Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1921-08-26
WALTER H. LIPE
TAKES HIS LIFE
Body Found Hanging in Garage
Married Brattleboro Girl
Thought TO Have Become Mentally, DE.
ranged Because He Sold Holdings IN
4 n Beechnut Packing Co. q A

y N Walter H. lipe, who married Miss
Christina Gootul # Brattleboro, daugh
4 ter of the late Col. Ezra X. Goodall
committed suicide Saturday night by
hahging in his garage on his premises n
Cana ohurie n. Y. The motive for his
act is a mystery He was expected tC
leave Cana ioharie for New York Sun
day afternoon to take up his new duties
as vice president of the American Sugar
Refining Co. -..
The unaccountable act of Mr.. Lipe
who was ~ years old, came as great
shock TO the many friends of Mr.. and
Mrs. Lpe in Brattleboro as well as else
where. Mrs. I.ipe lived in Brattleboro al
through her young womanhood, the Good
all home being on Putney road. now
owned and occupied by ID. Il. NIcElhinny
and attended the Brattleboro high school
She ond her family have visited here
many time since her marriage.
40 In the absence of his wife and two
Hdaughters, who were away from the Lipe
home ON a vacation, the death of the
sugar refining company official went un
noted for several hours. Soon after dawn
man who had been hired to do some
work on the automobile, arrived at the
garage next door to the pretentious Lipe
home. -~
For q short time the man was busy at
his work and then he happened to glance
up at a stairway leading from the garage
proper to the upper floors. He saw the
form of a man dangling from the stairway
railing and recognized the man as MIR
Lipe.
With the assistance of others he cut
down the body. All efforts to revive Mr.
Lipe were unsuccessful, and later it was
established that he had apparently
hanged himself Saturday night.
Mr.. Lipe, before being elected vice
IL A -,
Co., was general manager of the Beech
nut Packing Co. of Canajohare He was
regarded as millionaire when he sold
his interests in the Beechnut Packing Co
early this year. The news of his suicide
was received with amazement by officials
of the Beechnut Packing Co. Those who
could be reached by newspapGmen said
they could think of no reason why he
should take his life.
He is supposed to have become mentally
unbalanced owing to more or less fancied
physical and financial difficulties. He
carried life insurance aggregating several
hundred thousand dollars and short
time ago tried to take out $150000 more
but after examination was refused. Since
then he had been melancholy at times.
Early in the business slump following
the close of the war Mr. Lipe became fear
full as to the future of the Beechnut Pack
in building up to extremely large proper
tions, and No words from his justiiably
optimistic partners seemed to have any
effect upon him, although the company
was in excellent condition in every way
and doing a large business Finally tC
relieve him of all Beechnut cares his in
terests were bought by Others and subse
quent events have demonstrated that his
fears for the safety of the business were
groundless.
For years he had done much for Cana.
joharie. He loved the place and the big
business he had been so prominently
identified with, and the fact that he had
disposed of his interests and was to leave
the place, together with physical ailments
undoubtedly produced mental derange-
ment.
Mr.. Lipe was good public speaker
and often addressed conventions relative
to pure food, the packing of provisions
etc L ,.riDg the war he was a tireless
worker for the Re Cross and all efforts
calling for war finances.
Besides his VIII NO leaves two dasgh.
tiers, Nirginia and l;psann, also his father
sisters and brotAers.