Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Dickens, Claude S., 1942 

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CLAUDE SWANSON DICKENS 

COURTLAND MAN ENDS OWN LIFE 
- Claude S. Dickens Kills Self With Shotgun Early Last Saturday Morning 

   Saying that he wanted to kill a cat, Claude Swanson Dickens, 39, borrowed 
a shotgun in Courtland last Saturday morning about 8:15 o'clock, bought a 
single shell and a few minutes later shot himself in the head, dying 
instantaneously.

   Dickens came down town that morning and went to the Main Street Esso 
Station, where he borrowed a double-barreled shotgun belonging to L.A. 
Clements, the proprietor.  Explaining that he wanted to use the weapon to 
shoot a cat he then walked across the street and brought the shell.  He 
walked down towards the site of the old Nottoway River bridge, and standing 
in the lot between the old road and highway 58 put an end to his life.

   G. Herbert Yates, who operates a garage near where Dickens was standing, 
saw him appear to look up as if locating his target and then put the gun to 
his forehead.  The shell entered over the left eye. Sheriff T.B. Bell and 
Commonwealth's Attorney Junius W. Pulley investigated the tragedy.  The W.J.M. 
Holland & Sons ambulance from Franklin was sent for the body.

   It was said that Dickens left note to his wife, Mrs. Jesse Davis Dickens, 
before he left home, but the contents of the note were not disclosed.

   Claude Swanson Dickens was the son of Charles Walter Dickens and Mrs. Laura 
Applewhite Dickens of Southampton County.  He is survived by his wife, his 
mother, and a sister, Mrs. Frank L. Marks of the Pope community.  For a number 
of years he was employed on the county road force and by the Virginia State 
Highway Department.  At the time of his death he was engaged in the logging 
business.  He was a member of the Courtland M.E. Church.

   Services were conducted at the grave in Riverside Cemetery, Courtland, by 
his pastor, the Rev. W.W. Beasley, at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon.  The choir 
of the church sang "Sometime We'll Understand."  The casket was covered with 
a pall of pink roses, white gladioli and baby's breath.  There were many other 
floral sprays and designs.

   Pallbearers were Emmett Applewhite, Claude Applewhite, Wallace Cole, 
Garland Davis, Laurie Davis, Julian Dickens, John Hill and Thomas Vaughan.


Claude Swanson DICKENS, logger, formerly Va. Highway Dept. employee, 
Southampton Co. native, suicide 11 Jul 1942, Courtland, age 39, 
interred in Riverside Cemetery (Section I, Plot 56*), Courtland, 12 Jul 1942, 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), July 17, 1942, p. 1 

*Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
   Riverside list: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/riverside.txt 

His father's (donated, 1941) obit is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/d252c1ob.txt 

His mother's (donated, 1963) obit is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/d252l1ob.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/d252c2ob.txt