Obituary:  Walter Landis
 

Richland Co., Ohio

 
 

Obituaries

 
- - - - - -

Walter Landis

RICHLAND SHIELD & BANNER:  15 August 1896, Vol. LXXIX, No. 14

 
 
 

Submitted by Amy

 

Thursday -- Walter Landis, who died by his own hand at Bellville, was buried at 2 p.m. Wednesday from the residence of Lavina Bixler, Rev. J.W. Barnett officiating.  Interment was made in the Bellville Cemetery.

Later in the same paper ...

WALTER LANDIS KILLS HIMSELF  .... Jealously was the motive that prompted Walter Landis, who resided near Bellville, to end his existence rather abruptly Tuesday afternoon.

About 5 o'clock Tuesday afternoon Coroner Baughman received a telephone message from Dr. Stofer of Bellville to come there immediately and view the remains of Walter Landis, who resided 1½ miles southwest of that village.  He found that Landis had shot himself through the forehead about one and one-half inches above the left eye.  Death resulted in about a half hour after the shot was fired.

Landis was a young fellow, was 18 years and 8 months old.  He was married April 3, to Miss Cora Bixler, daughter of S.W. Bixler, a prosperous farmer who resides about a mile southeast of Bellville.  The marriage proved to be a happy one for but a short time.  Young Landis is reported to have been insanely jealous of his wife although it is reported, entirely without cause.

It appears that before his marriage Landis was employed in Shelby.  During that time, it is said, he forged a receipt, purporting to be from his landlord showing that his board had been paid.  This receipt when presented to his employers entitled him to his wages.  The forgery was discovered and the young man settled his bill and was not prosecuted.  It seems that he had some difficulty with a neighboring family near his home at Bellville, and they threatened to expose his shortcomings while employed at Shelby.  This fact together with the jealousy of his wife caused him to take his life.  It is reported that he told his wife on several different occasions that he intended to kill himself and that he would never allow her to live to become the wife of another man.

As stated before Mrs. Landis' parents live about three miles from her home, and she made trips back and forth to which her husband objected for the reason that she had to pass through Bellville on the way and it made him jealous if any other man spoke to his wife.

It seems that Monday night, Mrs. Landis stated her intention of going to the home of her parents.  Her husband objected as usual, but she carried out her idea, notwithstanding.  She started on the return trip Tuesday morning and met her husband in Bellville about 11 o'clock.  He greeted her pleasantly and accompanied her to within a short distance of her home, when he turned about and started back to Bellville.  It was about 2:30 o'clock when he came back from Bellville.  During his absence Mrs. Landis' father had arrived and was doing some work at the barn.

Landis greeted his wife as he came into the house, and immediately went upstairs.  In a short time his wife followed him up.  When she came into the room where he was he pulled out a revolver, and said he was going to carry out his determination to end his life.  His wife remembering his threat that he would never allow her to live to be the wife of another man, and fearing lest he would kill her ran down the stairs.  But a few minutes later the report of a revolver was heard.  Mr. Bixler, who was at the barn, heard the report and came running into the house.  They proceeded upstairs and saw Landis lying prostrate on his back, blood gushing from a gaping wound in his forehead and a smoking revolver clasped in his right hand.  An examination revealed that he was still breathing and Dr. Stofer of Bellville, was immediately sent for.  Before the doctor's arrival, which was about a half hour later, Landis had died.  Without disturbing the position of the dead man, Coroner Baughman was summoned.  He responded promptly and made an examination.  A verdict of suicide will be rendered.

It transpired that after Landis left his wife near his own home Tuesday noon, he went straight to Bellville and purchased at the hardware store the revolver with which he ended his life.  The gun was an American bulldog five chamber affair.  Three shells had been discharged.  He probably tested the gun by exploding two of the shells before he fired the shot which terminated his existence.


<< Back to Obituary Index

<< Back to the Richland Co., Ohio Index