Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-07
SUICIDE SECUTED
BY BOYS FATHER
Explains Theory of Acct
dental Death as Young
WiIIett's Body Is Cremated.

prepared for cremation To-Day: Aiai
III. Willett, father of the boy VINO sho.
himself at Central High Schooi Oh
Friday. issued a statement for puplica-
tion in which he sets forth the rea-
sons for his theory that the BOY
action could not have been intentlonai'
Funeral services for young "iiie't
were held Yesterday. Only meH"ei9
of the immediate family we're present
Rev. ULYSSES G. r. Pierce. pastor OF
All Souls Unitarian Church. cohuuc'-
ed the services. ,, J.,
full: ,
so much unavoidable publicity mas
attended the death of my son. Aiiah
Herbert Willett, ir., that ! feel JUS
tilted in writing the following letter TO
the public setting forth the reasons
why his family and friends ma IL ap-
solutely impossible to believe that
Herbert sought his own death.
Based on Inference.
"Of the manner of his death there
is no question. 1t occurred III cor
ridor of Central High School and was
caused by a bullet fired from re-
yolyer held in his own hand. AS
death was practically instantaneous.
there was no opportunity for any
apte-mortem statement. Conclusions
AS to whether the act was intentional
+ or accidental must be based entirely
on Inference.
There are two circumstances, and
two only, which can he cited as 1ndl-
cative of suicidal intent. the location
of the wound. which showed that the
point of the revolver must have been
held against the side of the head, and
the final remark made to the other
Young man present at the moment of
the shooting. But when all the facts
are taken into consideration. these
two circumstances are no less con-
sistent with the idea that the whole
thing was a foolish act of bravado in
tended TO startle and amuse his COM
panion.
1.-THE latter supposition is unfor-
.tunately quite in harmony with previ-
Gus acts on Herbert's part. Firearms
always seemed to have an unusual
fascination for him and he had more
than once in the past been checked
and reproved for acts of carelessness
with them. The revolver used by him
on this occasion belonged to an older
brother, by whom il was practically
never used. 1t was found loaded in
Herbert's possession a number of
weeks ago, and we learned that he had
been carrying 1t in his pocket and
using it, together with friend, to
shoot at a target.
On that occasion the revolver was
returned to its owner with the request
That 1t be put out of sight and reach.
We now have reason to believe that
1t was found by Herbert about two
weeks ago and taken by him to the
high school, where it had since been
kept in his locker when it was not on
his person this. of course, without the
4 knowledge, and still more without the
consent, of his parents. How much
use had been made of it by him in the
meantime we do not know.
Old and Out of Repair.
The revolver was old and out Of
repair. 1t was SO worn that the trig.
ger when drawn back frequently did
= not catch at all or caught only by a
hair and was dislodged by the slightest
jar or pressure. For that reason &C.
cldental discharge was only too easy
AT the time of the shooting it con-
tanned only one cartridge. That it
contained one cartridge might easily
have been unknown or overlooked, but
that ii should not contain more than
one cartridge seems most remarkable
on the supp0sition OF suicidal intent.
1.-THE exact location of the wound
and the nature of the boys last re-
Z mark are of little significance in his
connection. They are certainly as
consistent with the idea of accident
resulting from an act of bravado as
with that of suicidal intent. The
head is the most natural place at
I which TO point pistol in jest, and
TO. person Of Herbert's temrera-
ment and character sacrilegious re-
mark that might be made in isst
would be utterly impossible i'm a seri-
Gus moment
Every attendant circumstance
makes the idea OF suicide more i'm
probable. Herbert was thoughtfuily
affectionate and very fond of his
friends. OF all the young people of
his acquaintance there was no one
TO whom he was more attached than
the lad who was with him at the
time of his death. 1t would lie en-
tireiy foreign to Herbert's character
voluntarily to subject his friend to
the narrowing experience inseparable
from de@th from violence in his very
presence.
Herbert. while not shy. was of
retiring disposition. He Stunned.
rather than sought, public attention
The last thing that he could he
thought Of as doing would be to SCI
lect such time and place for a yolun-
larry act of self-destruction. Both
his dislike for notoriety and his habit
uaI thoughtfulness for others makes
the idea Of such a selection on his
part inconceivable TO those who knew
him.
Absence Of Note Cited.
almost invariably young people
who seek self-destruction leave behind
some form of written statement in
professed explanation Of their act. In
lierbert's case not scrap of writing
has been found, either written for the
occasion or written earlier, to indi-
cate that he had ever had such an act
in contemplation.
His earlier behavior on the morn
ing Of his death is utterly irreconcila-
BILE with the idea that at that time he
had suicide in mind. On the way TO
school in The auto he discussed his
plans for the afternoon and evening
in a perfectly normal manner and con-
tfnued the conversation with his
mother in the same tone after they
two had entered the high school build
ing. 1t is beyond the bounds of posi-
biiity that he should have gone al
most directly to carry out a premedi-
lated plan OF self-destruction.
These circumstances Immediately
connected with the tragedy furnish no
justification for the assumption of sui
cidal intent. Even weightier evidence
of the accidental character of the act
is TO be found in the entire absence OF
motive for self.destruction. 1t could
not have been caused by any fear CT
disgrace. Not a breath of suspicion