Bratton - Sherman - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Crawfordsville, Nov 5 – Sherman Bratton, 36 years old, assistant cashier of the Citizens Bank at New Ross, 10 miles east of here is dying at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bratton from a self-inflicted bullet wound.  He fired a bullet from a .32-caliber revolver into his right temple this morning after a bank examiner is said to have discovered a shortage in his private bank ledger. The shortage is said to amount to $5,600.  Bratton was found in his automobile in a lane leading up to his home here with blood streaming from the wound in his head. He was found by his father after the latter had heard the shot. Physicians summoned immediately after the shooting declared that Bratton could live only a few minutes, but at an early hour tonight he was still alive. The shooting occurred at 10:30 o’clock this morning. Bratton for some time has been the assistant of the Citizens Bank at New Ross, being associated with his grandfather, Jesse A. Morrison, cashier of the bank. He had never been in trouble before and friends are at a loss to explain his action.  He came to the bank this morning at the usual hour, but after the arrival of JW Parott, the bank examiner Bratton started to leave. The grandfather is understood to have asked him to go to the post office for the mail and he was not seen here agin until he was found dying in his automobile. It was reported that he drove to North Salem where he visited Beatrice Blades, a young woman with whom he was keeping company. He then returned to New Ross, according to reports an drove the car into the lane leading up to the Bratton home, where he fired the bullet into his brain

Note: Died 5 November 1928 buried New Ross Cemetery (born 5 March 1903)

Source: Greencastle Herald, Putnam County, Indiana 12 Nov 1928 p 1