The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-06-07

In the papers first. I think she never
saw well day since / knew her.
Never heard her say much in re-
gard TO her trouble. loaded the gun
myself about half an hour before the
shooting WAS done. / Mad been shoot
squirrels. The gun was usually kept
in the stairway. Found her shoes
and stockings where they now are
under the sewing magazine. Deceased
never kept company with any young
man. She had trouble with her sister.
Her sister Tanners wife, accused de-
ceased of alternating the love of her
husband from her. Lizzie was INTEL
ligent and of good Judgment. Some
times she was cheerful, but often
very melancholy. Had noticed that
she seemed vexed in morning. She
made this her home not being able to
work out much, as her health was
too poor. Never knew of her ever
having a quarrel with any one.
Mrs. Mccartney, wife of the last
witness, was then called and being
sworn said: Age, 80. Known de-
ceased four years. Made it her home
at our house. Her health has been
very poor since l knew her. Had
spells in which she would be very
much depressed and say nothing to
any one. Have heard deceased say
she had great deal of trouble. She
said her sister, Tanners wife, had cir
culated stories about her that a great
many would believe that caused her
all her trouble. Often spoke of her
trouble. Has cried all night long to
my certain knowledge and never shut
her eyes to sleep. ! could hear her
cry from where she slept on the
lounge. The last time i saw her
alive was on Tuesday, the a9th, At
half past five In the afternoon. She
came down stairs and went out of the
door. j then went to visit u neighbor.
The next time | saw hershe was dead.
That was at half past six O'Clock. and
my husband, Elisha Tanner and Clara
BANKER were present. Saw deceased
lying on her back dead, with her feet
to the stair door, and shotgun was
standing or leaning against stair door,
with the stock resting against her feet,
stair door standing open. She was
barefooted. Was in the habit Of wear
ing shoes. | have often heard her
speak of committing suicide. Once
she took laudanum. left her in the
house and when / came back found
her asleep on the lounge. ! let her
sleep some time and when | tried to
awaken her l could not. Saw the
laudanum bottle and it was nearly
empty-had been nearly full. The
next morning she said she took the
laudanum. and said she did not care
if IL had killed her rs she was suffer
ing so. Said il would have killed her
only she was i'm the habit of taking it,
and said she wouldn't have cared If it
had. She was great hand to read
the list of suicides in the papers and
then she would say at times that it
didn't seem possible that person i'm
their right mind could kill themselves,
but she would say that she might lose
her mind sometime and kill herself.
Deceased was virtuous girl for all !
ever knew. Her father is dead. Her
sister was formerly the wife of Elisha
Tanner-the sister that caused the
mental trouble. The reports put In
circulation against deceased were those
affecting her character and could not
have been worse. Tanner lived with
his wife - years. Has two children.
Don't know that deceased was the
cause of separation between Tanner
and his wife (deceased's sister.
DIR. w. +. Hills, of Clarence, after
careful examination, said II find the
deceased came to her death by discharge
Of gun, the charge entering her left
breast in the region Of the heart and
passing out through the left shoulder
blade. The charge In its passage
through entirely destroyed the heart,
and necessarily caused instant death.
give below the finding of jury in
full:
STATE OF IOWA
CEDAR COUNTY
At an inqusition holden at the
house of Joseph Mccartney, in Mas
sillon township, in Cedar county, on
the 30th day Of May, 1877, before l..
l.. Sweet, Coroner of said county, up
on the body Of Miss Eliza Wakefield
there lying dead, by the jurors, whose
names are hereto subscribed. The
said jurors upon their oath do say that
the said Eliza Wakefield came to her
death byshooting herself with q shot
gun, at the house of Joseph Mozart
ney, in MasillOn township, on May
Goth. 1877, and that the cause for the
committal of the act was melancholy
state Of mind induced by trouble, the
nature Of which Is unknown to the
Jurors.
J. w. BEATTY,
+. p. QUIREy,
NOAH REEDY.
l hereby certify to and endorse the