Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-03-27
SUICIDE.
A YOUNG FARMER TAKES HIS OWN
LIFE BECAUSE he FEARS IN.
DlcTMENT.

A young farmer named Robert Jones
committed suicide in this city Wednes-
day afternoon by taking strychnine.
The cause OF the rash act seems to
have been fear that he would be in
dicted because he raised money by
mortgaging tobacco that was bound for
the rent OF the land on which 1t was
grow.
His home was in the fifth district OF this
county and he came to GAINESVILLE with
load OF tobacco He sold the tobacco
to Mr.. B. A. Spicer and when that gen
tleman inquired if it was in any way
encountered he replied: eyes, Smith
d Anderson have a mortgage on it"
Before paying for the tobacco, Mr.. Spi-
Ger insisted that Jones bring him an
order from Smith & Anderson that the
check in payment for same be drawn to
their order.
Mr.. W. A. Anderson states that he
had known Jones since early boyhood,
they having been brought up in the
same neighborhood in Robertson coun-
ty. His firm had several times in the
past made Jones advances on his crop
and regarded him asa thoroughly honest
man.
Jones came into the Office of Smith &
Anderson some time during Wednes-
day morning and seemed to be in his
usual spirits. He informed Mr.. Ander-
son that Mr.. Spicer wanted the order
referred to above and Mr.. Anderson
said
ooh that is not necessary, just tell
him to draw the cheek to our order"
But Jones insisted that the order be
given and Mr.. Anderson wrote it out
on small strip Of paper.
Something after one o'clock Jones
went into Keesee & Northingtons gro
Gerry store and procured sheet OF paper
from the book-keeper on which he
wrote the following note:
Miss LUCY-Dear Wife: love Won
better than anything in the world but |
will never see you in this world. Mr..
Wlnn wont let me have no money nor
wont let me settle with Anderson and
he will indite me and deth is prehble to
disgrace. So good by from one that
loves you dearly,
The note was addressed to Miss Lucy
Jones and the following written on the
back:
Take me home In the Wagon and
bury me like tod my wife at Little
Hope, mean in box. Take me home
tonight in the Wagon.
About o'clock Jones went into
Owen g. Moore's drug store and pur-
chased eight or ten grains of strychnine
from the salesman, Mr. Saunders, saving
he wanted it to use in killing rats.
He was seen again shortly afterwards
IN Keeseee d Northington s. There he
said to colored man named Aaron who
was urging him to get ready to leave
the city, "you will have to haul me
home" This was said at the back door
opening on Strawberry Alley. He then
walked to the front and took his seat in
a chair against the East counter. His
father-inlaw and brother-in-law were
standing near him and he said to them,
go for the doctor l am sick" A mo-
ments afterwards he fell over In tetanic
commissions and expired
The Mr.. VIM referred to in the note
which Jones wrote his wife, given
above, was his lather-in-law and agent for
his landlord. The tobacco which Jones
had sold was subject to lien for the
rent and it seems that Mr.. VIM had
expressed his determination to enforce
the lien. The statement in Jones note
to his wife to the effect that Winn
would not let him settle with Smith &
Anderson, raises the impression that
after getting the check from Spicer he
had had some conversation with Mr..
Wlnn as to the propriety of his turning
it over to Smith & Anderson and that
Wlnn had declined to release him
from the the rent obligation. The
check was found on his person after he
was dead. Jones was about 35 years
old and leaves a wife and no children.
Areport was brought to the city Thurs
day that when Mrs. Jones heard of her
husbands death she attempted to follow
his EXAMPLE and was about to take a
dose OF morphine when discovered and
prevented by her friends.
AN advertisement will be found else
where OF Bailey Brothers. who have