The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-06-05
Willard F. Goodman, Form
er Councilman, Commits
Suicide BY Hanging On
Thursday Afternoon
TWO BOYS FIND HIS BODY
John Sitinga and Percy Horn Chance
On Body Hanging From Limb Of Tree
Family Misfortunes Are Believed
TO Be Cause For Rash Act.

former alderman from the ninth ward
and one of the leaders Of the Socialist
party in Kenosha, was found dead
hanging from limb Of tree in the
Van Ingen woods about two miles
south Of Kcnosha just after five
O'Clock Thursday evening. Circum-
stances showed clearly that Goodman
had committed suicide by hanging and
that he had been dead perhaps an hour
before the body was discovered.
John Sitinga and Percy Horn, two
fourteen year old boys, came upon the
body and after ascertaining for GER
tainty that the man was dead, informed
the police of their discovery. Coroner
Truman T. Parker with the police hur-
ried to the scene Of the tragedy, where
the body was Immediately cut down
and sent to the Hansen morgue. Pap
ers found on the dead man failed to
reveal any elew for his rash act and
the only thing to which it can be as
scribed is to the fact that he had
been respondent over continued mis-
fortunes in his family.
Body Found by Boys,
Goodman had selected one of the
most secluded spots of the Van Ingen s
woods for his rash deed and the early
finding of the body was truly strange.
John Sitinga and Percy Horn, both Boy
Scouts, have a hut in the woods and
after school Thursday evening had
gone for trip through the woods.
When they CHANGED upon the body of
Goodman they Immediately realized
the seriousness of the situation and
made every attempt to discover any
signs Of life.
The Sitinga Lad who is little the
older of the two, unbuttoned the shirt
of Goodman and felt over the heart,
but could detect absolutely no sign Of
life. Then the boys ran Immediate
ly to the nearest house, that of Hiram
Cox, who reported the gruesome dis
covery to the police.
Chooses Hard Death.
From appearances it seemed that
Goodman after fastening the ropea
short piece of clothes line about his
neck had stood on his toes until he
had tied it securely. 1t is believed
that he then bent his knees quickly
and was slowly strangled to death.
When the body was found the toes
barely touched the ground.
Goodman was clad in his working
clothes and had evidently gone to his
fathers home near there but a short
time before the tragedy In his pockets
were found several letters-one from
his son, soldier in Battery E, who
recently returned to Kenosha and an
other card of appreciation from the Ke-
nosha Patriots Fund for his participa-
ton in the work of the organization.
Act Hard to Explain.
At the home at $50 Charles street,
the members Of the bereaved family
could ascribe no cause for the rash act.
The only explanation lies in the fact
that the family had had a great deal
of sickness during the past winter and
that Goodman had weakened under the
great strain. He was employed at the
plant of the Nash Motors company and
there likewise no reason could be found
for the act of suicide. 1t is believed
by his friends that he had so brooded
over the continued. illness in his family
that he became temporarily deranged
and sought to end his life.
Rumors Of Foul Play Vanish.
Investigation into the tragedy were
at first accompanied by .rumors of foul
play, but these quickly vanished when
they were investigated The two boys
who discovered the body when first
reaching the woods had gone to their
hut in the woods. There they found
man, roughly dressed and asleep who
had wandered into the lean-to. When
they failed to waken him they left the
hut and went ON in the woods and
fifteen minutes later found the body
of Goodman. At first it was thought
that the stranger found in the hut
might have. had something to with his
death. Coroner Parker and the officers
went Immediately to the hut but when
they reached there they found that the
man had disappeared A study of the
case convinced Coroner Parker and the
officers that the man could have had
nothing to do with the ease and this
was upheld by the fact that the man
could not have reached the hut and
gone to sleep so quickly after the
tragedy. 1t is believed that he was
merely tramp who happened to be
in that vicinity at the time.
A Leader in Kenosha.
Willard T. Goodman had lived all of
his life in Kenosha and had been
man who had had a great influence
upon the community in which he had
lived He was born in Kenosha county
in 1871, the son Of Mr.. and Mrs. E. D.
soOdmans who now live on South Park