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VETERAN DROWNS HIMSELF IN LAKEBorrowed Quoits From Friend, andt Tying Them Around His Neck, Jumped Into Four and a Half Feet of Water.RICHMOND, VA—Special —John Huddleston, un old soldier, an inmate of I-et» Camp Senders' Home, was found dead in the lake near the boathouse in William Byrd Park this afternoon at 1 o'clock,A Journal reporter first discovered the body, which could be seen on the bottom of the lake, about fifteen feet front the boat landing. Sergeant Wiley, of the city puttee force, was al the time directing the ^ragging of the lake, and the sergeant, following the discovery «*f the newspaper man, dragged up the body.Around the neck and under the left anti of the old soldier was tied a rope, from which was swung three quoits! weighing twenty pounds. With this . ght Weight Huddleston sunk in about lour and a halt feet of water. The body was turned over to the county coroner by Sergeant Wiley,Veteran Huddleston entered the Soldiers' Home «n September 17. ISQtJ. lie came from Chesterfield county, where f«»r »r„ *ie years he had lived the lif** of a farmer, lie was a man of good hit bite and Was said to be one of the meet popular men at the home, both with his comrades and the management. He was a private in Company K. Twelfth Regiment of \ irginia In fax. try, and had an excellent was record.Being somewhat deaf, the old soldi ed was in the habit of having his paper read to him every afternoon. He was a great render and subscribed to the local afternoon papers. Yesterday afternoon, the friend who usually read to him missed him, and going to his room found the following note, written on the back of an old «*nvi‘lope:“Mr. Saunders,—I am going to use Swann's quoits. If he don't get them back, tell whoever goes In my trunk to pay him for them,JOHN IIL'DDLKSTOX.Huddleston must have slept in his bed a part of last night, for it appeared to have been used. He was seen at f. o’clock this morning seated on the steps of the boat ho use in the park. Later his gray coat and hat were found by the watchman hanging on the top of a lead pipe at the landing. That was the first clew.This morning both the county and «*?£ PCI lee were notified. Sergeant v\ Hey went out to the park until about noon. Some who saw the coat and hat were Inclined to think the old soldier was merely asleep in the woods nearby, but the police sergeant secured a boat and with the assistance of a county officer went out in the lake. A Journal reporter arrived at this Juncture and suggested that the rear end of a small electric launch would give the suicide the deepest point of the lake he could have expected to reach. Standing on the end of this launch the reporter saw the body at the bottom of the lake and called the attention of the police thereto, A rake used as a drag at once brought up the body.The funeral of Veteran Huddleston wlli take place from the Soldiers' Home, announcement of the hour of which will be made later. At the time the body was found there were several of Hie Inmates of the home present to identify it.
Newspaper Details
Mathews Journal
Mathews, Virginia, US
Thu, Jul 06, 1911
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Connie B.
USA 27 Jan 2024
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Mathews Journal
