The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-11-08
HARRY M. WOOD
KILLS HIMSELF
SENSATIONAL END OF PROMIN-
ENT INSURANCE MAN OF
NORTHERN MONTANA
Put Bullet Through Brain in Fit of
Dependency; Left an Estate VAL
ued at $4,000, and a Will Con-
tanning Peculiar Stipulations.

LII ACh Ill q low doIo oEOy lClA
an estate estimated to be of a value
in excess of $4,000. This fact
became known when, according to
instructions left in papers, which
he had prepared prior to his III
templated suicide, a safety deposit
box in his bank was opened by the
authorities. This development pre-
cludes any financial reasons for
his sensational end.
The estate is in the form of cash
in banks, securities for money, bonds,
stocks, cash due or renewal prem
iums as they become due from the
Mutual Life Insurance company, and
other effects. The instrument is dat
ed January 81, 1923, and is witness
ed by G.. G. Gregoire. 1t was found
on the top of a mass of securities,
bonds and other papers in the safety
deposit box.
Mr.. Woods body was found heaped
in a orn of his garage at the ear
of the Lee Forest farage on First
avenue north, shortly before 1 p. M.
Near him was found a .32 caliber
Smith & Wesson revolver, with which
he had shot himself through the
head. Blood from the wound had
run through the garage door into a
little pool on the alley entrance.
Mrs. M. A. Van Houten, a friend
of the dead man, who lives at the
Foley hotel, near the scene of
shooting, passed the garage on her
way to work at the Continental Oil
company's general office, saw the
pool and the police were summoned.
His body has been sent to Los An
geles for cremation, in accordance
with instructions found in his desk.
His will reads as follows:
This is the last will and testa-
ment of Mr.. Harrington Mead
Wood, made this twenty-seventh
day of January, A. d. n thousand
nine hundred and twenty-three, in
the city of Great Falls, county of
Cascade, state of Montana, as fol-
lows:
1 bequeath all my ready money,
cash in banks, securities for
money, bonds, stocks, cash due on
renewal premiums as they become
due from the Mutual Life Insur-
ance company of New York, goods
and chattels, office furniture and
all other parts of my real and per-
sonal estate and effects whatso-
ever and whosoever unto the fol-
lowing three persons, share and
share alike, viz: My brother,
Frederick w. Wood of Los Angel
es, California; my niece, Mary d.
Tufts of Los Angeles, California;
and my nephew, Arthur w. Dick
inson, of San Diego, California, or
to their respective heirs, executors
or assigns, to and for their absol-
ute use and benefit, subject only
to the payment of my just debts,
funeral expenses and testamentary
expenses.
And l hereby appoint Mr.. Sam
uel B. Chase of Great Falls, county
of Cascade, state of Montana, my
executor of this my will, to serve
without bond, and 1 hereby request
that three hundred dollars $4,000
be allowed him as compensation
therefor.
With an ample fortune, more in
fact than his friends were aware OF,
and an excellent business, Mr.. Wood
had nothing in a business or finan-
cial way to brood over, but it is
known that he did, and that his
trivial in a way, grew upon
MS mind until he became convinced
hat there was only n way out of
that by the revolver. One
the remarkable things in this con-
also is that Mr.. Wood never
vas a hunter or fisherman, and never
lsed a rifle, shotgun or revolver, and
s believed to have purchased the
Smith & Wesson revolver with which
le killed himself for the very pur-
,ose to which it vas put.
For a number of years past it has
noticed by friends that Mr..
Wood at times was very moody and
aciturn, and desired to be by him {
elf, and it is now plain to them that :
lis brooding at times affected his T
mind to a greater or less degree, and /,
t is believed that when he commit
ed the rash act he was suffering
rom one of his temporary alteration {
pells. t
Heavily Insured
The deceased was heavily insured, :
kinks ]. t. Owens, superintendent of \
gents for the Mutual Life. The poll l
les aggregate more than 100000, of |
Which most was carried in the New r
-ork Mutual. About a year ago the !.
isk in the latter company was $751; !.
90, but it is thought that he allowed l
ividends to be placed On additional
insurance which will increase the q
otal. :
A postscript on the instructions L
ound in Woods desk read: r
"P. SIN case of my death by v
-CCIDENT two policies will be found !,
l this desk, one in the U. S. Fidelity !
Dan & Guaranty Co., for 81 1000, and II
in the Illinoic Commercial Mems b
ssociation for $4,000" h
A note telling of the instructions" 4
as found near the car in the garage {
l which Mr.. Wood died. The in :
.ructions were dated October IL, v
922. :
Because the insurance named in