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a. Note:   t when he was a young man. He couldn't cope with being completely blind. His blindness and not being able to provide for his family was too much for him. TAKEN FROM THE TIMES RECORD ALEDO MERCER COUNTY ILLINOIS EYES FAILING, LAURENCE WAKELAND SHOOTS SELF Millersburg man takes life early Friday morning on porch of home. Calls to wife and fires. Despondent because he felt that his failing eyesight would soon prevent him from following his trade as a carpenter, Lawrence Wakeland 41 years old of Millersburg, shot himself through the forehead with a 22 caliber rifle on the porch of his home shortly after 3 am Friday Jan. 11. His death occurred at 6:15 am at the College View Hospital in Aledo to which he was taken in an unconscious condition. A verdict of suicide was returned by a jury called by Coroner V. A. McClanahan at an inquest held Friday morning at the J.R. Sherrard Mortuary. He had previously declared that he had nothing to live for because of his failing eyesight, but had not threatened to take his life Mrs. Wakeland testified at the inquest. "Goodbye I'm going." she testified that he called to her, then fired that fatal shot before she was able to descend the stairs. She found him lying on the porch, a small 22 calibur rifle nearby. Dr. M. OHaver was called and with James Scranton and A.W. Murdock removed the wounded man to the hospital. At the time he arrived Mr. Wakeland was breathing and had strong pulse, but he felt certain that he was fatally wounded, Dr. Ohaver testified. He described the nature of the wound, told of finding the gun nearby and of removing him to the hospital. The rifle was borrowed at the residence of his brother Charles Wakeland at about 3 am Mrs. Charles Wakeland said. She testified that Mr. Wakeland told her that someone was trying to steal his coal, that he had shells for the gun and would be very careful with it. He had borrowed it on previous occasions she said and she believed him. Members of the coroners jury were H.J. Adams foreman; Frank Terry Clerk; Clyde Scott, Homer Scannell, Lee Davis, and C.A. Brown. Death date also taken from Illinois death Index by name Jan. 1916- Dec. 1938
Note:   Lawerence shot himself in the head. He was going completely blind. He had one eye put ou


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