The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-28
THOMAS HAMAND SUICIDES
Being of Unsound Mind He Shoots
Himself.
HIS BODY FOUND In FHE SNOW

Ten Miles From TOwn-He Was a
Nephew of Mrs. H. B. WeIeh.
The dead body of Thomas Hamand. a
nephew of Mrs R B. WEIGH was found
lying frozen with a bullet hole in the
head and revolver in the hand yester-
day afternoon, ten miles 80 uthwest of
town near the Burlingame road.
The body had evidently lain there
sometime as it was frozen to the ground
aud partly covered with snow. The
case was plain one of suicide. On the
body were two notes written in lead
pencil. They read:
40 whom it may concern: l, Thomas
Hamand, do hereby swear in this, my
dying hour: First-That l am of IN
sound mind; second, that to the best OF
my belief l have never been drunk as
reported, but on several occasions have
acted SO to cover my infirmities; third,
that am in no way connected with the
recent grave robberies as charged, nor
do 1 know anything concer ming them,
outside of that obtained from public
sources.
"UncIe: l feel the utmost affection for
you. Good bye. Tell my mother that
this action is hard only because of the
pain 1t will cause her, for l have ever
truly loved her"
hay stack and was discovered by far
mer named Cougar who went there after
some hay John w. Reigel, near whose
place the body was found yesterday aft
ernoon about 2 o'clock. arrived in town
about D o'clock and notified Coroner
Westertield, who, with Under Sheriff
Bert Lucas and Police Officer Hash
went out,
They returned soon after o'clock and
Mr. WEIGH was notified. The body is at
| De Moss & PenwelPs place.
1t was purely a case of dementia.
Hamand was twenty -four years of age
and son of E Hamand, we'll to do
man Of Lake Charles, La.
He was of very sensitive, am bilious
disposition and left home in 1890 to come
| to Topeka to earn his own living rather
! than accept living of his father. For
sometime he was employed by the troll
ley company in different capacities and
at the same time attended Washburn'
| college for a year and half. He then
! became JOURNAL carrier and held his
| route for several months. He made $24
! a month out of the route. He sold il
to take charge of the supplies in the
freight department of the Santa Fe
| offices.
He was known as an industrious
young man, honest and capable, but be-
came victim of an idea that he was
charged with dishonesty aud the drink
| habit, and finally two weeks ago left
the position. His Authorization even
went SO far that on the occa-
sion of trip he took to- st. Joseph on
Christmas day he told his uncle on his
return that two Santa Fe detectives had
followed him all day, but that he had led
| them a dizzy chase by walking about
| town through the snow all day and en-
joying their discontinue. His story Of
the detectives was SO straight that Mr..
! WEIGH was inclined to believe that some
detectives had followed the young man,
by mistake probably, for he learned that
no Santa Fe detectives had followed him.
Young Hamand spoke to Mr.. WEIGH
several times regarding his mental
breaking down. Monday he asked Mr..
Welch if he thought his parents would
come after him and just before
noon on Monday Mr. WEIGH received
a telegram from Mr.. and Mrs. Hamand
He did not tell Thomas Immediately that
his parents were coming and before he
| could have a chance to talk with him
about it he disappeared.
The last seen of him in Topeka was on
Monday a week ago when he ate dinner
at the Cremerie restaurant On Tuesday
Mr.. WEIGH became alarmed and began a
| systematic but secret search.
He hardly thought of suicide, though
at one time recently the young man had
! confessed to an intermittent desire for
| self destruction and had been relieved of
! a loaded revolver, with which he admit
ted he had thought of killing himself
On Wednesday morning Mr.. and Mrs.
Hamand arrived from Louisiana and are
now at Mr.. WEIGHS residence.
When the body was found it lay in a
twisted position as though the young
man had lived aud struggled in his
agony for sometime after the shooting.
The bullet hole was in the right side of
the head just over the ear, but the revolv-
er was held carelessly in the left hand
beneath him. His face was frozen
against the ground. In his pockets were
a knife, a key and $2.10 in money
Tom Potter farmer on the Burlin-
game road SAYS he saw Hamand pass his
place Tuesday morning and it is prob
able that the suicide was done Tuesday
| afternoon. Mr.. Melch thinks the sui
eide was contemplated when Hamand
| asked that his father and mother be sent
for
The body will be buried in the Topeka
cemetery tomorrow afternoo The fun
eral will take place from the home of r.
| B. Welch at sol Fillmore street
| Hamand's Funeral.
The funeral of Thomas Hamand,
who committed suicide, was held at p.
M today, and the body was buried in
Topeka cemetery.