Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-29
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"ChArge 80 0ns with Thls; Re Is NY Own
Aet5 Put ny Papers Win some
CareEuf Person that SAYS
at Home

Such were the terms Of the little note
found carefully folded and deposited
within q small porte mORRdie ina peck
ct within the under-clothingof Edmund
HARRISON Mr. eHarrison's body was
f0und Tuesday afternoon near German
town, in this county, of which he has
been a citizen for thirty years or longer.
MIR. Harrison has two son living; one a
farmer living not far from the old mans
home, another younger, a member OF
the old gentleman's household, and a
third was the oldest and best beloved of
the family. This last was killed most
needlessly during the war, and under
circumstances that almost maddened
the father. 1t is, however, true that no
one ever suspected that grief, because of
the untimely death Of this son, would
dethrone the fathers reason and cause
him to commit suicide.
Last Friday night was spent by Mr..
Harrison with two brOthers-in-law, oc-
eupying the same farmhouse. He re-
cured in conversations, during the
evening, to the uselessness of his long
life and often said that he had lived too
long. Sunday his married son visited
and spent the day with Nh. Harrison,
and Mr.. Turberville, a brother-in-law OF
Mr.. Harrison, called. The old gentle
man was within a private apartment
when Mr.. Turbeville called, and on
making his appearance, said to Mr..
Turberyille that he had been arranging
his private papers. MI. Harri-
son remarked that he had
lived long enough, perhaps, and
certainly could not tell how soon
he would die. Monday night, as he had
done on Saturday, Mr.. Harrison gave
Abraham, his colored confidential ser
want, full instructions as to the gather
ing Of the crop, and asked especially if
more laborers were not needed in gath
ering fodder. Tuesday the two SONS
went to Germantown, the village hard
by, and some time after their departure
the old man took down a Colts repeat
er, each barrel loaded, and followed
along the path his sons had taken. He
passed his servant in the field but did
not speak, and after entering the
woods, he turned aside in an open place.
where his sons must necessarily dis
cover his body. He seated himself upon
the ground, and evidently, from the
burned and blackened appearance of his
fingers, held the muzzle of the pistol to
his right temple with his left hand, pull
ing the trigger with the right. The
bullet passed through the base Of the
brain, midway between the right ear
and eye, and came out on a horizontal
line. He must have died instantly.
He was found with his hands
slightly bent within one another, and
the pistol lying just as it fell from the
lOosened grasp. There was not the
slightest indication of a death struggle.
He bled profusely but moved not a mus
Gle, it seemed, after the brain was
pierced. There was no known cause for
this suicide save griefs and losses begOt-
ten of the war, which dug more graves
outside than within armies OF on battle
fields. Mr.. Harrison had wealth
enough, owed nothing, was well es-
teemed, had many friends, children,
who loved him well, and yet Judge H.
T. Jones, Coroner, and these jurors; w.
F. Mitchell, Moses Medley, A. B. Ellis,
Lee Jones, j. A. Boyd, j. NJ. Wright
and Phil. Robinson, were agreed that
he came to death by his own hand. The
sentence written by Mr.. Harrisgn's own
hand, prefixed to this story, tells all that
is known of causes that led to the death
OF this good citizen. 5000