The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-22
R. c. SMITH, PROP.
sunny SIDE HOTEL
COMMITTED SUICIDE
THIS MORNING


ing by shooting himself in the head
with 3S-caliber Smith & Wesson
| pistol. The act took place in the
back yard of the hCtel. Death was
instantaneous. No reason for the
suicide is known, but the presump-
tion IS that Mr.. Smith was suffer-
ing from temporary alteration
brorsht on by drink, which it is, said
he hal been indulging in for several
days.
| No one was present when the ia
tai shot was fired, but occupants of
a building overlooking the yard
heard the shot, and saw Mr.. Smith
in the act of falling. The pistol was
found on the ground beside him.
The weapon had evidently been
held close to the head, the ball en-
tering just above the left ear and
ranging upward, coming out at the
left temple.
Physicians We're hastily summoned
and DR.. Henley arrived while the
unfortunate man was still gasping,
out IF course, nothing could be done.
a jury, composed of r. s. Edwards.
NJ. G.. Merritt, G. Tompkins, w. F.
EadS and c. III Brown, was impan-
elled by Judge j. p Thompson. and
! at once made an investigation of the
affair
Mrs. Smith wife of the dead
man, stated that She heard the re-
port, hut THOUGHT nothing of it at
The moment, as Mr. Smith had been
shooting at buzzards occasionally.
ana she supposed that to be the rea-
son for the shot. About two min
utcs before the shooting she had
been talking to him on the back
porch, near where the deed was com
mitted, and he had said to her. Ma.
/ will you take care of JIM" ire
+. ferring to the Swear old SOM She
did not attach any special signifi-
canoe to the question, as Mr.. Smith
had asked similar questions before.
She assured him she would take
care OF the boy. and then went into
the house, leaving him on the porch
About two minutes later she heard
the report She stated Mr.. Smith
had heen drinking considerably the
past two weeks, and that he had
taken drink of alcohol a few min
ute prior to the shooting.
Miss Myrtle Albertise, who was
the first person to reach the body
stated that she saw Mr. Smith in
the rear of the hotel talking to his
vie few minutes previous to hear
ing the pistol shot She also thought
Mr.. Smith had shot at a buzzard,
/ but observed the agitation of Mrs.
Williams and Mrs. Davis who were
at window in the Bowyer build
| ing. which overlookg the hotel yard.
She saw something had happened,
and rushed out, finding Mr.. Smith
lying on the ground, a pistol beside
him
r. F. Skipper stated he was at
| his stable in the ne;ghborhood, when
| Miss Mabel Smith came out of the
hotel. and told him her father had
! l.; 10
found Mr.. Smith lying dead, pistol
at his feet.
Miss Mabel Smith, the lS-year-
old daughter of the deceased, stated
that she last saw her father about
| fifteen minutes before the pistol shot
was heard. He was looking in
trunk where two pistols were kept
She had no knowledge of anything
that would have caused her to sus-
pect her father had any intention
of committing suicide
Mrs. Allie Davis, who lives in the
second story of the Bowyer building,
| which overlooks tho hotel yard. stat
ed that she heard the report, and
ran to the window and saw Mr..
Smith fall No other person was in
the yard at the time.
After hearing other testimony of
the same general allure, the jury
adjourned until this afternoon, when
il reas sembled in Judge Thompson
Office and rendered \ verdict that the
deceased came to his death by pis-
tol shot wound through the head, at
/ his own hands
Mr.. Smith came to this city from
/ RlaCkshear. Ga, about seven years
aqo. 5ut since then I'vcd in Tampa
for while He had been con duct
ing the Sunnyside Hotel for the past
two years. He was a quiet, peaceful
man. and was well thOn"ht of by all
who knew him lie leaves a wife,
daughter aged g years. and son
AGED s.
/. The remains will he taken tonight