The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-06
AN EARLY MORNING SUICIDE.
Financial Trouble Drives Alexander Cofrey to
Self-Destruction.g

| keeper at 24O North Main street, arrived a
his place of business he found the body o
| Coffey lying motionless in the hall-wa,
between the front and rear rooms of tn
building. STOPPING down to ascertain
| whether or not he was sleeping, he wa
| horror-stricken to find Coffey dead will
! his head in pool of blood. He at onct
telephoned to police headquarters asking
for an officer and Tom Glover soon after
wards arrived. The body was then exam
ined and it was found that bullet had
passed through the head of the
dead man. Further investigation
revealed the deadly weapon, a
45-caliber Colts revolver, laying under
the PROSTATE form and almost hidden from
view. Soon afterwards Officer Longmire
Joined Officer Glover and both conveyed the
body to Dunbar's undertaking rooms.
When it became known that dead body
had been found, wild rumors spread
throughout the city like wild fire. ''Did
you hear of the MURDER" was the greet
ing of everybody. mo, who was it:"
"Oh, a man was killed up at 240 last
night" and then a rush was made by the
man who learned the news for 240, only TO
liz OhC GnCAC WIN Ad0 1CdSL
knowledge OF the facts.
At z O'Clock the sad news was conveyed
to Coffey's wife, his three children and his
aged mother, who is, herself, tottering on
the frontier of life; standing on the
edge of the grave. SO to speak The
family were Mortified, and naturally
there was great weeping and wailing.
The poor old mother, whose only reliable
staff was Aleck, was almost overcome
by grief and the way she rung her hands
and shed bitter tears was heart rending to
behold.
When the body was first discovered
message was sent to the sheriff informing
him of the facts and at 10 o'clock an in
question was held by the coroner.
The main witness was Matt Wall, the
man who first found the body. He testified
that he knew the deceased since 1887.
He has worked for me nearly all the
time," said he, "since 1888, excepting 6
months in 1889. His habits were excellent.
l never knew him to drink, swear or chew
tobacco: in my opinion he was very
moral man. Hespoke to me about having
some trouble with his own race but did
not ask him what it was and therefore
don't know the nature of it."
Question by coroner: "What shape did
you find Coffey in when you came to busi-
ness this morning?"
~ came to business at $50 this morning
and found the door was wide open as u.s.
uaL l expected to see Coffey but
heard or saw no sign of his
presence. I commenced to look
around for him and found him
ying on the floor of the hall leading from
one room to another, and he was quite
lead. The back door of the establishment
vas locked. Isent to the station for po-
iceman. and soon Officer Glover appeared
md took charge of the remains" The !
gun was shown Mr.. Wall and he recog-
llzed 1t as one belonging to his establish I
nent. II always left it," said Mr.. Wall, |
where he (Coffey) could find it, if neces-
AIRY. When found the body this morn
ng it was laying with the face to the |
outh, he having evidently died without |
truggle. Ali the doors except the front |
loor were locked. There was nothing
Missing from the safe.
DIR. st. John, county physician, testified
hat he had found the body in the hall
bove described. with the head towards
be east, and laying in large pool of
lood that had flowed from the wound.
here were no marks on the body, he
tated, except in the mouth and on the
ead. The lower and upper jaws were
ractured, and the ball passed out through
he back of his head at what is called the
1nction of the occipital and parietal
ones. Proceeding with the testimony,
he doctor said: 'The palate
vas entirely blown away. 1 don't
hink there was more than
ne shot fired and the direction and course
the ball would indicate that the shot
Tas fired by his own hand. The mouth
'as powder-burned and piece of the
kull was found in the ball. The ball
-ent naturally from the mouth to the
ack of the head"
Officer James Longmire in his testimony
aid: Il saw Coffey about o'clock this
forming. He was standing at the foot of
ne stairway scrubbing and sweeping the
oor and there seemed to be nothing
rong with him. When l saw him am
,tisfied there was no one with him. 1
id not see him again till he was dead"
lOUl SlONCT bcSlllCQ 10 :
ne deceased to be man of the very best
and habits. He stated that he
as a member of New Hope Baptist
lurch and an upright man on general
rinciples. He found the revolver laying
nder his feet when he first saw him and
le body looked as if death had been in
antenous.
Officer Osburn's testimony was prac-
cally the same as Mr.. Glover's.
5. B. Amidon, who has been Coffey's
wyer and confidential adviser for the
ast four years, testified that the deceased
as very regular IN his habits aud a
very upright and reliable colored man
every respect. The only trouble he
new him to have was financial troubles, {
lving loaned sums of moneylwhich was s
difficult matter for him to collect. Mr. I
midon WAS sure that his domestic s
lations were happy and that he was very T
uch attached to his home and family.
The wife and mother of the deceased G
stiied to his good habits but didn't know a
any financial troubles which he might {
I'VE. His wife said that they always got Y
ong nicely during the eight years they
ere married and that he was always glad +
get home after his work g
After ali the testimony was in the jury e
nsidered the case for few minutes and a
rived at the following verdict: =
STATE OF KANSAS, l.. r
SEDGwICK COUNTY. 7
An inQuisition holden at my office in \
lchita, Kan. on the 5th day OF October, 7
ll, before me, f B. Badger, coroner OF l
dgwick county, on the dead body Of I
exsnder Coffey there lying dead, by the J
rors whose names are hereunto sub J
ribed. The said jurors. upon their oaths, +
say that from the testimony given, the r
ceased came TO his death from a pistol
OF fred by his own hand.