The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1922-03-02
nesOondent Ex-service Man
Ends Life With His
Revolver
LOVE AFFAIR HAS
FATAL TERMINATION
declared that He Could Not
Live Without Another
Mans Wife

80 veteran, Monday afternoon took
y. M ovn life by shooting himself thru
~. ~ heart at his home in this city.
n..noudency ~ over i'll health and dis
,npointment in love is thought to
have been responsible for his act.
In the house with Kershaw at the
fine Of the shooting was Mrs. w. I.
Hardin Of Bend, Oregon, who was the
nrincipal witness at the coroner's in
n,est Mrs. Hardin, who was for
merly the widow of William Cloyd,
testified that she and Kershaw had
been sweethearts prior to her mar
riare to Hardin, that Kershaw was
,till enamored of her and wanted her
70 leave her husband and come with
him.
Her testimony revealed the fact that
since her removal to Bend they have
kent up correspondence and that his
letters have been addressed to her as
Mrs. H.. G. Kershaw. She admitted
that during the early part Of Febru-
ary be sent her money to pay her fare
70 Kennewick. She arrived Friday
and was visiting at the home of her
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. C. S. Boies,
who reside near Finley and where Mr..
Kershaw has been staying for a week
during the illness of Mr.. Boies.
Monday morning Kershaw tele-
phoned to Mrs. Hardin to meet him be-
tween here and Finley on the S., P.
4 s. tracks. Accompanied by her
young son she walked from her ia
TIERS home and met Kershaw. They
talked over their love affair and he
again renewed his plea that she leave
her husband. Her reply, she said,
was that she was happily married
and she could not consider getting a
divorce, at least not now. During
the conversation Kershaw persuaded
her to come on into town and they
went to his home in the Garden Tracts
where she prepared his dinner.
Following the meal he suggested
that she lie down and rest while he
and the little boy came to the post
office. He said he was expecting a
letter from the government regarding
his application for compensation. He
soon returned with the information
tnat the train was late and the eastern
mail was not in yet. He went from
the room where she was resting into
ms bedroom. Presently she was
aroused by the report of the gun and
hls cry for her. She found him lying
upon his back on the bed. As she
entered the room he said eco call the
men," When she hesitated he re-
peated the words and she called Rus
sell Monroe who was working nearby
VI. e. d. Hopper was summoned and
pronounced the man dead when he
arrived.
Inc gun, 38-calibre revolver, was
found on the floor between the bee
ana the wall. 1t was identified as one
purcnased at the Columbia Second
nAnd store by Kershaw last fall.
IA the dead mans pockets a hastil,
written note was found. 1t was ad
ulessed to the mans half brother anc
lead: "Mitchell-Take charge of m,
property and pay all my expenses.
nave Sll2 in the American Securit,
Bank - :
within half an hour after the ira
seoy Justice c. Staser, acting as cor
ouer and assisted by Deputy Prose
su'or George o. Beardsley, had sum
%oned a jury. The inquest, which wa
Desun at the bedside of the dead ma,
m ras later concluded in the City Hall
.ne Iury,s verdict was that Kershav
'ame to his dead by suicide.
Mrs' Hardin testified that he ha,
aequently said he would take hi
..;.a asa NE, saying that he could not liv
~ saoue her and that he had renewe,
s @e threat during their walk up tn
- u,oad track. Later he had suggest
- mat the best way out perhaps wa
vt MIN to return to the army.
" Aresnaw, who was a nephew of D,
10y hudson, came to Kennewic
- .oIt two and a half years ago fror
MS home In NI:a.