The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-24
A Man With a History-A Sad Story.

DURING the oil excitement j. j. Bur
rell of Martvillc, Cayuga County, a man
who had travelled the country consider
ably, and who was a person of refined
taste and a fair degree of cultivation, in
vested in Pennsylvania oil lands and
made fortune amounting to $50, 900 or
thcreabouts. He put most of the money
into buildings in Pithole, then growing
town, and believed by oil spectators to
be the coming queen of that section.
swept away his entire possessions, upon
which he had not cent of insurance.
Before he had fairly recovered from
the stroke of fate which impoverished
him he received telegram from Mart
vile stating that his only children, twin
boys, were drowned. He went home
and found that one Of his boys had
broken through pond while skating;
the other heroically attempted to save
his brother, and both perished. Mr. Bur
ell buried his boys, and, shattered in for
tune and mind, went back to Pithole to
gather up the remnants of his business.
Soon thereafter he was notified of his
wife's death, she having fallen prey to-
grief growing from the death of her
children He buried his wife beside his
boys, and, stripped of family and for
tune, started in to buffet the evil tide
which seemed setting SO sternly against
him.
In early life Burrell had learned the
t-nan of chnnm akin~ and hn "+"
shop at Martville One day this fall he
concluded to 90 down to Fair Haven and
pick up few orders for winter boots
among his old friends who, knowing his
misfortunes, he believed would help him
at least to earn his bread. He succeeded
handsomely, and when starting for
home found that the ticket agent was
not in the office and paid the conductor
one dollar ON the train. He believed that
there was change due him and had some
words with the conductor about that
matter but did not receive the change
which he claimed At Sterling junction
he got off to speak to lady whom he
saw upon the platform, and continued
talking to her until the train was under
headway. He then caught the platform
rail and swung himself on. As he was
about to open the door of the coach, he
alleged, the conductor met him, thrust
his dollar bill in his face so rudely and
with such force that he was pushed Oft
the platform, and, as he fell, his arm
struck across the track and was cut of
between the wrist and elbow.
He was now deprived not only of for
tune and family, but the hand that had
earned his own scant living. He a1thor-
lied Churchill s. Nutting, of this city, to
commence action against the Southern
Central Railroad Company for damages,
and came to Oswego to stop. He en-
gagged a little fruit-stand near the F'itZ
| hugh House, and took room in that
hotel.
One morning this week he was founc
stupid in bed physicians were callec
and found that he had taken morphine
in fatal quantity; next day he died. II
was said that he was Mason, but ex
animation failed to show that to be true
and he was buried with other suicide:
and paupcrs in Potter's Field.
1t is a plain bit of true history, tolt
with the daily newspapers reportoria
terseness and bluntncss; but what pag'
of fiction reveals more dramatic story
-OsDego IN. r. Palladium.