Sheet 11A, Evergreen or Greenfield Road
43, 210, 228, Whipkey, Arthur, Head, O, M, M, W, 32, M, , , , Yes, Yes, Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , Yes, Laborer, C Harper, Wages,
44, 210, 228, Whipkey, Catherine, Wife, , , F, W, 21, M, , , , Yes, Yes, Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , Yes, Housewife, , ,
45, 210, 228, Whipkey, Charles F, Son, , , M, W, 2 9/12, S, , , , , , Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , , At Home, , ,
46, 210, 228, Whipkey, Hester V, Daughter, , , F, W, 7/12, S, , , , , , Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, , , At Home, , ,4
Arthur L. Whipkey Found at Home
With Bullet Hole in Head
LETTER TO WOMAN EXPLAINS CAUSE
The body of Arthur L. Whipkey, 40 years old, of Liberty, suicide was found Thursday evening at about 5 o’clock by his father, Daniel Whipkey, also of Liberty, who was searching for his son, who had been missing since Tuesday afternoon. Worry over the death of his wife, Mrs. Catherine K. Whipkey, who died last Mother’s day and his inability to obtain employment, together with a disappointment in his second love affair, are believed to have caused the man to fire a bullet into his brain, sometime Tuesday evening.
After the death of his wife, Arthur place his children in the care of Mrs. Agnes Lucas at Dunbar and moved from his abode to a small building that his father had erected near his home. However, when he chose to end his life, he returned to the house in which his wife had passed away.
A relative of the dead man appeared at the Connellsville police station this morning and told police there that the Liberty man had received anonymous threatening letters, one ordering him to the leave the community or we'll get you, another a warning for him to leave at once, said to have been signed by a woman "Maude". He was referred to County Detective Robert C. Bledsoe.
Deputy Coroner Ira Blair of Perryopolis was called to the scene and reported that the man was a suicide. He found a 2 repeater rifle lying on the right side of the body. There was a bullet hole in the skull above the right ear. The discharged shell was in the gun and, when being taken out of the rifle, it jammed. The right arm of the dead man, who was lying on the center of the floor, was extended outward while the left arm was leaning on the side.
When the father entered the house he found the window blinds drawn and the rooms in darkness. A pillow and several sheets had been used to make a bed on the floor of the parlor.
The disappointed love affair supposed to have been with Mrs. Rose Watson Collins, who worked for the dead man’s father, was evidenced by the following note that was scrawled on cardboard, found underneath the gun.
"Rose, Why did you lead me on? Did I not have enough trouble? You ask me to go away and earn enough and free you and you would go with me. You made a fool of me so you can blame this on yourself.” The note was signed, “Arthur" and below was written, “You can keep the ring.”
Mr. Whipkey was born at Jackson Hill, Lower Tyrone township on March 18, 1887. He spent all of his life in Dunbar and Lower Tyrone townships. He was a laborer. His wife, who died on May 9 last, was Miss Catherine Kearns, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kearns of Connellsville. There were seven children born to this union. Surviving are the following: Charles, Hester, Walter, Betty and Harry. Margaret and Ewing are dead. The children are at the home of Mrs. Lucas at Dunbar. Other survivors are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Whipkey, Liberty; grandmother, Mrs. William Cumberland, Dunbar township. Jesse Whipkey of Connellsville is a brother and Mrs. Harry Vaughn of Dunbar, a sister.
Published in The Daily Courier, (Connellsville, PA), Friday, February 11, 19272,3
WHIPKEY WAS SUICIDE
UNIONTOWN, Fev. 12.— Leaving a farewell note that “Rose” had turned him down and that he did not care to live longer and, placing the picture of an American Beauty rose on his left breast over his heart, Arthur Whipkey, 40, of Liberty, took his own life, according to the finding of the coroner’s jury yesterday.
Arthur had cut a picture of the flower from a seed catalog and carefully placed it directly over his heart before he placed a rifle to his head and fired. The lifeless body was found in a house which had been vacated by Whipkey, following the death of his wife.
In a farewell note, Whipkey wrote that “Rose” was the cause of his death. “Rose,” is said to have promised to marry Whipkey when he got money to obtain a divorce for her. When she failed to keep her part of the promise, the suicide resulted. The man told his mother, just before his departure on Tuesday, that he intended to kill himself, the evidence showed. Whipkey disappeared on Tuesday and was dead about 36 hours when he was found late Thursday afternoon.
Published in The Daily Courier, (Connellsville, PA), Saturday, February 12, 19275,2