Payette County ID Archives Obituaries.....Shepard, Thomas W. 1915 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/idfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cheryl Hanson ihansonb@fmtc.com December 9, 2005, 5:18 pm Payette Enterprise 7-22-1915 Payette Enterprise Payette, Idaho Thursday, July 22, 1915 DESPONDENT BOY TAKES OWN LIFE DEAD BODY OF EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD THOMAS SHEPHERD IS FOUND IN OLD SHED NEAR CITY LIMITS "Dear Father and Mother, Brothers and Sisters: I am going to bid you all good- bye. Please now don't take this hard. I am tired of life. Dear mother, you will forgive me for everything I have done or said, won't you? I know you will, Dear mother I hope to meet you in heaven some day. I don't think I have been so wicked that God will cast me into hell. Now mother, I want you to look at it this way --- everybody has got to die, so what is the use of worrying so about it. There is no use, mother. It won't be long till I see you again. Dear mother, I can see Etta holding out her arms to take me when I come. Perhaps people will think I am crazy, but I am not any crazier now than I ever was. Well, good-bye everybody till I meet you again. Mother don't think that I didn't love you, because I acted so cruel some times. Tell John and Harry to be good boys and pay up the mortgage on the home as quick as possible. Mother I would like to kiss you and all the rest good-bye, but I cannot do it, so good-bye forever. Kisses for all. "Good-bye" Becoming despondent and tired of life, Thomas Shepherd, only 18 years old, ended his existence in a most tragic manner. Seeking the seclusion of an unused building in the foothills just east of the city limits he deliberately wrote a farewell note to his blind father and already distracted mother, who had been worrying over his absence, and blew his brains out with an army rifle. The body was found nearly 24 hours after the fatal shot was fired, and by the order of County Coroner A. A. Farris, who was immediately notified, was conveyed to Lauer's undertaking parlor to await the corner's arrival from Caldwell. Relatives and friends of the young man had known for some time that he was laboring under a mental strain, caused no doubt by a physical ailment which had preyed upon his mind, finally driving him to the omission of the desperate deed that ended his young life and earthly sorrows together. He was a member of Company 1, of the National guardsmen of this city, and when refused permission by Captain Shaw, to accompany his company to the recent State Encampment at Boise, expressed his disappointment and contrition. Sunday morning about 11 o'clock, armed with the gun with which he had become familiar at the armory, which he had procured through a friend, he departed for the open country on the Payette Heights, to hunt rabbits, as was supposed by his parents. Not returning at night nor the following morning, search was instituted by his older brother and by Nephi Purcell, the dead body being found by the last named about 1 o'clock Monday afternoon in the unused building in the gulch near the city gravel pit about 150 years east of the main wagon road. From all appearances the unfortunate boy had sat down and grasping the muzzle of the gun in his left had had placed the same to his left temple and pulling the trigger with his right had fired the fatal shot. Mr. S. W. Lisle, whose home is not more than 200 years from the scene of the tragedy, heard a shot and saw the smoke about 2 o'clock Sunday, which was doubtless the shot that ended Thomas Shepherd's life, but thought nothing of the matter at the time, as it is such a common thing to hear shooting in the vicinity. Coroner Farris, County Attorney Griffith and Deputy-Sheriff McCullough arrived late Friday afternoon, to investigate the case, but after viewing the body and consulting with Dr. I. R. Woodward, who made the first examination immediately after the body had been discovered, and after carefully interviewing a number of people who were acquainted with all the circumstances and facts known in connection with the tragedy, they decided that it was not necessary to hold an inquest over the remains. Upon the body of the dead boy Coroner Farris found a small passbook upon three leaves of which was written in a neat and legible hand the pathetic farewell which is printed above. Funeral services were conducted from the Church of God at 2 o'clock Tuesday, by Rev. A. H. Farnham, the pastor. Thomas Shepherd was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Shepherd and had spent most of his life in this city. for some time he had been employed by the Independent Meat Market as deliveryman and had always been faithful and dependable in the performance of his duties. Additional Comments: Note: According to his headstone the name is spelled Shepard. ch File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/id/payette/obits/s/shepard482nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/idfiles/ File size: 5.2 Kb