Henry Van Story, proprietor of the Cleveland Springs hotel committed suicide at His Catawba county farm at 3 o’clock this afternoon.
Mrs. Van Story, in a long distance telephone communication with The Star at 4:30 o’clock confirmed the tragedy.
She said the act was the result of a mental depression, due to financial worries.
She and Mr. VanStory visited the Catawba farm this afternoon. They had just arrived on the place, and had entered the tenant house. Mrs. VanStory went to the well to get a drink of water, and suddenly heard a pistol shot. When she entered the house she found her husband lying on the floor. He had shot himself through the head and died instantly.
It was 4 o’clock.
The pistol with which the deed was committed Mr. VanStory found on a mantel-piece in the tenant home.
Mrs. VanStory said her husband was in good spirits during the drive, and so far as any thought of tragedy from her mind that when she heard the pistol shot, she had no thought that Mr. VanStory had taken his life.
Mr. VanStory was well known as a hotel keeper through North Carolina and a good part of the South, having been assistant manager of the Grove Park Inn at Asheville before coming to Shelby.
He had been manager of Cleveland Springs for several years.
There are three children in the VanStory family.
The body of the man was taken at once to the home of VanStory’s mother in Lincolnton. It was said burial would be either at Lincolnton or at Greensboro, the remains not being brought to Shelby.
From the front page of The Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., Monday, May 17, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn97064509/1926-05-17/ed-1/seq-1/
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