Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-08-06
THE HISTORY OF @
MORRISON COUNTY.

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WRITTEN IN. 1879 BY ORDER OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY CoMMIssIONERs.AN AMI
PUBLISHED IN THE TRANscRIpT IN THE
SAME YEAR. REVISED AND BROUGHT
DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME. .:;;@.
By NATHAN RICHARDSON. -
Continued from last weeks Transcript.
This county has not escaped unfortu-
nate occurrences, and in proportion to its
population the list Of suicides, murders
and accidental deaths, is large. AS to
suicides, the first case We remember was
that of Asher Adams, of Belle Prairie.
The unfortunate occurrence took place
about fourteen years ago. For some
time he had shown signs of insanity.
He arose about the break Of day on the
morning of his death; took his gun and
started out, leaving his wife and child
ren in bed. After they had arisen, they
discovered him, only few rods from the
house, at a place they had often climbed
over the fence, lying dead, having been
shot, the load entering his side. Whilst
the gun might have been accidentally
discharged in an attempt to get over the
fence, it was thought to have been done
by himself in order to put an end to his
life. His wife and children remained on
the farm until her death in 1870.
The next case of suicide was that of
John Keller, Of Fort Ripley. lie shot
himself on the 18th day Of December,
1875. He was German, and had orig
inally been in good circumstances, bu t
had become poverty stricken and dissi-
pated, and as the last resort enlisted in
the army. He never failed to get drunk
whenever he could raise the means to
get the liquor, but was nevertheless pos
sessed Of good judgment and a fine
sense of honor, and had struggled hard
to overcome his habit of getting drunk.
Probably he came to the conclusion that
it was impossible to effect reformation
in himself, and upon getting sober after
having been drunk for several days, he
resorted to the only sure remedy for the
habit that had degraded and enslaved
him. When his comrades had gone to
their dinner, he took his gun, sat upon
his bunk, removed his shoe and stocking
from his right foot, and placing the muz-
zle of the gun at his left eye, fired off the
gun with his toes. The blast of the gun
tore the top of the skull entirely off; and
every particle of his brain was blown out
and scattered about the walls and ceiling
The commander Of the Fort, Col. Bates,
immedi ately notified Coroner Stillwe1l of
the occurrence, and he proceeded to hold
an inquest. The verdict of the jury was
that John Keller came to his death by
his own hand.
James Martin committed suicide at his
residence in the town of Culdrum, on the
21st day of January, 1876. Mr.. Martin
was an old settler in this section of coun.
try. He went to Long Prairie at an early
day and carried mail on foot between
that place and Swan River, and moved to
Little Falls before the war. He went to
New York city during the war, but
came back after its close and opened a
stock farm in the town of Culdrum
where lie did good business for several
years. He worked faithfully until the
tragedy of the Kinney murder occurred
at his house. Mr.. Martin since his set
tlement in this country until his death
was rough, uncouth, and vulgar talki ne
man, and began to show symptoms o1
insanity before the murder of Kinney, in
1871, but from that time he appeared tc
grow worse very rapidly, so that he be-
came dangerous at times. Nearly a yea1
and half previous to his death he went
to the house of W. W. Balm, neighbol
towards whom he did not feel we'll dis
posed, and by concocting lie he induced
Mr.. Balm to accompany him across the
Swan river on business. When they
reached the river Mr.. Martin threw Mr.
Balm into it, and jumped in himself and
attacked Mr.. Balm. AS he was much the
larger man Of the two he got Mr. Balm
under the water, and held him under un
til he was nearly dead, when by the time
ly arrival of his son, Vim. Balm, he was
saved from being drowned. As VIM
Balm was a young and powerful man he
was not long in dressing up Mr.. Mar
tins eyes in mourning, and completely
subduing him. He was Immediately ar
rested and brought to Little Falls howl
ing crazy. An examination was had ant
he was pronounced by DR.. Guernon Il
be insane, and was accordingly sent te
the Asylum for Insane, at st. Peter. HI
remained there only about three months
when he was released by reason of the
opportunities of his wife and others, bu
was not cured. He conducted himself
quite we'll for some time, but insanity in
creased upon him rapidly until he be
came terror to every household in tha
section Of country. His wife left him
through fear and went to Minneapoli!
and remained there until after his death
Mr.. Martin was alone at the time he com
mitted suicide. 1t appears that he took ,
stool from the house, went into the cattl.
shed or stable, turned all the cattle loose
and taking one of the tie ropes passed i
over a log which supported the roof
He then stood on the stool, and taking thu
rope he fastened moose around his neck
then placing the muzzle of his. shot gu1
in his mouth fred it off, blowing out hi.
entire brain, and tearing away the greater
portion of the skull bone. He hung him
self just inside the stable and near thu
door, which was left open. His hat ant
tippet were hung on a pin in the back
end Of the stable. Mr.. Martins apparent
cuteness was such that many held tht
opinion that he was only acting out de
praved nature, but his act of self destruc
ton convinced all that he was really an
insane man. E' -
On the Sd day of February, 1879, Reu
ben J. Rounds, young man about TWEEN
ty-six. years age, committed suicide by
shooting himself at the house of hit
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