Judge W.A. Moore Slashes Own Throat, Leaves Letter to His Children, Jan. 19, 1924

W.A. Moore Dies by His Own Hand in Florida. . . Despondent Over Ill Health and Old Age—Man of Fine Education and Lived Life of Hermit—Left Letter to Daughter and Son

To the Editor of The Robesonian:

Enclosed you will find an account of the death of Judge W.A. Moore:

“W.A. Moore, a prominent citizen of this county, was found dead Wednesday morning by Will Nicholson, a colored man who lived nearby and who had gone over to see how he was getting on.

“Mr. Moore had taken his own life with his razor, first severing his wrist and then slashing his throat, despondency over failing health being the cause.

“Deceased came to this country many year ago and lived a hermit’s life at his cabin in the village of Waneta. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia, spoke four languages fluently ad had done civil engineering all over the world, having been in India and Japan.

“He left a note to his son and daughter explaining his rash act. They have been notified and will no doubt advise disposition of the body.”

By the side of his dead body was found a letter which he had written to his son and daughter, one of whom lives in Baltimore, Md., and the other in Richmond, Va. The letter follows:

Dear Son and Daughter:

“I am sure that life holds nothing further for me except sickness, pain and trouble and morbid thoughts that I am old and have come to the end of the trail. I am miserable in body and mind and long for rest and sleep in the grave. Good-bye both.

Father

The above letter was enclosed in an envelope and addressed to his daughter.

I have known Mr. Moore for about 15 years to be a man of fine education and seemed to possess the best memory of any man that I ever knew. He lived alone and was his own greatest enemy. About two years ago his health began to fail and he had become very weak, nervous ad despondent, and a few days before his death he wrote his daughter that he would be dead when she received the letter. The evening before his death he walked to Wakulta and tried to get morphine and while there he told a friend that if he could have gotten it, he would have taken enough of it to kill himself.

J.T. Culbreath

Wakulla, Fla., Jan. 11, 1925

From page 3 of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., Monday, January 19, 1925.

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