Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-29
THE SUICIDE OF A. NJ. TAGGART.
Particulars Concerning His Death
from One of His NeighbOrs at
LOngpOint.

Through the courtesy of l. \. Muir
daugh, of Morristown, we are permitted
to copy a portion of letter dated the
21st inst, from DR.. l. Y. Markle, of Long
point, Ill, next door neighbor of the
late Atwell NJ. Taggart:
A. NJ. Taggart was my next door neigh
Dor, and has been in the grain business
here ever since the village has had an
existence-that is, from the summer of
1872, up to the present. He came here
a single man, and remained so until the
fall of 1874, then after having built and
furnished beautiful residence, he mar
ried Miss Maggie Barnett, of Minonk,
Ill. A more congenial and happy union
could not apparently have been made,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Taggart settled down
among US as citizens, with all the bright
side of this worlds prospects upon and
before them. In time a son was born
to them, and no man ever manifested
more Joy over such an occasion than did
A NJ, but such eXultation was soon fol-
lowed by its equal amount of depression
his boy lived but three short days,and
Mr. and Mrs. Taggart were left to them
selves again. Time passed, and the
sharp pang of their bereavement began
to mellow into the sweetness of resigna-
ton, and both were again happy and ap-
parently contented.
Mr.. Taggart prOspered in business, it
yielding him a handsome profit, and
every comfort of life was at their COM
mand. Then came the terrible stroke of
Mrs. Taggart's sickness and death. The
lone man bore silently the awful void of
bereavement, and nc outward manifes-
tation told of the depth of his sorrow.
SympathiZing friends endeavOred to en-
courage him in various ways, and with
partial success. He was induced to
visit his old home and receive the con-
solations of an aged father and mother.
After his return he appeared to be more
contented, and physically improved, and
he again resumed business with every
evidence of having decided to remain
here, build up his business and retain
his beautiful home intact. Then came
another blow. Upon the morning of the
9th of this month his grain elevator
was burned to the ground, causing him
a financial loss of $4,000. This unfortu-
nate event did not appear to have any
very exciting effect upon him, and his
friends thought he took his loss very
calmly, and were pleased to think that
Mr.. Taggart, with all his troubles and
was going to master the
situation. But alasl appearances were
deceptive, as the sequel will show.
Last Monday morning at half-past six
o'clock l was called to my door, and
upon opening, 1 was met by Mr.. Hupp,
who said excitedly, "Tag. has shot him
SELF l Immediately ran to his house
and up the stairs to his bedroom, and
found him lying on the floor on his back
and stretched out perfectly straight, with
his hands at his side, and feet dressed in
slippers, toward the stand and mirror.
also saw a wound on the right side of
his head, Immediately above the ear,
ter. He was still breathing, but not
conscious. He continued to breath about
forty minutes after l arrived, so that
he probably lived forty-fve or fifty
after the fatal shot Upon
further examination l found that the
revolver had been placed at the right
side of the head, about ole inch above
the centre line of the head, being direct
ed by the aid of the mirror and fired by
the right hand. The ball passed direct
ly through the apex of the brain and
lodged immediately beneath the scalp at
a point over the left ear, almost identi-
cal with that of the point of entrance.
BY a small inciSion | WAS enabled to ex-
tract the ball. it being 32calibre cart
ridge. Both sides of the skull bone were
and the brain structure ira
yersed by the ball Il distance of at least
four inches.
Thus has ended the life of man very
popular as business man, and much
by the entire community. Mr.
Taggart left no written statement nor
oral instruction concerning the dispo-
sal of his property, nor as to the motive
him TO the deadly act. A
inquest was held, the jury re-
turning verdict of death from the ef-
fects of shot from a revolver fired by |
his own hand"
The friends await the arrival of his |
father. from st. Clairsville,in your coun-
ty, after which the remains of A. NJ.
Taggart will be deposited by the side of
his wife and child. in the Long Point |
cemetery, where he had but two weeks |
ago completed the erection of a beauti-
full monument, upon which was left a |
vacant side and raised tablet, to receive |
his name and epitaph.
May the peace he seems to have sought |
be truly found.
A ia,