The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-03-06
YOUNG FARMER COMMITS
SUICIDE BY HANGING
Walter L.. Brannock Goes to Barn
During Night And Hangs Himself
No Reason Assigned For Act.

NO reason assigned For ACT.
The whole community was shock
ed late yesterday afternoon when il
was learned that Walter Lee Bran
mock, a young farmer residing on the
Neck road about four miles from
Cambridge, had committed suicide.
Just when the act was committed
will probably never be known, as
the young man left nothing by means
of which it will be possible to deter
mine when he left his house.
During the previous day he had
been to a number of places, includ-
ing the home of his parents, and to
all of those who saw and talked
with him he seemed to be in the very
best of spirits; in fact, at one place
he made an engagement for the fol-
lowing evening, inviting some people
to come to his home. His wife stat
ed that he did not seem to be in
| the least downcast that evening, and
gave no indication of the fact that
he was suffering from any mental or
physical strain.
She spent a portion of the evening
reading, while he had been lying on
the couch in the room. About half
past ten she remarked that she be-
lieved she would retire, and he stat
ed that he would remain on the
couch a little while longer, and
would look after the fire. That was
the last time he was seen alive.
Yesterday morning she got up
about the usual time and noticed
that he had not come to bed, but
supposed that he had gone to sleep
while on the couch, and had slept
through the night, he having done
so once or twice before. When she
got downstairs she found that the
fire in the kitchen stove had not
been made, and this fact somewhat
surprised her, as it was the first
time during their married life that
he had failed to make the fire, but
she thought then that he had gone
to his muskrat traps, and, starting
early, had expected to get back in
time to build the fire. AS the morn
ing passed, and he did not return,
she came to the conclusion that he
had gone to public sale which was
being held, and that, his friends
coming along early, he had gotten
off without calling her.
Nothing having occurred to cause
her to believe that there was any
thing wrong, she had gone about her
work, expecting that he would re-
turn late in the afternoon, after the
sale was over, in consequence of
which the shock to her was all the
greater when, between three and
four o'clock yesterday afternoon she
was out gathering up the eggs that
had been laid during the day, having
gone into the carriage house, where
some of the hens were accustomed to
lay, she happened to glance upward
into the barn which adjoined it.,
and saw the body of her husband
hanging to the ridge pole of the
barn roof. So great was the shock
that she ran from the barn, calling
Historically for aid.
A neighbor, who lived not very
far away, heard her cries and came
to find out what the trouble was. He
stopped other persons who were
passing, and the body was soon cut
down in the hopes that there might
still be some life in it, but even then
it was cold and stiff, having probably
been hanging there since about day
break.
| States Attorney Marine was sum-
moned, and went at once to the
home, but it was evident to all, at a
glance, that the young man had ia
ken his own life. The cause, what
ever it may have been, seems likely
to remain an unsolved mystery, as
no one seems to have the slightest
clue to any motive whatsoever.