Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Billups, George C June 10, 1904
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Donna Bluemink http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008395 February 18, 2013, 5:16 pm

Virginian-Pilot, 6-11-1904
New York, June 10 - (Special) - Through a stern port hole barely large enough 
to admit his body, George C. Billups, of Norfolk, Va., a passenger on the Old 
Dominion line steamer Princess Anne, from Newport News, crawled to dive to a 
suicide's death in the lower bay off Romer Shoal at 4 p.m. today. Although a 
large number of passengers were within touch of the man as he climbed to his 
port hole and began to pull himself through, none offered to prevent his act, 
all being apparently paralyzed by the strange action of the man and unable to 
move until he had wriggled through the opening and disappeared. Not until the 
splash of the body was heard did those who had witnessed the action awake to 
its horror.

Women screamed and fainted, men rushed wildly from one side of the boat to the 
other, yelling "man overboard," but offering to assist in no way in his 
rescue. When this cry was first raised, the steamer was quickly stopped and a 
rescue boat lowered. Within twenty minutes from the fatal splash, the body of 
Billups was on the steamer's deck and the engines were again started. Although 
this rescue was remarkable for its celerity and strenuous efforts were made to 
restore the dying man, he never regained consciousness. The body was brought 
to this city and turned over to the coroner. None of the ship's officers, to 
whom Billups was well known, or the passengers can assign any motive for the 
man's suicide. Billups's actions betrayed no eccentricity and he bore a look 
of prosperity.

Mr. Billups, during the trip up the coast, had mingled freely with the other 
passengers and his conversation seemed to indicate that he was in a cheerful 
frame of mind and had no cause for worry or anxiety of any sort.

___

The community was shockedd last evening to hear of the death in New York 
yesterday of Mr. George C. Billups, junior member of the well-known firm of C. 
Billups & Son, of this city. A sad feature of his death is that it resulted 
from his jumping overboard from the Old Dominion steamer Princess Anne off of 
Sandy Hook. His body was recovered and the funeral will take place in Norfolk, 
as hereafter to be announced.

Mr. Billups was 41 year of age last January. His early ambition seemed to be 
to become a business man, and thought having the opportuntiess for a 
professional education, through choice he became a clerk in his father's 
business at the early age of 16 years. He soon developed into an exceptionally 
good business man, being especially successful as a salesman, and unusually 
clean, explicit and concise in his correspondence.

He was taken into his father's business and became a member of the firm of C. 
Billups Son & Co. in 1891, since which time he has been recognized as one of 
the most progressive young business men of the city.

In 1893 Mr. Billups was married to Mrs. Sidonie Hutchings, nee Wiltz, the 
daughter of former Governor Louis Alfred Wiltz, of Louisiana. Mr. Billups 
leavess surviving him his wife and one child, a bright young son, named after 
his father, George C. Billups.

For some months past Mr. Billups has from time to time shown great 
despondency, and though frequently urged by his father to take a rest from the 
cares of business never obtained his own consent to do so. His self-inflicted 
death was undoubtedly due to melancholia, superinduced by overwork.

Mr. Billups had been acting strangely for some time past, and on several 
occasions had stated that he would take his own life. His friends, however, 
paid little attention to what he said, and thought no more of the matter. When 
the news of his tragic death reached here yesterday, there were many who 
remembered hearing the unfortunate man say he intended committing suicide.

Mr. Billups was a member of the Business Men's Association and other 
organizations. He was well known in Virginia, North Carolina and many Eastern 
states.

It was stated that Mr. Billups was on his way to New York to undergo treatment.

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