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Obits > Lawrence Harrington

TAMPICO TORNADO March 18, 1920

TAMPICO YOUNG MAN IN A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

Terrible Tragedy Occurs At York, Nebr., When Tampico Young Man Meets Death

Lawrence (sic) HARRINGTON, a young man and the son of assessor Bert HARRINGTON,  shot himself at York, Nebr., and died almost instantly according to a message received here by his father Friday morning. The remains were sent here and arrived in Tampico Monday afternoon. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 at the Baptist church. Rev. A. MATHESON preached the serrmon. Several appropriate selections were sung by Mesdames Minnie LOVE nad Maude HEIN accompanied by Mrs. Nora DENISON. There were a number of beautiful floral tributes including pieces from the Baptist Aid-society and the Philatheas. Six young men acted as pall bearers. Interment was in the Tampico cemetery.

Complete particulars of the sad affair are not known here only that the shooting followed some trouble between Lawrence and his wife. The message was the first intimation that relatives here had of any serious trouble and it came as a terrible blow to the father and mother. Glen HARRINGTON, a brother had received  a postal stating that he was going out to Nebraska to see his wife who was sick. He had been working steadily at Gary, Ind., and had received two promotions. He arrived in York last Friday and what happened there is taken from the York Daily News Times as follows:

(From the York, Nebr., News-Times)

Lawrence (sic) HARRINGTON is dead and his wife is in the Lutheran Hospital in a critical condition as a result of a shooting affair at the Ferguson home on South Nebraska avenge shortly after 10 o'clock this morning. HARRINGTON shot and killed himself after seriously wounding his wife. ***** the shooting occurred but Rose FERGUSON, Mrs. HARRINGTON'S mother, was in the next room and viewed the greater part of the tragedy through the open door.

Three shots were fired. The first went wide. The second entered Mrs. HARRINGTON'S cheek, deflected from the spinal column and lodged in the shoulder. With the third shot HARRINGTON  shot himself. He lived but a few minutes.

The motive was family trouble. HARRINGTON an this wife had been living in Aurora, Ill., until about six weeks ago when Mrs. HARRINGTON came to the home of her mother in this city. HARRINGTON came to York about two weeks ago and made an effort to get his wife to  return to Illinois with him. Failing he returned east, but came back to York this morning. The shooting occurred after he had again been unsuccessful inhis efforts to get her to return with him.

At the inquest which was held this morning Rose FERGUSON testified that her daughter had come to York because her husband  was not supporting her.

The coroners jury returned a verdict at 2 o'clock this afternoon that Lawrence HARRINGTON came to his death by his own hand with suicidal intent after shooting his wife, Beatrice HARRINGTON.

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There is some doubt expressed by relatives about Lawrence being able to shoot himself in the top of the head. The wound showed that it was directly over the ear and nearly on the top of his head and probably made by a .38 caliber revolver. There were no powder burns or marks on his head when the body arrived here and some question the ability of a person to shoot themselves on the top of the head and hold the revolver far enought away not to leave powder burns. There were thee (sic) bad marks or bruises on the back of his head and the corner of the right eye was cut according to ********

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OBITUARY

Lawrence HARRINGTON was born in Downers Grove, July 4, 1900 and came with the family to Tampico in 1911, this place having been his home since that time.  Hi was married May 19, 1919, at Paw Paw. Lawrence was a happy, ambitious young man and his relatives say that he never thought or mentioned ending his life. He was taking a correspondence  course and had steady employment at Gary, where he had received two promotions with another one in sight. While in Tampico he attended the Baptist church. He made friends wherever he went and his death was a shock to his relatives and friends.

He is survived by his parents who feel very badly over the sudden calamity and also two brothers, Glen and Roy, also seven sisters. Mrs. Walter FOY, Mrs. Paul WAGONBRECHT,Mrs. John KILROY, Ina, Ivy, Fay and Helen. Lawrence carried $2,000 life insurance in the Peopria Life Co. in two policies of $1,000 each, one of which was less that a year old and may be invalidated. They are payable to his wife. Mrs. HARRINGTON according to last reports was gaining slowly hopes are held that she will recover.

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Same Paper - CARD OF THANKS

We wish to thank all our neighbors and friends for their kindness, assistance and sympathy following the calamity which befell our son. A. E. Harrington and Family

 

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