Commits Suicide ~ C. E. Campbell

CAMPBELL

Posted By: Deborah Brownfield - Stanley (email)
Date: 9/8/2004 at 19:42:00

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, October 19, 1905

Between ten and eleven o'clock Tuesday night Officer Beck was called to the residence of MRS. HESTER A. BOLING, whose daughter, MRS. BESSIE MILLIKEN, makes her home with her -- to take charge of a man who was making a disturbance and a menace to them. When Beck, with Nick Leinen, got there they ordered the fellow to come out. He refused and stepped into another room, pulled a revolver from his pocket, put the muzzle of the weapon to the right side of his face, pressed the trigger, and the bullet which went through his head did the rest.

The dead man's name is C.E. CAMPBELL. He was about 47 years old and had never married. He claimed Chicago as his home, and was until recently, employed at the docks of the Western Transit Co. in that city.

Both MRS. MILLIKEN and CAMPBELL were raised at Fairfield, where they grew up together, and he was always very attentive to her, in fact insisted on her marrying him; this she refused to do, never giving him the slightest encouragement, and on her marriage to MR. MILLIKEN he became greatly incensed, but did not annoy her again until after the death of her husband, about one year ago, when he wrote to her and they have since kept up a casual correspondence. About ten days previous to the tragedy he came to Chariton and called at her home. She at first refused to admit him, but he begged her to treat him civil, saying that he would only be here a few days. She then allowed him to come into the house and during his stay he called there four times. On Sunday evening she told him he must not come again as she cared nothing for him and never could. He asked her to allow him to call on Tuesday evening, that day being her birthday, and said he would then leave town. She granted his request, and on that evening he again implored her to marry him, but she refused. He then asked her to loan him a book to read and she stepped into a dark room to get one and he followed her in there and seizing her with one hand he pulled a revolver from his poclet and said he would end the matter there.

Although thoroughly frightened, MRS. MILLIKEN begged him to do nothing that would bring disgrace on his family, and asked him to allow her to go and get a drink of water and then she would talk to him. He allowed her to go after extracting a promise from her that she would return. But MRS. MILLIKEN darted out the side door and ran to the home of Nicholas Leinen for assistance. That gentleman with Night Watchman Hans Beck, went to her home and asked him to come out, but he sad down on the bed and shot himself, dying almost instantly. The body was removed to Ekfelt's undertaking parlors.

The Coroner held an inquest in the Sheriff's office at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Harry Miller, Geo. Brown and W. Coles were sworn in as jurors. After listening to the evidence the jury brought in the following verdict:

He came to his death from his own hands from a gunshot wound in the right side of his head -- his revolver being held when found in his right hand, and no blame being attached to anyone.
--H.D. Miller,
Geo. Brown,
W. Coles.

The body was taken to Fairfield for burial by his sister.

MRS. MILLIKEN is one of our most highly respected ladies and no blame whatever attaches to her for the terrible affair which she deeply regrets. The unfortunate man comes from a good family and he undoubtedly brooded over the matter of his unrequited love until he became mentally unbalanced.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
September 8, 2004
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ialucas/Main.htm
posted at this site with Nancee's permission.
Deborah