The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-07-12
Love that Led 10 suicide.

Love that Lea 10 SUlClOes
Hdntingt"n. l.. :, winch is seldom
If ever, without u sensation NJ s"'n'
kind. has one to day Of suc'
general interest that hardly anythin!
else IL talked about. 1t is the snirid,
Of Mr.. joel Scud.ler, u rich farmer
CONNECTED with s",ns Of the ol'lcs
aud b-st people Of the island. The
circumstances attending his death ar,
IT a peculiar nature and not without
an c'rmen' Of romance.
About five years aso old Mr.. lsrae
Scutlder died. leaving u large proper
~ to BE-: divided between six children
rw" If the girls were married, bat
the three boys were bachelors. joel
and George Scudder bought ont the
other heirs, and for s",ne years the
homestead farm, aud productive one,
was run in partnership. After while,
however, Joel bought ont his brother
aud took upon himself the entire
| management If the estate. The an
married sister, Della, lived with him
and kept hO0sr. George also resided
with him. After a while there were
ram"rs Of occasional family misun-
'lrrstandings, and some time ago
William build new house, int"
which (a"me time in July) he was tn
have moved with his sister and bro'lI~
~ George, leaving Joel alone. The
latter became melancholy aud com
plai"ed bitterly of his intended d.
.erti0n. 1t was commonly whisp PEI I'd,
however, among his neighbours that he
would not b~ long alone, as hs was
paying marked attention tn the
daughter IT . prominent resident ct
Cold Springs. This was the state Of
.ifairs On sunday afternoon when
Joel went tn his stab:es, and select.
Ing his favori,e horss drove away in
buggy to Cold Spring. There he
visited Ills married sister, and after
ward the lady to whom gossip had
reported him engaged.
H. had told his brother when leav.
ing tina, 10 would not he hack till
late. Tho family were therefore
somewhat surprised whom he returned
at six o'clock. Putting his l,orse il
tie stable, he went sl"wly up the
brick walk I" his house and, entering
tho dining room. f"ond his sister sit>
ting near tho table, supper being
over. Shs said, Joel, We have had
"" tea to-night ; it Vas warm. 40 VIC
did not put tho kettle on" HI 70
piled, "Oh, that 10 nothing; I don't
care fur any" He then walked t.
the table and took from it a piece Of
cake, which he ate, aud afterwatd
drank a glars If water.
TIRE sHOOrlNG.
Mise Della then whent % etairs to
her br"ther GeM GO. Before che went,
how ever, she saw joel 90 to 4 closet
and took out a very Handsome double
barrsllrd breach loading gun and
play with It q moment. H. also t"ok
"ot large Ito bog Of cartridges. She
had bren up stsirs but a moment
when bOtl che and her brother heard
tho report If tho gun. They hurried
down, and, not finding joel ind"ors,
I'astened to tho back Of tho house,
where they discovered him lying %
40 his side quite dead. He bad place
ed the barrel to his right temple, and
with tho cleaning stick of the gan
pressed tue trigger. Tho cartridge
wa large one and tho entire top of
HE head was blown of. Thu braine
were scattered for ak feet afsnnd aud
pieces Of the skull were thrown up
fully Thirty feet against tho wall ii
the house. Ply siciaps were at once
sent for, but II we evident that the
unfortunate man had not moved af.
ter tho 6rst shock. He was lying
peacefully 90 HE left side, HE feet
crossed, and bic face, % fer a. could
l,e told, bearing not . trace Of paio.
HE budy was horne to his residence,
and Judge R"lph, in tho absence Of
the Corouer, Immediately impannel.
led . jury. After examining . few
witnesses . verdict Of suici1e was
rendered. The affair has caused the
deepest regret throughout the sur-
rounding c0u"try, whero NJ. Scadder
was widely known and universally
respected. From tho fact that sh"rt-
" L<foIs he sl,ot himself he had made
arrangements to borrow Z horse for
nae IN bic farm to-day It il inferred
that bio auici.lxl res"lvo wss taken at
the last moment. He died interstate,
and tho pt"prrty which he has &C.
quir~d BY purchase from the heirs At
lis fathers ratats will uow return to
these tom whom he bought it.
The lady to whom the unhappy
mao waa paying his addressea il the
eldest daughter of Mr.. Joseph Buffet,
living ab"nt three miles from MI.
Scuddrr's farm. She il a come'y
woman, perhaps twenty-five gears
old. Shr wac greatly shocked by thu
news of her euitot's rash act. In
reply I" the qnesti"ns If Herald re-.
p"r,er sl,e said that MI. Scudler had
bern paying attenti"ns to her far GOV
..ral month";, but that she had given
him y" encouragement. H. had pro.
p.,aed marriage several times, but had
been rejected. On Sunday when be
called, 10 he Wa 10 tho habit at do.
Ing, hs removed the offer and receiv.
cd the same answer 40 b~foto. HI
did not aerm specially downcast On
this occasion and had never made a
threat Of suicide.