Children
Rosa Florence Coyle
2nd Geraldine |
Notes:
Easton Daily Express, Thursday, February 2, 1911,
page 5
William Coyle Ends His LIfe
Coal Dealer and Republican Politician Makes Death Certain
William Coyle, coal and ice dealer and prominent Republican politicain,
killed himself about 8:30 o'clock this morning in the carriage
house in the rear of his residence, Mauch Chunk Street and Valley
avenue, by taking carbolic acid and shooting himself in the head.
Finanical difficulties are ascribed by his friends and members
of the family as the cause for the suicide. Mr Coyle was well
known throughout the city and the report of his untimely death
by his own had was a shock to his friends. The new spread rapidly
and was the sensation of the day. There are intimate friends
and business associates who were aware of his financial troubles,
but they declasre they were not as bad Mr. Coyle made himslef
believe they were and all would hve been will in a short time
had he posessed the courage and patience to bear up under the
strain. Mr. Coyle worried a great deal of late and was apparent
to those with whom came in contact that his troubles were shaking
his nervous system. His ice business is said to have been in
better condition than for a long time.
Mr. Coyle arose at his usual hour this morning and after breakfast
and telephoning business directions to his office on Dock Street,
went to the carriage house where he met Douglass Howell, his
colored hostler, who he ordered home for breakfast. When Howell
returned he did not see his employer and went on with his work.
Some time later wondering what had become of Mr. Coyle, he
started a search and found the lifeless body in the closed
carriage, which was covered with a large dust cloth.
Apparently, after Howell had left the building, Mr. Coyle
had covered the carriage with the cloth and entered the back
seat. Then he drank the poison and quickly placed a 32-calibre
revolver to the right side of his head, above the ear, and
discharged the weapon.
Dr. O. M. Richard, whose office is opposite Mr. Coyle's residence,
was summoned and pronounced his neighbor dead. He state that
either the bullet or the poison would have been deadly. No
one appears to have heard the shot excepting Miss Bertha Tucker,
a colored domestic at the Coyle residence. She was at work
in the kitchen and heard the shot, but states that she paid
no attention to it at the time nor did she speak of it to anyone.
Mr. Coyle, who would have been 54 years of age next Thurday,
was engaged in the coal and ice business for many years, suceeding
his father, the late Bernard Coyle.
For many years Mr. Coyle was active in the affairs of the
Republican party in this county. He served serveal terms as
chairman of the county committee and in 1896 was elected a
County Commissioner. He was elected to a second term of three
years in 1899. He was one of the organizer of the McKinley
Club and served as one of its officers serval years. He also
attended a number of State conventions of his party as a delegate
from this county.
The deceased was a member of Dallas Lodge, No 396, F. and
A. M.; Easton Chapter, No. 172, R.A.M.; Packer Council, No
988,Royal Archunum; the Odd Fellows, The P.O.S. of A., and
the Second Methodist Church. He was also a director and an
officer of the South Easton Water Company.
Deceased is survived by his wife, a daughter by his first
marriage - Mrs. Frank Stratton, of Trenton; two brothers -
John and Henry Coyle and a sister, Mrs. Terence McCabe, all
of the South Side.
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