Shoaf - Shirley
Source: Crawfordsville Journal & Review, Dec 12, 1931
Believed to have been despondent over financial reverses,
Shirley SHOAF, 29, committed suicide by taking poison at his
home, 807 E. Wabash Avenue, shortly before noon Saturday. Shoaf,
who was married to Icie RILEY only 7 weeks ago, was said to have
threatened suicide two or three weeks ago. He was questioned by
officers Friday in connection with a check bearing his signature
which was said to have been returned by the bank. He was not
arrested, however and the check was said to have been made good
Friday night. The suicide victim left a note to his wife but the
message failed to state why he had taken his life. Shoaf merely
told his wife that he "still loved her" and asked her to place a
picture of herself in his casket when he was buried. He had the
picture in his pocket. Cedric Louks, of Kokomo, who was visiting
at the Shoaf home discovered the body. He saw Shoaf lying in the
back yard of the home, suffering from convulsions. Death came in
a few minutes and before help could arrive. A small empty
envelope bearing the inscription "Strychnine" was found in one of
Shoaf's pockets by Coroner AN Loop. It was believed that the man
had taken the contents. It was said that Shoaf had purchased a
similar package of poison several weeks ago but it was believed
he burned that strychnine. Mrs. Shoaf was almost overcome with
grief over her husband's death. She was unable to give any
reasons why her husband had taken his life. Her marriage to Shoaf
took place last Oct. 26. Coroner Loop who was called to
investigate the death indicated that he would file a verdict of
suicide by means of strychnine poisoning. The poison used was the
same which caused the death of the two Simmons children at
Lebanon last summer in a case which attracted nationwide
attention. The same poison also was used in the murder-suicide
plot of Clyde SMITH at Attica last weekend. Smith administered
the poison to Mrs. Dorothy Haniford WOODS and then taken some of
the substance himself. Both died of the effects. - typed by kbz