W.D. Shore Carries Out Threat to Kill Himself, 1933

The Journal-Patriot, North Wilkesboro, N.C., April 3, 1933

Man Kills Self in Kitchen as Wife Looks On

W.D. Shore Is Suicide Victim; Used Shotgun to End His Life

Cause of Act Is Unknown to Family; Funeral Held Yesterday

Funeral services were conducted Sunday at 11 o’clock from Union Church for W.D. Shore, young farmer of Cycle, who committed suicide at his home Friday afternoon. Rev. N.T. Jarvis was in charge of the service which was attended by a large concourse of people.

Mr. Shore shot himself in the head with a 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun about 4 o’clock Friday afternoon in the kitchen of his home as his wife looked on. He placed the muzzle of the gun against his left temple and using his right hand to hold the gun, pulled the trigger with his left hand.

No cause for his rash act was known. He is said to have had no financial or family troubles and apparently had been in the best of health. However, for two or three days he seemed to lose his usual jovial mood and it was thought that he became mentally unbalanced.

At the time of the shooting, Mrs. Shore was pleading with him not to shoot himself as he had told her he was going to do. She is said to have struggled with him and before losing her hold obtained a promise that he would not harm himself. However, she had just stepped away when he fired the shot.

He was 28 years old on March 24. Besides his wife, Mrs. Minnie Shore, he is survived by two daughters, Kathleen and Fay; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Shore; three sisters, Mrs. Pauline Roberts, Misses Ruth and Evelyn Shore; and two brothers, Harry and Paul Shore, all of Cycle.