The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-03-18
J.PAUL SPENCE
TIRED OF LIVING
Gave Up Long Fight For Health
and Ended All With a
Bullet.

A victim of nervous break-downs from
| which he had suffered for twenty year:
and despairing of ever regaining his
health, Prof. J. Paul Spence, age 53, put
| an end to his life at the home of his
brother, J. G. Spence, in this city Sun
day evening He took his life with 6
80 calibre revolver. He went to the bath
room, locked himself in, seated himself
on the commode, pressed the muzzle OF
the gun to his right temple, pulled the
trigger and the bullet went to his brain
The mufled shot disturbed no one in
the house and the suicide was discovered
only when sister heard him groaning
in the throes of death. The door to
the bathroom was forced open. with an
axe. The shot was fired about
o'clock. Prof. Spence breathed his last
about o'clock.
Financial troubles had nothing to do
with the suicide. Paul Spence was
thrifty. He had money in bank and
owned Courtney Terrace. I.otel prop
erty at Virginia Beach from the rentals
of which he derived an income of ST.
500 a year. His wife came from a fam
lily of considerable wealth and he did
not have to worry about the, security
of her future. He had insurance to the
amount of about $4,000 in force on his
life.
But Paul Spence was tired of living.
When he was pastor of the Baptist
Church in Hertford 20 years ago he
had his first nervous breakdown. He
was slow to recover. He never quite
regained his health. Quitting the min
istry he took up the profession of peda-
gogy. He was for several years prin-
cipal of the public schools of Norfolk,
Va. and there gained a national reputa-
ti;,1, as an educator. He married in Nor
folk and everything seemed to be going
we'll with him.. But his health broke
again. In 1918 his first wife died. He
broke completely after that and was Sc
riously i'll for months.
In the fall of 1919 he had so far re-
covered that he accepted the position
of superintendent of schools of Eberton,
Ga. There he met and married Miss
Estelle Cauthern, a young woman of re
finement, culture and social prominence.
BY this wife he was momentarily ex-
pecting a child when he killed himself
Sunday evening.
1t was last December when Prof.
Spence's health gave way for the last
time. He became so ill that his broth
ers persuaded him to come to Eliza
beth City. 1t was believed he would re
cover. He took rooms for himself and
wife at Mrs. Britton's on South Road
st.
Sunday afternoon he was persuaded
to go for a walk with his brother, J. G.
Spence After the walk he went to the
Iatter's home. He did not indicate that
suicide was on his mind.
Half an hour after he had put bull
let into his brain his wife left her
rooms on Road st. and went to the home
of ]. G. Spence where her husband was
dying. She did not know what had hap
pened She had only a premonition.
When the news was broken to her she i
and had to be taken back to
her rooms.
Prof. Spence is survived by three CHI
lren by his first wife; the oldest Lota, |
aged 10; Paul, aged s, and Charles, aged
g. There are also two brothers, of this |
city, Joseph G. Spence and Judge George
J. Spence; and one sister, Miss Sarah
Spence,