(Veteran) Len Gilbert Suicides

Takes Life Sunday Afternoon at the McQuarrie Lumber Office. Despondency The Cause.

Len Gilbert, an old and respected citizen of this city, shot himself with a 38 *calibre revolver at about 2 o’clock last Sunday afternoon at John McQuarrie’s lumber office, death resulting in about half an hour.

Mr. Gilbert was working for Mr. McQuarrie and they had been sitting in the office talking just before noon. Mr. McQuarrie went to dinner and when he returned he found the door locked and supposed Mr. Gilbert had gone home.

He unlocked the door and to his surprise found Mr. Gilbert lying in the rear of the office with his head resting on a chair. He thought he was asleep, at first, but soon found that the “last sleep” was soon to overtake him, for a pool of blood on the floor told the sad story.

Dr. Langstaff was called but he was beyond human agencies. Coroner Pierce took the body to his morgue but the circumstantial evidence of suicide, including a note to the G.A.R. to bury him, was so strong that an inquest was not held.

The funeral was held at the family residence in Dexterville at 10 o’clock yesterday morning, Rev. J. G. Shick, of the Methodist church officiating. Interment was made in the Blair cemetery under G.A.R. auspices.

Mr. Gilbert had been in ill health for some time often complaining of a severe pain in his head that nothing seemed to relieve. He had also been unfortunate in some business transactions, but was nevertheless in comfortable circumstances.

He was 69 years of age and lived at Ft. Calhoun for many years but was a resident of Herman at the time of the cyclone, moving to this city after the awful calamity that almost wiped that town off the map.

He was twice married and leaves three children by his first wife, Louis, who lives in Idaho, Mrs. Charles Dorsey, of Osceola, Neb. and Mrs. Ella Williams, of Overton, Neb. A widow and four children survive him in this city. A son, Ira, was killed in Calhoun a few years ago by the caving in of a wall at the brick yard.

Besides those mentioned deceased leaves three brothers, Ira, of Irvington, John, of Los Angeles and Thos. Who lives at Calhoun. Also two sisters, Mrs. Hattie Stowe and Mrs. Fanny Stilts, both of whom live in Colorado.

Blair Democrat 24 Oct 1907

TAKES HIS OWN LIFE

The community was shocked Sunday afternoon when it was learned that Len Gilbert, an old and respected citizen of this place had committed suicide by shooting himself in the right temple with a 38 *calibre revolver.

Mr. Gilbert, who was about sixty-nine years old, had for the past year been working at the McQuarrie lumber yards, and on Sunday morning dropped into the office to visit with his employer. At about 1:30 Mr. McQuarrie went home to his dinner, leaving Mr. Gilbert thee alone. When he returned he found the front door locked and after getting into the office fund Mr. Gilbert sitting on the floor with his back against a low rocking chair and gasping for breath.

As Mr. Gilbert had been telling Mr. McQuarrie about his family troubles in the morning and seemed very melancholy, the first thought of McQuarrie’s was that he had taken poison and he immediately phoned for a physician. Before the doctor arrived Mr. McQuarrie called Jake Smith into the office and it was then that they found what had really happened. The wound was dressed as soon as the physician arrived, but Mr. Gilbert was beyond all human aid and passed away about twenty-five or thirty minutes after the shooting.

Upon a table in the rear room of the McQuarrie office was found a wooden box that had just recently been made. It was nailed tightly and upon the top was written, “Charles Doesey, Osceola, Polk county Nebraska.” The box weighted about ten pounds and evidently contained papers that Mr. Gilbert wanted preserved. This was taken in charge by the coroner and will be turned over to the parties it was intended for. A note was also found, and among other things, stated that it was domestic troubles that had caused him to do the deed, and requested that his remains be taken in charge by the old soldiers and laid to rest with his comrades.

The remains were taken in charge by Coroner Pierce and no inquest was held. The funeral was held Tuesday from the home. Mr. Gilbert was an old settler in this county, having lived for a number of years in the early days at Calhoun where he owned a farm. This he later sold and invested the proceeds in some Blair property. Later on he traded this property for a farm down in Arkansas which proved to be worthless. This preyed upon his mind a great deal, and with other troubles was doubtless the cause of him taking his own life. Mr. Gilbert lived in Herman at the time of the cyclone and lost nearly everything he had at that time. He was chief of police in this city under Mayor O’Hanlon, and a member of the Grand Army post.

The gun with which Mr. Gilbert killed himself was one that had been taken from an Italian by Jonas Burcham some years ago and was given by him to Mr. Gilbert when he was on the police force.

*The way it was spelled in the article.

Note: Since the actual death date was not given, the news article date was used.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~