The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-11-19
DIED ny MS OWN HAND,
A Prominent citizen of Damascus Found
Dead on His SONS Grave,

ALLIANCE, Now l6th-Damaacus, a
amall town eight miles east OF here, waa
the scene Of intense excitement Satur-
day morning, A DEMOCRAT representa-
tive visited the place aud CLEANED the
following;
On the evening previous the wife and
daughter OF Col. Joseph Bruff left their
chesIfnl aresde 10 attend u literary In
the vicinity, leaving the Colonel NJ
hOma alone, Upon their return at about
II o'clock, he was missing. Nothing
unusual was thought OF his absence till
an hour later, when he had not yet re'
turned, Nelghh0rs we're aroused ana q
thorough search was made OF the house,
and the woods In the Vicinity. This
search was continued until o'clock ~
the morning, but the missing man could
uOt be found. While the search was 60
Ing on, his daughter went 10 the place
where The family revolver hung on The
wall, and b bold, II was gone. Instantly
the thOught Iliahed through the minds
OF those present that he had committed
suicide. The search was then given up
until o o'clock, when daylight began to
dawn. The village bells and whlstles
were then sounded, I'LL men came flock
Ing into town on horseback from all d.
rectiOns. A thorough search was then
begun. Washington Stacy aud Charley
Roberts, two OF the seaTchers, pro-
ceeded TO the village cemetery,
half a mile from Brnif's
house, when within q short
distance Of the Brulf family lot they be-
held a cane sticking In the ground from
which was flying q white handkerchief,
and at the foot OF this and on his sons
grave lay the llfeless body OF Col. Joseph
Bruff, revolver at his side and q bullet
hole In his head, to tell the tale. He was
taken TO his late residence, where an
inquest was held by Squire Rogers, OF
Salem. The Colonel was q leading clti-
zen OF Damascus, In which place no was
born aud raised; has for years been
leader OF the Republican party OF Co.
lumbiana county; waaa member OF the
Ohio State Legislature In 1850, and when
ths war broke out enlisted IN the army,
and was soon made Colonel OF the l25th
0. VI.
After hls return he became a Notary
Public and has been engaged In the set
thing up OF estates ever since, and wal
always considered an honest man In
every particular.
Being a poor Anancier. the money OBJ
talned In the settling up OF various o.
tates passed through his hands for pur
poses other than that intended, and al
last the amount had become 30 large
that exposure and disgrace stared hin
In the face. Rather than face this h
preferred death. Deceased was In hi
5Sth year. He leaves q wife, who wal
utterly prostrated upon learning OF hil
suicide. and daughter who stlll live
at home, also q son who 10 a practiclnl
attorney at Atlantic, Iowa. The re-
yolyer used was q Smith q Wesson 38
calibre, and had hung on the wall load
ed ever since the close OF the war II
1865. During oil this time q single sho
had never been lired from II.
Examination showed that the end o
the revolver had been placed In hi
mouth. his whiskers being unsinget
and his face not even being blackened
The ball passed through the mouth, nj
through the brain, and out at the bas
OF the skull.