with which he had
taken his life The man was dead
when clerks entered the room. and
death is thought to have been in
Simultaneous.
WAS PROMINENT IN
SOCIAL AND CLUB CIRCLES
Mr.. La Bonita was about forty-eirht
years OF age. He was prominent in
social and club circles, being mem
Der of the Westmoreland and Country
Clubs. and is said to have been we'll
to do. Friends OF the family refused
to disclose the contents OF the notes
addressed to the wife last night and
onered the excuse of i'll health for the
suicide. They were authority for the
statement that Mr.. La Bonita had he
come respondent as result Of poor
health.
Persons in the American National
Bank remembered yesterday afternoon
that Mr.. La Bonita had secured all of
his personal papers from his safe
deposit vault during tho morning.
These papers were found on his desk
with note addressed to Miss Moffatt
The stcnographcr was requested to de-
liver them, with the two notes, to Mrs
La Bonita Miss Moffatt was greatly
shocked by her experience, and 1t was
necessary 10 send her home in a taxi
cab few minutes after she found the
body.