New-York tribune., 1921-11-29

lat was sent to me-"
The message which Mr.. Little re-
ceived yesterday afternoon began as
a routine business memorandum, in
forming him where certain papers con-
Whlttlesey was in charge could be
found. Then came the brief sentence
which Mr.. Little knew as soon as he
saw 1T, although scarcely able to credit
his eyes, was Colonel Whittlesey's
goodby.
II will not return" the message con-
cluded. That was all except the sig
nature.
The only other message from Colonel
sent to John B. Pruyn, another init
mate friend. with whom he was asso-
Grated in the practice Of law until he
went TO the Platts burgh training camp.
In 1T Mr.. Pruyn was asked to notify
IS family.
The messages we're doubly incred-
Bile because neither his associates in
had the slightest idea that Colonel
Whittlesey had any intention of 60
ing TO Havana, the first port of the
Toloa, or starting upon any other
lengthy trip. No one knew definitely
even that he was out of the city, al
though he had sailed Saturday noon
on the United Fruit ship.
The messages squared with the
knowledge Colonel Whittlcsey's friends
had of the incessant demands upon his
time and sympathies, however, in
way which left no doubt in the minds
Of any of them, even those with whom
he had been most cheerful and most
nearly care free, that he had given
way mentally and had taken his life,
Most of them are of the opinion that
the eliminating point in his mental
distress came with the ceremony for
the Unknown Soldier at Arlington
Cemetery on Armistice Day, in which
Colonel Whittlesey was one Of the
pallbearers.
His mind stopped" said Mr.. Little
"It had all it could bear, remarkable
mind though it was. don't think
there is man in the country who has
had the trying experiences Colonel
Whittlesey has had in the last two
years.
Friend of All War Sufferers
"He was the hero who was always
accessible. He went out of his way
to make himself accessible to those
who thought he could help them. The
disabled, the jobless, the friendless, the
widows of the war-all of them were
on his mind constantly.
"For the last two years there scarce
ly has been an hour when the grief
and the horror of the war were not
brought vividiy and specifically before
him. Beneath these myriads of minute
burdens, each vexatious and all of them
constituting a tremendous load, Colonel
Whittlescy was thinking deeply along
broad lines, sounding for causes end
casting about for remedies
"The elimination came. I believe,
with the ceremony for the Unknown
Soldier in Washington. I didn't real
ize it SO much myself, but others in
the Office say that he seemed unusu-
ally depressed ever since his return"
Similar opinions were expressed by
Mr.. Pruyn and by Colonel Whittlesey's
uncle, c. w. Whittlesey, of 81 East
Fifty-eighth Street Mr. Whttlesey
two weeks his nephew had been in
clined TO be moody. There also was ain
accentuation, he thought, of nervous
cough, to which Colonel Whttlesey had
been subject ever since he was gassed
overseas.
A friend of Colonel Whittlesey, who
has lived for more than ten years in
the same house with him at 1856 East
Forty y-fourth Street, was the only one,
so lar as mas Deen aScerTalned, to
whom Colonel Whittlesey even had
mentioned vague intention of taking
a sea trip in Southern waters.
1t was his recollection that Colonel
Whittlesey had mentioned the project
in an indefinite and almost Indifferent
way several weeks ago. Nevertheless
he was astounded, when he called up
Colonel Whittleseys Office yesterday
noon just to inquire whether he was
returning to his home that evening to
learn that Colonel Whittlesey was
thought to be out of town.
Trip Surprise to- Associates
Even that was not known definitely
at the Office. Colonel Whittlesey was
chairman of the Red Gross roll cam
paign for the New York County Chap
ter and had devoted as much Of his
/ time to that effort as possible, of
necessity absenting himself from the
office more than usual. He had been
at the Office Friday and had left word
that he would not be back Saturday
or Monday.
His associates remembered when the
news was received yesterday that he
had said nothing at all about coming
back. He had made arrangements to
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