The Lamoni Chronicle
Lamoni, Iowa
June 22, 1905

YOUTH TIRED OF LIFE

VIRGIL STANLEY KILLS HIMSELF TUESDAY MORNING NEAR CALEDONIA - HAD ATTEMPTED MARRIAGE.

Virgil STANLEY, aged not quite nineteen years of age, ended his life this (Tuesday) morning at the home of his brother, Herbert STANLEY, in the southeast part of Poe township near Caledonia. He emptied one barrel of a shotgun into his body below the heart, dying two and a half hours later, at five o'clock.

STANLEY and his sweetheart, a young lady about his own age, drove Sunday, to Bethany, Mo., where they attempted to get married but failed because of their youth, no one would perform the ceremony. Returning home the young man left the young lady at her home and going three quarters of a mile to his own home busied himself in writing four notes to his mother, sweetheart, and his brother. In these notes he stated his intention of committing suicide, willed his team, buggy, and harness to his sweetheart, and asked to be buried in the Shaha cemetery.

STANLEY left his team standing still hitched to the buggy. The first that Herbert STANLEY and wife knew of his presence in the house was when he waked them by calling good-bye to them and almost at once they heard the shot. They ran to his side and found him fatally wounded. Medical aid was summoned, but his life ebbed away in a short time. He retained consciousness for some time, and spoke in tender terms of his sweetheart, besides expressing regret at his self-slaughter.

Coroner LESAN and Sheriff MILLER visited the STANLEY home this forenoon and held an inquest, C. A. CAMPBELL, J. A. MICKAEL and E. CORNELL being the jurors. They returned a verdict of suicide. - Mt. Ayr News.

Copied by Stacey McDowell Dietiker
June 16, 2003