The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-06-29

sure enough they found dead mana
man with his head completely severed
from his body-cut as clean as one would
a chickens with an axe The situation,
as they found it, was bad enough, but the
appliances which had been used to pro-
duce death were most wonderful, and will
stand in the history of suicides without a
parallel. We shall attempt to describe
them. In the first place there was beam,
or more properly lever, about seven feet
long, made up of three sections, each a lit
tie over two feet long, also fastened togeth-
er with strong iron bolts. The base o. this
lever was composed of two pieces Of lum-
Der, one inch thick and six wide, spread
perhaps six inches apart. The next sec
ton was also composed of two pieces Of
| the same size, but considerably closer to-
( gether The last section was a single
piece of the same size, At the small or
| upper end of the lever Tor BEAM there
We're bolted horizontally two pieces of
iron, one inch thick, three inches wide
and sixteen inches long At the lower
end Of these pieces Of iron a broad AK
was bolted, whose bit or cutting edge was
| twelve inches wide. The two pieces of
iron and the AK are estimated to weigh at
least forty pounds. The other or butt-end
means of cross-pieces, with heavy iron
door hinges, securely screwed down. On
the west side of the room heavy bracket
was secured to the wall, with shelf upon
which a candlestick was fastened. From
the upper end of the beam cord was
run to a hook in the bracket-the beam
being raised about six feet high and Sc
cured in that position by the cord to the
hook in the wall. Where the cord was
fastened at the wall on the bracket it was
strands, so that when the candle burned
down sufficiently the two strands would
come together and the cord be burned in
two. This was the means adopted to in
sure the falling of the engine of destruc-
ton. Right under where the ak would
fall soap. box was secured, screwed to
the wall and floor, with the opening out
ward into the room, so arranged that the
ak could come down in front of the box,
the upper edges being beveled to secure a
straight stroke from the implement. The
ak, the irons in which it was clampcd,
and the timbers in the beam will probably
altogether weigh hundred or more
pounds, to say nothing of the force of the
fall, distance of six feet or more After
arranging the above machine, tie suicide
laid himself down upon the floor at right
angles with the modern guillotine,
buckled strap around his thighs,
which was screwed down to the
| floor, buckled another around his body,
which was similarly fastened to the floor,
put both his hands inside his suspenders
laying, of course, upon his back-and
| placed his head inside the box above
mentioned. The box was filled with cot
ton batting, saturated with chloroform
To keep the chin out Of the way holes
were made in each side of the box and a
wooden rod ran through, upon which the
chin rested. 1t is supposed that having
his machinery arranged to his satisfaction
and the candle lighted, the suicide laid
himself upon the floor arranged the
straps, applied the chloroform to the
cotton, placed his head in the box, and
calmly slept until the AK descended. To
accommodate his neck three narrow strips
were screwed to the floor, which operated
the same as pillow, and gave good
foundation for the AK to fall into. When
the candle burned down sufficiently the
cord was burned off and the AK fell, COM
pletely severing the head from the body
making clean job of it. The head re-
manned in the box, while the blood
flowed out upon the floor and accumu-
lated in great pool. The room is mar
row, and half the mans body lay under
the bed. The physicians say that death
must have ensued some time during the
afternoon, as no signs of decay were visit
BILE, which generally happens very quick
ly this hot weather. The bed in the room
had not been disturbed, and it is probable
that he spent the night in perfecting his
machinery of death Not nail was
used, everything being put together with
bolts and screws. To made sure against
the possibility Of the candle going out, a
large piece of brown paper was fastened
up against the transom leading into room
No. 40. The lumber of which the machin-
cry was made, together with the bolts and
screws, were undoubtedly brought to the
hotel in his trunk.
AS soon as the discovery was made the
Coroner impaneled jury, which pro-
ceeded to investigate the case After sit
ting until ten O'Clock last night, the in
quest adjourned until half past eight
O'Clock this morning. The trunk of de-
ceased was examined, but in it nothing
was found except his boots, vest, coat,
brace and three bits, screw driver, a
wrench, some screws and few pieces of
| boards. Upon his person were pocket
book, containing few dollars in money,
and some private papers, but nothing
showing why he committed his singular
self-murder.
Mr.. Moon was well known in this city.
| He owned fine farm near the Farmers
| Institute, and leaves wife and four chill
dren. He served with Capt. Haggard in
the Sixteenth Indiana Battery during the
war, and was a gallant soldier. Upon
his farm he had blacksmith, wagon and
carpenter shop, and was considered {.
mechanical genius, though he never
learned any trade-a sort of "jack at
trades and good at ne.-Lataystte (Ind)
| Journal, June ~.
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