The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-08-26
Richard 6. Rsdcliff Cuts His
Throat from Ear
to Ear.
No Clue as to What Caused
Him to Commit the
Rash Act.
A Letter From a Young Lady
to Whom He Was
Engaged.
The Evidence as Given Before the
4. Corners Jury Yesterdy
Morning.

At a little after O'Clock yesterday
morning the report spread throughout the
CITY that a man had committed suicide at
Ronner's restaurant on West Main street.
A BAzoo representative went thlther and
found that the report was only too
true, and Richard q. Radclif was lying on
a bed In one of the upstairs rooms
corpse.
BAzoo readers will remember that on
Saturday last Radcliff became intoxicated,
and while in this state had a fine gold
watch stolen from him by a man named
Stevens, who was subsequently arrested and
bound over to the November term OF the
criminal court.
Saturday evening Radclif was too
drunk to know what he was
doing, and as it was well
known that he had a large amount OF
money about his person, it was feared that
something would happen him and he was
locked up. At about II O'Clock, however,
be was
RELEASED AND WENT TO BED.
He was around town all day Sunday
and Monday and one noticeable thing was
that he refused 10 drink anything, saying
he intended to keep perfectly sober. AT
the police station Saturday he stated that
he had some trouble with a girl In Morgan
county, one who was teaching a school and
was compelled TO leave on her account
He had sold his farm and put everything
he had into ready cash so he would have
nothing 10 go back after.
Monday night he went back to the hotel
and told the proprietor he wanted to go to
bed and
WISHED ROOM BY HIMSELF
ksnd was, accordingly, assigned to No. 3, on
the first floor. He retired and nothing
more was thought about the matter.
Yesterday morning ct about z O'Clock
the proprietor went up TO his room TO call
him for breakfast. He knocked on the
door several times but received no answer.
While he was standing at the door he
heard noise inside and thinking Radclif
was awake he again knocked on the door
but with the same result.
This time he climbed up and looked over
the transom. He saw Radcliff lying on
the bed and by his side and on the floor
was blood. Still he did not suspect that
the
MAN HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE,
but supposed he had hemorrhage. He
burst in the door and went inside when to
his horror he found that the man had
committed suicide, having cut his throat
with a razor, which lay on the floor.
He then called his partner up stairs and
left him in charge of the room while he
went after an officer.
Marshal Barnett was found and went to
the hotel. When he arrived the body was
still warm and it was very evident that he
had been dead but a very short time. On
the left hand side of the man lay a COM
mon pocket knife with the little blade open
and all covered with blood. On the floor
lay the razor with which
THE Deadly WORK
had been done.
His throat was cut from ear TO ear. 1t
was very evident that he hal intended to
kill himself with the pocket knife, for on
one side was plainly visible the place
where he had stuck it into his neck. 1t
seems, however, that this did not satisfy
him, for he had got up out of bed and
walked to his valise on one side of the
room where the razor was, and getting it
went back and laid down on the bed again
where he completed the work and took his
own life.
He went to the valise after he had started
to cut his throat with the knife, which
theory was upheld by the fact that from the
bed to the valise was
STREAM OF BLOOD,
probably coming from the cut on the side
of the neck.
The coroner was notified and the corpse
was taken TO the undertaking establishment
of J. A. Tomhagen, where an inquest was
held, and the body dressed for burial.
He has brother living somewhere In
Morgan county, who was telegraphed the
sad news and is expected to arrive to-day
after the body. Ii is understood the re-
mains will be taken back to Morgan coun-
ty for intermeut
He left no letter or anything else which
would explain his rash act, and no reason
lis assigned, unless the theory that he had
became repentant for the wrong he had
done and wanted to put an end to his life,
be accepted. Some give whiskey as q
reason for him committing the deed as he
is said to have been a hard drinker, and
this should be fearful warning to those
who are in the habit of using alcohol in
any shape as a beverage.
In his vest pocket was found $SS7.34 in
paper money, which was turned over to
the coroner and he placed il in the Citi.
zens' National bank. he also had $500 in
the hands of q saloon keeper, and
A GOLD WATCH
which the police hold. The
team which he formerly had at Homan's
livery stable is now at Olmstead & Jeffer-
sons livery stable, whittier he took them
Monday.
Radcliff was man IS or 40 years of
age, and rather good looking, and it is to
be
SINCERELY REGRETTED
that be should put an end to himself Just
when he was in the prime of life. Below