Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-06-26
A VICTIM OF MIND
Col. j. NJ. Strong, Editor of the st. Joe
Herald Murdered.

Col. j. Nj. Strong, Editor of the st. Joe
Herald Murdered.
ST. JOSEPH, June 18.-At II o'clock this
morning as Col. j. M. Strong, manager of
the Herald, was sitting in his counting
room, with his back to the door, DR.. 8. A.
Richmond entered the doorway and draw
ing a revolver fired one shot which struck
the victim in the left side of the neck. Colo
mel Strong jumped up and staggered toward
more shots and Strong fell. Richmond
then turned outside and going some twenty
feet from the door placed the revolver to
his temple and fired, dropping instantly to
the sidewalk. At the time of the shooting
Col. Strong was engaged in conversation
with some unknown man. He was totally un-
conscious of the approach Of the enemy until
drove up to the front of the Office in q car
riage, sitting on the back seat, the driver in
front. He is said to have alighted coolly
and walked to the Herald Office door without
any trace of excitement. When he COM
menced to shoot his driver drove away and
left him, and it was after turning to look for
his carriage and finding it gone that he shot
himself. Col Strong fell, struck by two bull
let's, one of which, as stated, struck him in
the neck, ranging upward into the brain;
the other struck him in the back, and is be-
lieved to have penetrated his heart. He said
81 am dying" and passed away in five min
utes after the first shot was fired.
Richmond's bullet took effect in his left
temple, and as yet it is impossible to tell
ieved, however, that he will not recover, as
he is raving maniac at present.
The trouble was solely of Richmond's own
making. He has long been known to the
newspaper fraternity as the discov erer and
manufacturer of Samaritan Nervine, and he
has been an extensive advertiser and has had
an enormous business in his nostrum. Some
year and a half ago Colonel Strong was one
of the principal attorneys for him in his
suit with Harlan P. Hubbard, the advertis-
ing agent, of New Haven, Conn. 1t is be-
lieved that bis business affairs were too
weighty for his brain, and that he became
crazy. Some five months ago he dis
appeared from this community and
left lot of papers evident
hopeless lunatic. He charged Colonel
Strong and other prominent attorneys of this
city with having ruined him, and intimated
that he had ended his career in the river.
At that time opinions differed as to his
condition, some holding him crazy, others
believing him to be simply working a ruse
to obtain $85,00O life insurance. Two
months ago he turned up in Chica-
go crazy and was brought home.
Since that time he has not been seen about
town but once or twice until the tragic
event of to-day. ALI the people acquainted
with tho circumstances know that Colonel
Strong is entirely innocent, as we're the 9TH
or parties, of the charges made against them
in Richmond's manifesto, in which he
claimed that he had only been restrained
from killing Strong and others by the great
est moral efforts. The deed of to-day proves
Richmond's lunacy beyond doubt, or at
least such is the popular verdict.
Col. Strong leaves large family, consist
ing of wife, three sons, the eldest of whom
is John p. Strong, editor in chief Of the
Herald. The other sons are aged respective
ly Is and II. The eldest daughter is Mrs.
VIM. B. Summey, of Washington, married
about month ago. Another daughter is
little girl of ten years. He was sixty -one
years old, a lawyer by profession and man
who had been very prominent in the repub-
lican party of northwest Missouri for nearly
thirty-years. He was man of violent pre-
JUDGES, but well liked and highly esteemed
BY those who knew him best.