The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-13
SELgY JONES' SUICIDE.
Tragic Death Of a WeII-known
F Fomct Wheeling Man.
CHARGED WITH EMBEzzLING
lis Could Not Rest Under Suspicion,
and Took His Own Idre...Anothcr
More 10 Dlnme...Thc Story Of
tho Terrible Affair.
suclel DlstaleE % he lnteIllpeneer.


KANSAS Cry, Mo Nov. 12.-Business
complications aud financial reverses led
Seiby Jones to send bullet through
his brain almostin tho presence Of his
family Tuesday night. The charge has
been made that he was guilty OF enbez.
cement, but there is not, of the present,
tho strongest proof that the shortage
discovered was due to him. An expert
is still! at work upon tho books, but bp.
yond tho fact that something crooked
hNs been discovered nothing definite Ia
known, scby Jones came 10 this CITY
from Wheeling, VIVA, some nine years
ago and connected himself with the
hardware firm Of Hull & Willis, putting
in S2l 600 Of his own money. iio wus
made Secrctafy!Gud Treasurer OF the
firm. a large ttade was built up and The
housa wGs rated among the most reliahlo
in the Missouri Valley. The frat inti.
nation OF trouble came 10 the surface
last December, when the book keeper
hb5conded with y good deal OF ready
cash. The matter was kept as quiet as
possible, and 60 far. as the public could
see 10 extra exettion 10 capture the
book, keeper wus made. Six mopths
later the firm nold out, and it was then
discovered that The stock did not invoice
rs much rs expected.
AcHAoTlc BUSINESS.
For eight years the books had not been
cxaminedand when an attempt was made
10 settle up the affairs OF tho company
they were found in irightiully chaotic
state. In August, two months after the
firm sold out, NJ, II. Hall, one OF the
firm, died r complete bankrupt. He
was thought to be wealthy, but n secret
Eociety TO which he belonged had 10 ad. |
vance money to meet the funeral ex.
penses. A few days Ego John II. Hobbs,
OF Wheeling, arrived in tho city, and
began an investigation into the atiairs
OF the company. HeGccurcd the services
oian expert TO 60 over the books and on
Tuesday evidence that they had been
tampcred with was obtained. Jones
was called before Air. Hobbs and ihe
former President OF the COMPANY. r. r
Willis and the former ACCUSED III m of
crookedness. Jones, when shown the
condition OF the books, admitted that
they had been 'doctored, but eaid he |
wss not responsible for the work.
THE FIRM ROBBED.
1t was found that the firm had been
systematically robbed by false entries Of |
freight bills, but most of the shortage
was located in the years that the crooked
bookkeeper had charge OF the books.
Jones said he had made the freight bill |
entries es given 10 him on slips fur.
nished by the bookkeepe., and gu opposed
they were correct, and while there is a
shortage Of at least SIZE, 900 it is not Ger.
tain that Jones was responsible for it.
II he had not killed himself, it is be-
lieved he could have cleared himself OF
the charge, aud that he fred the shot
under the impulse OF the moment, is al
most certain, although he was despon-
dent during the evening and said life
was not worth the living.
He had just entered the pantry wien
he sent the bul llet through his brain. A
moment before he had left lis family to
attend tho furnace and get drink OF
water. The remains will eventually be
semitic Wheeling for burial.
Jones left q note for hio vile stating
tl,at lie lad been fnlsely accueed; that
his friends had deserted him, and that
he could not bear to live longer.
< II