Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Dewell, John N. July 20, 1905
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Dorothy Strawhand http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008405 September 7, 2022, 6:59 pm

Virginian Pilot July 21, 1905

                JNO. N. DEWELL PUT BULLET THROUGH HIS BRAIN

Retired Merchant Brooded Over Financial Matters And Ended Troubles With Pistol--
Leaves Estate of $50,000

John N. Dewell, 70 years of age, a retired merchant, shot himself through the 
right temple with a pistol in the rear of his residence, No. 84 Cumberland 
Street, at an early hour yesterday morning.  He was later removed to the Sarah 
Leigh Memorial Hospital, where he died at 11:30 a.m., without recovering 
consciousness.  Ill health and litigation are assigned as the probable causes of 
the deed.
The shooting occurred shortly after 5 o'clock in the yard in the rear of the 
residence, but nothing was known of it until nearly two hours later, when the 
discovery was made by Mrs. Dewell from the window of her upstairs bedroom.  
Hurrying down to the yard she found her husband with a bullet hole in his temple 
and a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver on his bosom.  Dr. C.W. Cowper, nephew 
and foster son of Mr. Dewell, was hastily summoned and upon his arrival had Mr. 
Dewell, who was yet alive, but unconscious, removed to the hospital, where he 
later died.
The remains were moved to the Cumberland Street residence yesterday afternoon, 
where they were viewed by Coroner Kight.  An inquest was deemed unnecessary.
Mr. Dewell had been in ill health for some time and to this, coupled with the 
fact that he has been lately worrying a great deal over litigation involving the 
rent from a 301 acre farm near Paducah, Ky., and the title to a one-sixth 
interest in this property is attributed to the suicide. Only on the day before 
Mr. Dewell was in conference with Attorney Duvall, of Washington, D.C., in 
reference to this litigation.  The result of that conference was never revealed 
by Mr. Dewell, but the members of his household noticed on Wednesday night that 
something was bearing on his mind.
Mr. Dewell was a well-known citizen of Norfolk and leaves real estate valued at 
$50,000 exclusive of his Kentucky property.  He was a native of Northampton 
County, N.C., but came to this city from Surry about thirty-five years ago.  For 
many years he was in the retail grocery business at the corner of Church and 
Cove Streets.  Afterwards he was connected with the wholesale grocery firm of 
Dewell, Morris & Co., Roanoke Avenue, and later, in connection with David Dey, 
he conducted a gunsmith business on Union Street.  He retired from business in 
the nineties and since then has been unoccupied.
He was a member of the Board of Trade and Business Men's Association and spent a 
great deal of his time in later years in their rooms.
                             **********************
DEWELL - On Thursday, July 20, 1905, at 11:30 o'clock a.m., JOHN N. DEWELL, in 
the 70th year of his age.
Funeral services from the residence, No. 84 Cumberland Street, SUNDAY AFTERNOON, 
at 5 o'clock.  Friends of the family are invited to attend.

Additional Comments:
Elmwood

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