Joseph Sjursen Marwick (1859-1918)

MARWICK, MARVICK, HANSON, DONHOWE, HENDERSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 4/30/2016 at 22:55:06

From Nevada Representative May 13, 1918 (front page)

JOSEPH MARWICK COMMITS SUICIDE

PRESIDENT OF STORY CITY NATIONAL BANK KILLS SELF WHILE DEMENTED BANK ABSOLUTELY SOUND

Story City, in fact all of the county were shocked Friday afternoon when they learned of the tragic end of Joseph Marwick, one of the founders of the Story City National Bank, who shot himself in the head at the home of daughter, Mrs. Walter Henderson near Randall. Mr. Marwick was alive when found and was at once rushed to the Story City Hospital, but he died without regaining consciousness.

As the news percolated about the community everyone was shocked and a very few afrighted ones went to the bank to withdraw their deposits, a needless precaution as Mr. Marwick, while President and one of the founders of the institution, had no active interest in the bank and never had, leaving its management entirely in the hands of the Bank's Cashier who was in active charge from its incorporation.

In fact, as soon as the news of the sad ending of the bank president reached their associate bank the Des Moines National, C. A. Reed, its first vice president rushed to the scene in a automobile with ten thousand dollars in currency and assured Mr. Donhowe, the cashier, that there was that much more ready at the command of the Institution if it was needed.

But happily no funds were needed, the affairs of the bank being in splendid shape, and as Mr. Marwick never had taken an active interest in the management of the bank he did not have anything to do with the funds. Other banks also offered to come to the assistance of the institution had it been needed, the other bank in Story City being among the first to offer help in case of need.

As the story of the suicide leaked out, it was seen that the well known citizen must have been suffering from dementia of some kind and even the farewell letter which he left the family showed evidence of an unbalanced mind.

For some time he has made his home with his various children so nothing was thought of his going to the Henderson home to visit nor did Mrs. Henderson think a great deal of his request shortly before noon on Friday for some writing paper. She gave him a sheet of letter paper and it was on this with a lead pencil that he wrote his farewell message, using an old magazine for a desk resting on his knee. He then said that he was going to an old picnic ground nearby and not to worry about him but to continue her house work which Mrs. Henderson did till her husband came for dinner when she remarked that her father had not come in and wondered where he was. She also repeated a strange remark he had made, regarding the number of crows that had been killed with Mr. Henderson's pistol.

With this as a clue, it was found that the little revolver was missing, and taking some staples and a hammer to ward off suspicion in case they came across him, Mr. Henderson and another man started out to hunt for Mr. Marwick. They found him at the bottom of an old gravel pit, the pistol clutched in his right hand and in his left a mirror which he had evidently taken from the home. He was then alive, and getting him back to the house, the Hendersons immediately notified the other members of the family and rushed him to the hospital, but too late to save his life, as one bullet had entered the forehead right at about the center of the edge of the hair and the other had been shot from the side judging from the wounds which were left.

After the body of the aged banker and real estate man had been removed to the hospital in his clothing was found his farewell letter which was read to the writer on Saturday afternoon. In this letter which was written in a steady hand, Mr. Marwick bid good bye to all his children thanked them for their tender care of him and repeatedly side he was trouble and had sinned greatly and that sin must be punished. He asked forgiveness for having committed the deed at the home of his daughter and after signing his name, in a post script, bid good bye to all his friends and business associates.

The letter showed that the man was laboring under a great mental strain of some kind and that he had a deranged mind or he would not have written as he did.

Now that the act has been accomplished, his associates can recall many little incidents in the past few months which showed at least a highly nervous temperment, in fact it was remarked by some that if something was not done to relieve his mind, he would be very liable to have nervous breakdown.

One significant fact which stands out and leads those who knew him best to believe that he had contemplated the rash step for some time happened early in the week, when he was about to start on a trip to Billings, Mont., where he had large interests. Usually he informally bid the family goodbye but on this occasion, on Tuesday he took pains to shake hands with each one and make it a personal farewell. Then when he returned on Thursday, it was known that he had not gone to Billings, but he never volunteered any information as to where he had been other than to say he had changed his mind and did not make the trip.

Joseph Marwick was fifty-nine years old and came to Story City about 1892 from Morris, Ill., going first into the mercantile business in which he engaged for several years, at one time being the operator of one of large stores in the city in which he made his home. Later he got into the real estate and banking business being one of the founders of the Story City National Bank and its president from the time of its foundation. He was also one the founders of the Citizen's National bank of Sisseton South Dakota and owned large interests at Billings, Montana.

Soon after coming to Story City he became affiliated with the Lutheran church and has always been a liberal supporter of all church activities as well as the civic interest of the community generally. His principal joy in life seemed to be his family and he has taken a great interest in them in fact one of the reasons which may lead to the rash act he did was that fact that his only boy, S. J. Marwick, is now at Phoenix, Arizona, practically incurable with tuberculosis. This boy was the apple of the father's eye and his grief was great that the boy was strong enough to succeed him a business way. It may have been the grief which seemed more than the aged man could bear.

Mr. Marwick leaves to mourn his untimely death, his mother, Mrs. Severt Marwick, five brothers and sisters as follows: S. S. Marwick of Morris, Ill., Rev. Lewis Marwick, M. O. Marwick of Story City, Andrew Marwick of Sisseton, South Dakota and Mrs. Mary Hanson of Story City. He also leaves five daughter and the son, Mrs. P. C. Donhowe, Mrs. Walter Henderson of Randall, Mrs. Melburn Donhowe and Miss Anna Marwick and the son S. J. Marwick of Phoenix, Arizona.

The funeral was held today from the Lutheran church.