Jones - John - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

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Jones - John

Source: Crawfordsville Review 19 Oct 1895 p 1

John Jones, a timber buyer for the Childers saw mill company at New Market, committed suicide by shooting himself in the breast on the hill of Balhinch. It seems he got on a spree she went to Indianapolis where he tried to commit suicide by taking morphine, by medical aide he was saved. Monday he was taken with delirium tremens and in the evening he marched up and down the garden looking for “white camps,” whom he thought were trying to kill him. He was watched but succeeded in getting away. Tuesday morning he met Milton Surface on the road and drew his revolver and tried to kill Surface but the gun failed to go off. He ran across a field beating himself over the head with the butt of the revolver. Thursday morning a searching party organized at New Market, composed of about 50 citizens, started out in search of him. They succeeded in finding him by the side of a lot of logs with a bullet hole in his breast and the revolver lying by his side. The body was slightly decomposed. Coroner Barcus was called and rendered a verdict of suicide while in an insane condition. The funeral occurred in New Market cemetery. He leaves six small children to mourn his loss. His wife died some time last fall. - kbz

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 18 October 1895
John Jones was a timber buyer in the employment of the Childers saw mill at New Market. He was a drinking man and Wednesday week he went to Indianapolis where he indulged in a big spree. He returned to New Market last Saturday morning and attempted suicide by swallowing twenty five grains of morphine. By heroic medical attention his life was saved and on Sunday he was much better but that night he had an attack of delirium tremens. On Monday he was better again, but Monday evening he began marching about his garden carrying a lantern and armed with a big revolver declaring that he was hunting whitecaps who plotted against his life. The town marshal, Mr. Warbinton, and Constable Gray then watched him until he returned, but that night he escaped and ran off.  Early Tuesday morning he met Milton Surface in the road and drawing the revolver on him pulled the trigger. For some cause, the weapon failed to act and Mr. Surface did not give him a second chance to plug him. About a mile west of this scene Jones was seen by a Mr. Hammond who was cutting corn. Jones rushed past him through the field waving the revolver over his head and bellowing incoherently. Mr. Harwood called out and asked him what his hurry was. Jones stopped and with a wild look cried out imploringly for him not to tell anyone which way he had gone.  This was the last seen of Jones Alive. Thursday as he had not been seen or heard of, a search party of about fifty was organized at New Market to search the Balhinch Hills where he was last seen. The party began the hunt where Jones had last been seen by Mr. Harwood and took the general direction he had pursued. About one mile further on in the heart of the woods the dead body of John Jones was found. It lay in a clump of bushes and a big bullet hole in the breast and the revolver at his side told the tale of insane suicide. The body had evidently been lying there since last Tuesday, but owing to the coolness of the weather, was not so badly decomposed as might have been expected. Strange to say the remains had not been preyed upon by the small animals of the wood. The spot where the body was found is an unfrequented place in the heart of the famous Balhinch Hills. Coroner Barcus was summoned at once and will doubtless render a verdict of suicide, the result of an insane delusion.  Jones leaves a family of six motherless children. They will doubtless be cared for by relatives. - s

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 18 October 1895

 
John Jones took 25 cents worth of morphine Saturday morning at New Market, with suicidal intent. An envelope in his possession showed that the drug had been purchased at Indianapolis. Mr. Jones had been at time very despondent since the death of his wife, which occurred during the early part of the summer. Had he died there would have been six little children to be cared for by relatives or friends, only one of the six being capable of doing for himself. It was only the prompt aid of Dr. C. H. Walden that Jones’ life was saved.



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