Willis - Joseph Martin - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

In the November 20, 1903 Crawfordsville Journal, the following article was found - so sad.  

Dr. J.M. Willis, of Alamo committed suicide, Tuesday night by shooting himself. He stood before the mirror to do the deed, and as suicide has been a hobby with him for a number of years, he did a perfect job. He left his message: 'Men often make mistakes, but who has made a greater mistake than I?'"  Lewis C. WIllis, assumedly relation to Dr. Willis wrote in another article in the Journal that he felt much had been written about Joseph Martin WIllis that should not have been and much  should have been said that was not and that he wanted to set the matter straight. Some of the highlights of what he said are: "It is probably true that efw men possessed his peculiarities, but to say the least, they were harmful to no one ... he was the soul of honor ... I have yet to find that individual who ever had anything but words of praise for him ... early in life, his mother passed away and he ws thrown upon his own resources ... he was a hard worker ... his education was acquired under trying circumstances ... he ws a constant reader and kept in close touch with affairs of the day ... to the few who were priveledged to converse with him, nothing impressed them more than this face ... he came to Crawfordsville some 25 years ago from Terre Haute, and not from Alamo, which has been the impression ... although that was his former home ... he engaged in the business with Lew Fisher as a partner in a room on North Green Street over the Fisher Drug Store, which afterwards made him famous .. this partnership was soon dissolved, he taking full control and it is an undisputed fact that for months his living consisted of the plainest food prepared by himself ... there were few complains ... his determination to succeed being uppermost in his mind ... he ws the orignator of sending out free samples of his remedy and this had much to do with the favorable turning to his business to succeed ... he was for years a faithful member of the IOOF ... often solicited to accept the highest honors in the gift of his lodge ... often refused as it would prove  burden ... it was his wish to lay down the burdens of this life ... it may not be our liking to live as he did, let us believe that for him it was best ... he was good ... he ws honest ... he ws successful!"