Godfrey - W.G. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

At midnight Saturday night a dramatic suicide occurred at Linden, the victim being W. G. Godfrey, who was traveling from Kansas City to Jersey City. He was going over the Clover Leaf on a stock pass and was on train No.50, which had to wait an hour at Linden. When the train stopped Godfrey alighted and went out along the track for awhile. Soon he returned to the caboose and sat for some minutes in silence. Then he arose muttering to himself that he did not feel as himself. He climbed down and was seen no more until just as the train was ready to start. Then the train men who were in the caboose cupola, noticed Godfrey in a stooping posture at the side of the track. They signaled the engineer to stop and started to the stooping man fearing that he was ill. He fell before they reached him, however, and they were horrified on coming up, to see that he had deliberately cut his throat with a razor. He was still alive and did not die for nearly two hours, although he was never conscious. From papers found on his person by Dr. Laughlin, who was deputized as coroner, it was ascertained that the man’s name was W. G. Godfrey, and that he had been employed as auditing clerk by the Chicago & Alton road in the Kansas City office. He carried a high recommendation from the officials of the road and other letters and papers indicating that he was well thought of where he had lived. A message from Kansas City Sunday stated that he had resigned his place there to accept a better one a friend in Jersey City had secured for him. He left Kansas City in good spirits to enter upon his new work. The message further stated that he was an Englishman without relatives in this county.  Godfrey was about thirty five years of age and was a fine appearing man, well dressed. The body was prepared for burial last Sunday and was laid to rest in the Linden Cemetery Monday. -s

J. W. White buried one of his little girls last week, and G. W. Godfrey, the man who suicided by the razor route, was also interred in Linden Cemetery. Bro. J. J. Claypool gave a good talk over his body in Shelby’s Hall; then some snap shot pictures were taken, after which he was laid to rest in Linden Cemetery. - s

Crawfordsville, Nov 13 – W.G. Godfrey, of Kansas City, committed suicide at Linden last night, by cutting his throat.  He was en route for Jersey City where he had a position promised and on his person were strong recommendations from the Chicago & Alton Railway Company where he had worked as auditing clerk. The suicide was committed in the presence of the train crew.  It is supposed that he was temporarily insane.