Putnam patriot., 1919-11-14
BLOWS TOP OF HEAD
OFF WITH SHOT GUN
John B. McDuffee, Despondent
Over Wife's Death, and Own
Suffering, Ends Life
Notes He Wrote Show That He Had
Contemplated Suicide For Some
Days

John h. McDuffee, Sd, took shot
gun and went ito the cellar Of his
home on Eden street about Z o'clock
Monday morning. He rested the stock
of the gun on the cellar bottom, bent
over with his forehead against the
muzzle Of the gun. pulled the trigger
and blew the top Of his head Oft. The
suicide is believed to have been casss-
ed by mental arrangement brought
on by brooding over his wife's death,
the possible loss of his eyesight, and
by physical pain caused by liberated
teeth.
MIR. MeDuifee lived In his home and
had housakeeper. Mrs. Agnes Herin-
deem. He was up early as usual Mon
day morning and fed his chickens. He
did not eat much breakfast and Mrs.
Herindeen remarked about il and he
answered that he guessed he had had
enough. He then went out and start
ed his automobile 10 see that the en-
CINE was running all right, after
which he went into the house. Mrs.
+ Herindeen went upstairs and shortly
after McDuifee came in she heard
noise in the cellar. Thinking that Mr..
McDufree might have fallen she hast
ened down stairs and called TO him.
( Receiving no answer she went into the
cellar but at first saw nothing Going
aroung back of the furnace she saw
McDuffee lying face downward on the
wood pile.
/ Mrs. Herindeen ran to the home Of
Frank ID. Thayer nearby and Mrs.
! Thayer came to the door. Mrs. Her.
indeen told Mrs. Thayer that Jack"
had shot himself and Mrs. Thaycr
called up the Manhasset mill and told
her husband who hurried home. Mr..
Thayer and Mrs. Herindeen returned
to the cellar and found McDufFee
lying on the woodpile, one foot bent
up under him and one leg stretched
out straight According to Mr..
Thayer il first appeared AZ il the man
had shot his head entirely of, but
when Medical Examiner Dr. F. A.
MorreIl arrived and turned the body
over IL was found that oHly the top Of
i the head, from the eyes, was missing.
The body was resting on the gun with
which McDuffee ended his life. Ono
shell was exploded, the other barrel
containing a loaded she'll The medi-
cal examiner gave permission for the
removal of the body to the undertake
+ ing rooms Of l.. Il. Smith.
That McDuifee had contemplated the
act was evidenced by several notes he
/ left. These are in the hands OF Town
Clerk David f'lagg, whom Mr.. Me-
| Duffee had requested to take charge
of his affairs 1t is understood that the
! last note written was to the effect that
/ if people realized how he had suffered
they would not blame him for what he
had done.
One note was written last week
Thursday, another Friday, and anoth-
err still later. Remarks that McDuffos
had made are now fraught with sig
nifcanee, although nothing was
thought Of them at the time. Not long
ago he told Town Clerk Flagg that II
anything happened to him, McDufee.
he wanted him, Mr. Flagg, to look out
for his affairs. While playing cards In
the Arcanum Club last Friday evening
he sseemed sober and made the re-
mark that he wasn't going to stand =
apparently meaning the pain) much
longer.
McDuifee married in New York city
(Ca.A;nuad IN Paaa Iual