He was 26 years old. Cause of death: Suicide. Source: Elmwood Records
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 30, 1869
Strange Suicide.
A Young Man Deliberately Hangs Himself.
No Cause Assigned for the Deed--No Clue to the Probably Cause.
Coroner's Inquest.
Alderman W.E. Ellis, was informed last evening, as he left the Mayor's office, after a session of the Board, that his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. Southwick, who had arrived from Chicago the evening previous, had committed suicide by hanging himself, at his house in Fort Pickering, during the afternoon. Mr. Ellis hurried home to find that this sad intelligence was but too true, and the young man, whom he had left but a few hours before, was cold and stiff in death.
There was no grown member of the family at home, at the time when the deed was done, and we are compelled to rely upon the statement of a negro servant girl and Mr. Ellis' little children, as to the particulars of the occurrence.
The girl state that Mr. Southwick had been about the place in the sun a good deal that day, and about two o'clock he came into the pantry where she was, took up the tablecloth and after examining it a moment (probably to see whether it was strong enough to bear his weight), he asked her if there was any chalk in the house. To this she replied "no," and went on with her vocations. Shortly after she saw him go to the clothesline and cut off a piece of it, but suspected nothing, and thought no more of it until one of Mr. Ellis' little children came to her and told her that "Uncle William" (Mr. Southwick) had hung himself int he stable, she went out to the stable and finding the door fastened on the inside, peeped through a crack and saw a sight that almost paralized her--Mr. Southwick hanging from a beam, in all the ghastly horrors of a death by strangulation.
As soon as she recovered her presence of mind sufficiently to do so, she ran over to the nearest neighbor, a Mr. Weiss, and informed him of what had happened. He hurried over, and in breaking in the door, cut down the body, which still was living, and tried to resuscitate it, but in vain--the vital spark fled in the course of a few moments, and the body lay stiff and stark under his hands.
Messengers were sent to convey the sad tidings to his sister, Mrs. Ellis, and to the Alderman; and arrangements were made for the inquest, which was held by Coroner Samelson during the evening, and a verdict returned in accordance with the facts as detailed above.
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 30, 1869
Strange Suicide.
A Young Man Deliberately Hangs Himself.
No Cause Assigned for the Deed--No Clue to the Probably Cause.
Coroner's Inquest.
Alderman W.E. Ellis, was informed last evening, as he left the Mayor's office, after a session of the Board, that his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. Southwick, who had arrived from Chicago the evening previous, had committed suicide by hanging himself, at his house in Fort Pickering, during the afternoon. Mr. Ellis hurried home to find that this sad intelligence was but too true, and the young man, whom he had left but a few hours before, was cold and stiff in death.
There was no grown member of the family at home, at the time when the deed was done, and we are compelled to rely upon the statement of a negro servant girl and Mr. Ellis' little children, as to the particulars of the occurrence.
The girl state that Mr. Southwick had been about the place in the sun a good deal that day, and about two o'clock he came into the pantry where she was, took up the tablecloth and after examining it a moment (probably to see whether it was strong enough to bear his weight), he asked her if there was any chalk in the house. To this she replied "no," and went on with her vocations. Shortly after she saw him go to the clothesline and cut off a piece of it, but suspected nothing, and thought no more of it until one of Mr. Ellis' little children came to her and told her that "Uncle William" (Mr. Southwick) had hung himself int he stable, she went out to the stable and finding the door fastened on the inside, peeped through a crack and saw a sight that almost paralized her--Mr. Southwick hanging from a beam, in all the ghastly horrors of a death by strangulation.
As soon as she recovered her presence of mind sufficiently to do so, she ran over to the nearest neighbor, a Mr. Weiss, and informed him of what had happened. He hurried over, and in breaking in the door, cut down the body, which still was living, and tried to resuscitate it, but in vain--the vital spark fled in the course of a few moments, and the body lay stiff and stark under his hands.
Messengers were sent to convey the sad tidings to his sister, Mrs. Ellis, and to the Alderman; and arrangements were made for the inquest, which was held by Coroner Samelson during the evening, and a verdict returned in accordance with the facts as detailed above.
