Clara McCurry, 17, Couldn't Take the Pain Anymore, Aug. 29, 1925

Girl in Bad Health Takes Her Own Life. . . Leaves Note in Which She Says She’d Rather be Dead than Living

Shelby, Aug. 28—“I’d rather be dead than living. Be good,” was the message Clara McCurry, 17-year-old girl, left her parents just before she stepped out of the back door of her home near Lawndale, this county, yesterday afternoon, and shot a hole through her heart with a small .22 calibre rifle. He body was found a short time later by her brother.

The letter left to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sid McCurry, explained that she would rather die than live because her head and eyes troubled her so much. The girl had been in bad health for some time.

The tragedy took place about 5 o’clock in the afternoon while her parents were in Lawndale and no one was at home with the exception of a small sister who did not hear the shot. A request made in the farewell note was that she be buried at Palm Tree, and funeral services were held there this afternoon.

From page 4 of the Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, Aug. 29, 1925

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-08-29/ed-1/seq-4/