HOUSDEN, DAVID - On last Thursday evening (14 May 1896), Mr. David Housden s/o Mr. James Housden, near Newport, Va. started out to the woods, having told his family that he was going squirrel hunting and in a short while they heard the report of the gun but thought nothing of it and very soon they heard a tremendous report from the gun again, but still thought nothing of it.

But when the young man failed to return at the proper time they set out in search of him, and quite a number of the citizens of the neighborhood had soon joined the searching party and they scoured the woods all night, but failed to get any trace of him but next morning he was found lying cold in death in a pool of blood.

It was evident to the searching party that he had deliberately taken his own life.

He had discharged the load that was in the gun and put in a double charge instead and had supplied himself with a forked stick about 3 feet in length and place the muzzle of the gun just over the heart and pushed the trigger with his forked stick.

The load passed through tearing his heart all to pieces and the large charge of shot were lodged just under the skin on the other side.

It is evident that he had planned well laid death was produced without a struggle.

David was of a good family and had just lately married a nice girl.

He leaves an aged father and mother and a young wife and perhaps others to mourn his untimely and terrible death to whom the Herald would extend heartfelt sympathy.

It is evident that no person who is rightly balanced and fully rational at the time will commit such a deed as this one.

We have failed to learn of any trouble that could have caused such a thing and we feel sure that the young man had become unbalanced in his mind and committed the terrible deed in a fit of derangement. May God bless the bereaved ones with grace and fortitude to bear up under this sore trial.

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