Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-12-25

Sad Tragedy at the State Nor
NAL School,
From the Cedar Falls saazet,e

From the Cedar Falls Gazette.
The State Normal School was the
scene, last Sunday, Of thrilling trag-
edy, and, indeed, a sad one, in which
Roman q. Benton, . former student
and graduate of the school, deliber-
ately took his own life.
The facts elected by the examine.
ton, held byJ. j. Tolerton. member
of the board, and Prof. Gilchrist, with
A. ID. Polk as notary public, are these !:
Young Benton returned from his
school in Butler county, late Satur-
day evening, coming down from
Shell Rock by the freight. He walk
ed out to the Normal and stayed with
his former m-matc-Freeman
Conway. His conduct seemed
strange and Conway asked him
what was the halter. He replied,
nothing, only he had walked fast and
was tired. In the conversation that
followed Benton said that he was new
or going back to his school, but did
not want word breathed about it,
That night he was restless and rose
early Sunday morning. After break
fast he selected from his diary sever
al extracts to read to his friend,
among them an account of the near
ness W. ich he came of committing SUI
icide year ago. He took from his
finger a ring and asked that it be sent
with a package of letters to Miss A.
NJ. Jones, of Fairfield, and on the
night previous, when talking with
Conway, tossed his watch over to
him in a careless way and told him
he could have IL; that he did not
want it any more. During the fore
noon Sunday he asked for some pa.
per ard sat down and wrote several
letters, which were found locked In
his private drawer, sealed, and those
that were to be sent away stamped.
One to Conway read
DEAR FREE:-- 1888
You will know all by tomorrow
morning. May God bless you and may
you be happy. / loved you as much
as one man could love another one.
RoME.
One letter was written to G.. G..
Blake, director of the school, in which
he told him TO procure another teach
err. lie said: 81 shall be dead be-
fore this reaches YOU" To Mr.. Far
rer he wrote similar letter and told
him where to send his trunk.
Miss Ada McCielland, of Des
Moines, who was a witness Of the
tragedy, testified that Benton met her
in the parlor after dinner and shook
hands. After short conversation
he excused himselfto 20 and see Prof.
Gilchrist, and after his return invited
Miss McClellsnd into the music room
that he had something to tell her,
After closing the door he commenced
in fofcible manner to say that he
could not live; that he couldu't live
as other people did, at tho same time
ened to kill himself. Miss McCiel-
land told him positively to put thu
weapon, and undertook to get il from
him. lie then said he would not dc
the deed now, and returned 1t to hi
pocket. Calming down, he talked fol
q few moments, and then told her HI
had written his father something tina
would be the saddest news Of his life
He took his keys from his pocket ant
told her to take them, saying: "Yo,
will find something for you in tn,
drawer"
She refused to take them, and, throw,
ing them on the floor, he drew his re
volver like flash and shot himsel
through his rightear He fell heavi
ly TO the floor and died almost instant
ly. She gave the alarm and aid wa
summoned, but to no avail. In tn
brief conversation in the music room
Just before his death Miss Mcclellan,
asked him why he talked and Acte,
SO; whether il was anything that sh
had done. He replied: "No;it i
only myself In his letter to her h
; said: 81 have ordered ray trunk sen
to you at Des Moines. II my wiah j
complied with you will find ii there
81
Yours until DEATH ~
Everything goes to show that tn
act was committed under great mel
!. ancholy depression, and it was on