McMichael, William 'Will' 1863-1898

MCMICHAEL, FLEMMING

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 2/19/2013 at 17:55:15

Postville Review, Fri., 12 Aug. 1898.

Wm. McMichael, junior member of the firm of McMichael & Son, committed suicide by shooting, at McGregor last Thursday. They were prominent elevator men and dealt largely in grain. Their headquarters had been at McGregor until a year ago, when they went to Chicago, and it is said operated largely on the board of trade, losing heavily. They had just returned to McGregor, but the weight of the losses was too heavy for him to bear, and a pistol ended the scene in a moment. The moral is, be content with legitimate business, and avoid rash speculations. But man will not heed it.

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Added by Joy Moore on 11/25/2020:

Source: Decorah Republican Aug. 11, 1898 P 4 C 4

Suicide of Will McMichael
Monona Leader.—Word comes from McGregor that Will McMichael com­mitted suicide this morning. About half past eight o’clock he went into a room up stairs in the building occupied by his firm as an office, and shot him­self through the heart.

He was a son of Thos. McMichael, and a member of the firm of T. McMichael & Son, grain dealers. The past year or so the firm has had headquarters at Chicago, and a few days ago moved back to Mc­Gregor.

Will married the eldest daugh­ter of the late Jack Flemming, who died about four years ago leaving a son. The cause of the suicide is attributed to financial reverses in board of trade deals at Chicago, He was about 35 years of age.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows he was born in 1863 and is buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.