Where was Ed Chase?

Hattie Potter Chase about 1877

This is a continuing blog thread on my ancestor, David Edgar Chase and the on-going answers I find on the mystery of his death at age 47 in 1900 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. To read my first entry on David, click here. 

Hattie Potter was just a month away from her 22 birthday when she married the handsome young David Edgar Chase, known as Ed. He was 25. Their wedding took place on a mild Wednesday in November of 1877 in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Both Hattie and Ed came from privilege. Hattie's father, Randall Potter, was a successful shoe manufacturer in Haverhill. Ed was the second son of David Chase, whose family were early settlers in nearby Newbury.

The Chase Family had long roots in Massachusetts. Ed's 6th great grandfather, Aquila Chase, was an early settler of Newbury. Many of the later Chase men were clergy, then lumber traders, shoe manufacturers, and in some census records, merely listed as Gentlemen.

Ed's father, David Chase, was a well respected, prosperous lumber merchant. His business included all three of his sons at various times.

In 1881, Ed and Hattie welcomed a little girl named Eva. When she was 6 in 1887,  Edgar left Haverhill and moved to Denver, Colorado. He and Hattie were married 10 years at this point.

Why he left isn't clear. It could have been to expand the D.D. Chase & Sons company. Hattie and Eva did not go with him and can be seen in U.S. Directories living in the Chase family house on Chestnut Street in Haverhill, along with patriarch David. Ed's brother, George, also lived there with his wife and family.

Ed would stay in Colorado for at least 3 years. 1887-1890 he is clearly seen in Denver, Colorado.  But then between 1891- 1896 he simply falls off the map. He is not listed in Denver, nor is he listed in Haverhill. Hattie is listed plainly in Haverhill during all those years living with Eva in the Chase home.

Where was Ed Chase during those years?

The shameful secret of David Edgar Chase

David Edgar Chase abt 1880

I've written about my great-grandmother, Fannie Potter Willett, in a previous post. While researching Fannie, I discovered she had two older sisters, Harriett and Angeline, whom no one in the family ever had any real knowledge or recollection of. It was while I was researching Harriett that I found that her husband, David, died relatively young at age 47 in 1900.

I am always intrigued in genealogy when I find someone died young because there is always a life changing story attached to it that we may never know.

I was lucky enough to have a photo of both Harriett and David from the family photo albums that my cousin Leigh is the caretaker for. Harriett was lovely and serene looking. David was handsome, well-dressed and looked like your typical Massachusetts businessman. I was drawn to both of them for some reason and took my research in their direction to fill in their story for the family tree.

It didn't take me long to discover how David had died so young:

Newspaper article about David Edgar Chase

The headline shocked me. The sad scenario touched me. While his wife ate breakfast downstairs, he put a gun in his mouth and shot himself. He had been suffering from "nervous troubles" all winter. He left behind not only Harriett, but their 18 year old daughter, Eva.

This kind of death in our family, thankfully, was a new one for me to discover. Don't misunderstand me...I've seen some very sad obituaries about how some of my ancestors have passed away. Pneumonia, drowning, terrible diseases. Even being crushed in a gold mine collapse in California during the gold rush. But this one. Suicide. This was jarring to me.

I need to find out what happened in this man's life that would cause such a sad ending to a life that from the outside spoke of wealth, privilege and success.