He was 26 years old. Cause of death: Suicide. Source: Elmwood Records
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 30, 1869
Strange Suicide.
A Young Man Deliberately Hangs Himself.
No Cause Assigned for the Deed--No Clue to the Probably Cause.
Coroner's Inquest.
Alderman W.E. Ellis, was informed last evening, as he left the Mayor's office, after a session of the Board, that his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. Southwick, who had arrived from Chicago the evening previous, had committed suicide by hanging himself, at his house in Fort Pickering, during the afternoon. Mr. Ellis hurried home to find that this sad intelligence was but too true, and the young man, whom he had left but a few hours before, was cold and stiff in death.
There was no grown member of the family at home, at the time when the deed was done, and we are compelled to rely upon the statement of a negro servant girl and Mr. Ellis' little children, as to the particulars of the occurrence.
The girl state that Mr. Southwick had been about the place in the sun a good deal that day, and about two o'clock he came into the pantry where she was, took up the tablecloth and after examining it a moment (probably to see whether it was strong enough to bear his weight), he asked her if there was any chalk in the house. To this she replied "no," and went on with her vocations. Shortly after she saw him go to the clothesline and cut off a piece of it, but suspected nothing, and thought no more of it until one of Mr. Ellis' little children came to her and told her that "Uncle William" (Mr. Southwick) had hung himself int he stable, she went out to the stable and finding the door fastened on the inside, peeped through a crack and saw a sight that almost paralized her--Mr. Southwick hanging from a beam, in all the ghastly horrors of a death by strangulation.
As soon as she recovered her presence of mind sufficiently to do so, she ran over to the nearest neighbor, a Mr. Weiss, and informed him of what had happened. He hurried over, and in breaking in the door, cut down the body, which still was living, and tried to resuscitate it, but in vain--the vital spark fled in the course of a few moments, and the body lay stiff and stark under his hands.
Messengers were sent to convey the sad tidings to his sister, Mrs. Ellis, and to the Alderman; and arrangements were made for the inquest, which was held by Coroner Samelson during the evening, and a verdict returned in accordance with the facts as detailed above.
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 30, 1869
Strange Suicide.
A Young Man Deliberately Hangs Himself.
No Cause Assigned for the Deed--No Clue to the Probably Cause.
Coroner's Inquest.
Alderman W.E. Ellis, was informed last evening, as he left the Mayor's office, after a session of the Board, that his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. Southwick, who had arrived from Chicago the evening previous, had committed suicide by hanging himself, at his house in Fort Pickering, during the afternoon. Mr. Ellis hurried home to find that this sad intelligence was but too true, and the young man, whom he had left but a few hours before, was cold and stiff in death.
There was no grown member of the family at home, at the time when the deed was done, and we are compelled to rely upon the statement of a negro servant girl and Mr. Ellis' little children, as to the particulars of the occurrence.
The girl state that Mr. Southwick had been about the place in the sun a good deal that day, and about two o'clock he came into the pantry where she was, took up the tablecloth and after examining it a moment (probably to see whether it was strong enough to bear his weight), he asked her if there was any chalk in the house. To this she replied "no," and went on with her vocations. Shortly after she saw him go to the clothesline and cut off a piece of it, but suspected nothing, and thought no more of it until one of Mr. Ellis' little children came to her and told her that "Uncle William" (Mr. Southwick) had hung himself int he stable, she went out to the stable and finding the door fastened on the inside, peeped through a crack and saw a sight that almost paralized her--Mr. Southwick hanging from a beam, in all the ghastly horrors of a death by strangulation.
As soon as she recovered her presence of mind sufficiently to do so, she ran over to the nearest neighbor, a Mr. Weiss, and informed him of what had happened. He hurried over, and in breaking in the door, cut down the body, which still was living, and tried to resuscitate it, but in vain--the vital spark fled in the course of a few moments, and the body lay stiff and stark under his hands.
Messengers were sent to convey the sad tidings to his sister, Mrs. Ellis, and to the Alderman; and arrangements were made for the inquest, which was held by Coroner Samelson during the evening, and a verdict returned in accordance with the facts as detailed above.
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