New Britain herald., 1921-11-29
MEMORIES CAUSE
 HERDS DEATH
Secret Breeding Was Reason for
 WhittIeSey's Suicide
WONDERFUL WAR RECORD
Lieutenant Colonel Who Withstood a German Attack in the Argonne For est, Jumps From Boat On Way to Havana, Cuba.

Havana, Cuba.
 New York, November 29.-Secret breeding over the memories of his ex perience in the great war from which he emerged one of Americas greatest individual heroes was ascribed today by friends and relatives of Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey as the cause of his taking his life Sunday while on the way to Havana.
 Leaving several letters, presumably explaining his act, the commander of the Host battalion" disappeared from the steamship Toloa twenty-four hours out from New York. His inti- mate friends had no idea he was mali- ing an ocean voyage.
 Family Surprised.
 Members of his family and close as- sociates were increduluous at first when a wireless dispatch reported him missing. But as evidence accumulated, 1 they reluctantly came to the concu3. ion that the missing man was Colonel Whittlesey
 And then they began to recall in cidents, which, pieccd together in the light of his struggle of his tragic death, might have been recognized as indication that his spirit was shaken by recurrent memories of his brothers in arms who had died before his eyes in France.
 At Unknown Soldiers Funeral
 The last blow, they said more try ing than the rest, was in Washington fortnight ago when Colonel Whittle- sey took part in the funeral services for Americas unknown soldier. He returned from the capital more de- pressed than ever There he had met hundreds of former friends and had | marked anew the gaps in the ranks of the men he loved.
 His mind stopped" was the ex- planation of Robert Forsyth Little | of the law firm of White and Case | with which Colonel Whittlesey had been associated for about year. Tt had all it could beaf, remarkable mind through 1t was. I don't think | there was a man in the country who has had the trying experiences Colo nel Whittlesey has had in the past two years.
 War on His Mind
 He was the hero who was always | accessible to those who thought he could help them. The disabled, the jobless, the friendless, the widows of the War-al of them-were on his mind constantly. For the last two years there has scarcely been an hour when the grief and horror of the war was not brough wildly and specitical- ly before him."
 Col. Whittlesey had told no one ap- parently, that he was going to Havana. When he left his office Friday after noon it was with some cheery re- mark regarding Army-Navy football game, which he indicated he intended to see.
 Goes Away
 At his boarding house on East 44th street, he told friends he was going away ito be by myself--to rest" when he left Saturday morning with travelling bag. He was in the habit of , taking weekend trips and his going was unmarked by any unusual cir 
 Col. Whittlesey's uncle, c. w. ( of New York agreed with his nephew's legal associates that he { had come back from Arlington with unpleasant memories poignantly re- ( lwakened {
 John B. Pruyn, Col. Whittleseys c dose friend and former law partner llso shared the general view of the 'ause of the tragedy
 His experience in the army parti- 'ularly in the Argonne w&s a tre- nendous strain" he said If affected r Jim more than his friends knew. His vas always reserved nature and kept lis feelings to himself. He did not ,rcak down under this strain or any hing like it. To all appearances he was normal.
 In Washington '' But on ArmistiCe Day he went to Washington and took part in the cere- V monies as one of the medal of honor U nen. This added to what had gone ', efOre, was more than he could stand ,, there was no great change z, n him after he came back but in allIing today with those who knew T., i'm best l have come upon little de- l lils which insignificant in themselves n ldicate, when woven together. great II epression of spirit" Io
 Local Man Knew Whittlcscy. P Edwin N, Lewis, son of Mr and Irs. B. W. Lewis of Harrison street, q, his city, served in the famous lost to which was the 77th regi- lcnt of New York. This battalion as under the control of It. Col. a, Vhittlesey when it was lost in the s' rgonne forest
 Mir. Lewis, who was a captain while ~ l France for 1G months, was ap- ol ointed an adiutant by Lieut. Col. l' He wds not with the bat te lion, however, when it was lost, nc 1e to the fact that he was i'll and in nc hospital. Captain Lewis first en- m rd the service at Plattsburg and le are was appointed a second lleutcn- al 1t. At Camp Upton he was made st' st lieutenant and in France, a cap tn in. He is at present making his est 1me in New York where he is em-