Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-04
DEAD SIDE BY SIDE
Jesse and Sadie Coventry End
Their Lives.
THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED
In Not Being Permitted to Unite Their
Fortunes in Mauiage--They Take
Morphine Together.

UHRicHsviLLE, Ohio, Jan. s.-Why
did Jesse Coventry and his cousins
wife die by the violence OF their own
hands at Flushing, oh;os Tippecsnoe,
small village about twelve miles
south Of this point, was never the
scene OF such excitement as il is today
over the news that Jesse Coventry and
his cousin James wife had both com-
mitted suicide by taking morphine IN .
Flushing hotel. The ili-fated parties
were both raised 1T Tippecanoe. aud 1t
seemed that from an early period had
shown more or less attraction for each
other, but about eighteen months ago
Miss Sadie was welded 10 James Cow
entry, a cousin of jesse. but finding
that former love ties had not entirely
been broken between herself and Jesse,
she deserted James after marriage OF
four months.
Jesse Renewed his Court.
Jesse began paying renewed atten-
ton to Sadie after the separation which
lncr ed in intensity from time to
time; yet it could not be said that their
conduct was in strict conformity To the
law. Their friends very bitterly op-
posed their conduct, but it Was OF no
avail; nothing could be said CT done to
prevent their being together. still the
courts had never severed the marriage
ties between Sadie and James. A few
weeks since Jesse sold All interest which
he held in a livery bu ,ness in Tippc-
canoe. and frequently came to Denni.
son tor the purpose of winning more
money 10y chancing his ready cash,
and, it is said, met with comparatively
heavy losses. On Christmas day they
purported gong To Wheeling, and
nothing was heard of them until the
unexpected news of their premeditated
tragic death was received by wire. On
the return trip they stopped at Flush
ing, aud registered at hotel and put
up for the night.
Both Wore Cold in Death.
Next morning the hotel people gave
the usual alarm. but with no response,
and by looking over tho transom found
that Sadie Coventry was cold in death,
and Jesse's death-lke form lay upon
the bed. A physician was summoned, i,
but all efforts 10 restore Life were in
vain, and death occurred about IL
o'clock. Sadie had written letter TO
her mother, stating that If jesse and
she could not live together on this
earth, they would 60 together. and
that they desired to be buried together
IN the same grave. Jesse wrote a mes
sage to his brother, Informing him that
ere it should be received he would be q
corpse and TO come for his body. The
message was left with money toss.y
charges. They had evidently
prepared their doses together, and
OWING to her being woman
of slight figure and less than 20 years
old, the deadly draught took effect
sooner than It did with him. lie was
about "a years of age, and always
seemed to possess considerable firmncss
of mind. The bodies were brought to
Tippecanoe today noon. Jesse will be
buried tomorrow, and Sadie on Mon
day. So ends two lives without known
cause or reason. Neither had ever
spoken OF their untimely intent, or
seemed to realize the degree of shame
in which they were living, nor the deep
grief caused to tnesr friends. The sin
cerl.y of their love appears to have
been held to he an allowable excuse for
their unwarrented conduct. James
Coventry, the dc serted husband, is an
upright young man, and has been en-
gagged in the grocery business In Tip"
He has the sympathy OF tho COM
munity.