Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-11-13

ran 10 get LIE. d6I0, OF NO, 70 w ar
rem avenue. During his absence the
body was brought to the house.
1t was soon ascertained that Mr..
Abrahams had left home at o'clock
in the afternoon with his horse and
buggy, saying he was going to visit
Mr.. Andrews, of Andrews & Roche,
next to the Chamber of Commerce,
upon some important business, and
that nothing more had been seen of
him until he was found dead upon the
roadway. The horse and buggy
reached the stable at about 10 80, but
the master, the buggy-cushion, the
whip and robes were missing. The
horse was excited and heated, but the
buggy was not marred in any way,
and there was nothing found that
would tend to explain the mystery.
Examination Of the body revealed
what was apparently cash upon the
right temple; but, upon close exami-
nation and the use Of probes, DR..
Bradley pronounced the injury bull
let wound, and probed some inches
into the brain. Death must have
been almost, if not quite, instantane-
GUS. Powder marks upon the flesh,
and the singes of the hair and beard
indicated that the shot had been fir
ed In close proximity to the head
No other injuries were visible. Then
arose the inquiry, how could the
wound have been inflicted, by him.
self or by some one seated in the bug
gy beside him, or perhaps by some
one who had stopped him as he was
driving along the street. The body
did not look as If it had been roughly
used, and the clothing showed no
signs of q robbery having been COM
mitted. The police made diligent in
quiry in the vicinity of Green and
jackson streets, and although thick
ly settled locality, no one could be
found who had heard the shot. Bail
iff Hutchison, residing ON the corner,
said that his family were sitting quiz
city at home, one reading and anoth-
er sewing, and they were sure no shot
was fired in that locality. Ex-Fire-
Marshal Williams, who, it lie said.
was the first to find the body, heard
nothing and only had his attention
attracted to the roadway by the bark
ing of some dogs. 1t was there-
fore plain that the man must have
been killed in his buggy, and that the
body fell out by the joltings of the
ruts in the road.
The police next interviewed the son
at the hotel, but nothing could be
gained from him until detectives
Scott and Hoffmantook him in charge.
He denied having received any letter
and declared that his father had been
murdered, and that he had with him
q gold watch and chain and about
$2OOin money, and that the only thing
found upon his dead body was .
pOcket-book containing 81. The de-
tectives examined him closely and
COZ nered him in all his lies until he
finally owned mp and acknowledged
that his father had undoubtedly COM
mitted suicide, and that he had told
the police lies, simply to prevent the
true state of the facts from being
made known through tho newspa-
lpers. A little more cross examina-
ton caused him to turn up the letter,
which was in white envelope, ad-
dressed to Mrs. Sue Abrahams, La
Pierre House, and which read as fol-
lows:
j Freddie and Mother-My dear boy,
when you read this the hand that PEN
ned it will be cold. am led to this
by long and procrastinated series of
i'll lucks and misfortunes. / have
nothing more to live for; am weary
and must have rest, rest, that cannot
obtain this side Of the grave. Be
Igood to poor mother. All 1 have to
leave you is her love be good to her,
for she will soon follow me to the land
where peace and rest is obtainable.
You don't know how / have been
worried the last two years-worried
until my hearts broken. Turn which
way l will all 10 gloom, all is despair.
| cannot stand it any longer and must
have rest or else will become total.
ly inssne-am nearly 80 now. God
only knows how much have suffer-
ed. Save $1,000. All is mortgaged
but Billy and his harness and his bug
Icy, and the double mares. / got Of
Hendricks the robes, blankets and
whips, and Office furniture. ] don't
think Trask's mortgage is good, as it
was given by me without your moth
er's name, knowledge or consent.
! would like him to be the last paid
as he has taken advantage Of my me-
cessity. His debt is 81, $50, but $3.50 of
that 10 interest included at 6 per cent.
. month, which DIR. Bartlett knows is
true. l could not help myself, as /
was in his power. He can never col
lect it if the other creditors know it.
Mother had better 90 to Wesleys /;
you had better 60 to the country, too.
A sad and last farewell from your ag-
onized father and husband,
j d. B. ABRAHAMs.
| Tell her to keep Billy and the bug
gy, and whatever else she wants to
the amount of $500.
Upon the reverse were the follow
ing memoranda:
Mother is entitled to $4OO worth of
property under the exemption laws.
Due 7Fdsk.
1,450 three months.
$50 his interest.
! $1,000.