AAdditional Games
- “The Royal Game of Chess” by David Andrew Mitchell, Hartford Courant
- Game, David A. Mitchell vs. Arthur G. Powers, Rice Gambit Tourney, Hartford Chess Club, 1911.
David Andrew Mitchell
December 27, 1883-1926.
David A. Mitchell 02 Apr 1911, Sun Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com
D. A. Mitchell, Former Hartford Chess Expert, Takes Poison 10 Oct 1912, Thu Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut) Newspapers.com
ATTEMPTS SUICIDE BECAUSE OF LOVE
D. A. Mitchell, Former Hartford Chess Expert, Takes Poison.
(Special to The Courant.) - Philadelphia, Oct. 9.
His mind probably deranged by hopeless love for a Hartford girl, David A. Mitchell, a newspaper man and chess expert, attempted to commit suicide early today by taking poison in his room at No. 2411 College avenue, where he has been living with his mother. Mitchell was found nearly dead and hurried to the German Hospital, where his life was saved by the prompt use of a stomach pump.
Mitchell is known to have been rejected as a suitor by a college girl in Hartford, where he lived for about two years, just before coming to Philadelphia and has been despondent and several times threatened suicide.
Mitchell was in ill health and this, is believed to be partly the reason for his attempt to take his life. He is about 28 years old.
Mr. Mitchell came to Hartford about two years ago as the representative of a New York firm of stock brokers, but resigned and went to work for Allen, Russell and Allen, general insurance agents, at No. 209 Pearl street, where he worked for about a year. A break-down in health forced him to secure less confining work and he obtained employment on a farm in Granby.
During his stay in Hartford Mitchell became popular with the members of the Chess Club, to which he was admitted as a member. He showed remarkable ability as a player and edited the chess column of “The Courant.” Late In July he went to Philadelphia to work on the “North American.”
He had told friends here of his hopeless love for a Hartford girl.
David A. Mitchell 20 Jan 1913, Mon Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut) Newspapers.com
The acquaintances about the country of David A. Mitchell, chess editor of “The Courant,” will be glad to know that he is rapidly recovering from pneumonia. He is at the Hartford Hospital. Lovers of chess will also welcome the announcement that the chess department in “The Courant” will be resumed on Friday of this week, Mr. Mitchell having prepared the problems and comment.
David A. Mitchell 01 Feb 1914, Sun Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) Newspapers.com
David A. Mitchell, the celebrated problem composer, has taken up his residence in this city and joined the Washington Chess and Whist Club. Mr. Mitchell's advent fills a long-felt need in the local chess world, as it has been many years since Washington could boast a first-class problem composer. Much of the present great popularity of chess in Connecticut and Massachusetts is due to the chess columns which Mr. Mitchell founded, and conducted for many years, in no less than five New England papers, and to his untiring zeal in organizing and upbuilding chess clubs and promoting tournaments, matches and problem-solving contests.
David A. Mitchell 18 Oct 1914, Sun St. Louis Globe-Democrat (St. Louis, Missouri) Newspapers.com
A new chess department appears in the Public Ledger of Philadelphia, edited by David A. Mitchell, the well-known chess expert.
Chess Expert Drowned Self Police Believe 04 Jun 1926, Fri Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut) Newspapers.com
Newspaper Veteran Believed A Suicide
DAVID A. MITCHELL.
Chess Expert Drowned Self Police Believe
Former “Courant” Man, Missing Since Sunday, Left Note Indicating Sudden Insanity
David A. Mitchell, former Chess editor of “The Courant,” author of books on chess, and veteran newspaper man, is believed by the Belfast, Maine, police to have committed suicide by drowning in Penobscot Bay. Sheriff Frank A. Littlefield and a posse of twenty men Wednesday abandoned their search of the woods and shore of the bay adjacent to Mt. Percival near Northport, begun in the morning when a note was found at Mr. Mitchell's home indicating that he had become insane. He had been missing from his summer place on Temple Heights near Northport since Sunday.
Mr. Mitchell lived as a hermit on the old Dickey homestead, doing his own cooking and housework, but remained on extremely friendly terms with his neighbors, by whom he was held in great respect. He took a trip to Bermuda last winter, returning in March to resume his sheltered life at Northport.
His neighbors say that the death of his mother in Philadelphia several weeks ago preyed upon his mind, and report that he told of hearing queer noises and beautiful music. The note found on his desk, which resulted in the search, complained “If he don't stop that machine I shall go insane.”
Sunday night Mr. Mitchell entertained a number of neighbors at tea, telling that it was the last time they would see him. Later in the evening he called on a neighbor and gave him a check for $25 with the declaration that it was all he had and that he would never need any more.
In 1910 Mr. Mitchell was in charge of “The Courant” weekly chess column, which contained general chess news, local news, and a game and problem department.
Mr. Mitchell began his chess career in 1904 and composed his first problem in 1905. Three years later he was tied with four others for first prize in the largest solving tourney ever held in Philadelphia, each having a perfect score of eighty-nine. While in Hartford he was a prominent member of the Hartford Chess Club, then located at No. 847 Main street.
Waldo Sheriff Organizes Searching Party For Missing Newspaperman 02 Jun 1926, Wed Evening Express (Portland, Maine) Newspapers.com
Waldo Sheriff Organizes Searching Party or Missing Newspaperman David A. Mitchell, Author Of Several Books On Chess, Disappeared From His Summer Home In Northport Last Sunday—Gave Neighbor Check For $25 Saying It Was Last He Had And That He Never Would Need Any More
NORTHPORT, June 2. (A.P.) — David A. Mitchell a member of the editorial staff of the Philadelphia Public Ledger and author of several books on chess has been missing from his summer home on Temple Heights here since Sunday night.
A searching party was organized by Sheriff Frank Littlefield this afternoon after a note was found at the house which read: “Shut off that damn machine, or I will go crazy, I wish I had a guard here.”
Mitchell, it was learned called on a neighbor Sunday night and gave him a check for $25, saying it was all he had and he never would need any more. He returned on March 15 from Bermuda, where be passed the Winter at Bailey's Bay and since had been writing newspaper articles on Bermuda.
He is about 35, unmarried and a brother of W. L. Mitchell, 803 Beechwood Street, Philadelphia. He had been living here at different times the past three years.
