Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1896-05-01
Suicide of John =. Wack.

ldSt TLfulN ulat JOHh - " in. Il
prominent farmer and Eell-knoNn
stock dealer, living L. miles north-
east OF Salisbury, had commiued
suicide. by taking NOR hine, dsath
having. ensued about 7:5Go'clock that
morning.
Mr. Wack was, perhips, the most
extensive stock dealer in Charlton
f1nnty, and was liberal buyer. II is
sadl that he had lost heavily "A stock
bought ior future delivery during the
past nxo years, and it is presumeG
that these losses resulted in the taking
of his own life.
Dr.. q. NJ. Dewey, coTOner. vas
notified by telegram of the suicide
by Constable John w, Redd. of
Salisbury, and went oNer and held
an inquest at which the following facts
were brought out:
THS TESTIMONY.
4. w. Wack, a son OF the deceased,
testified:
II reside. ut residence of deceased.
First knew John S. Wack was sick
about 1890 O'Clock 4. m. April 18th,
1906. When | first saw him he was
gasping for breath as if choking. He
was unconscious. / didn't know what
was the matter with him. ! tried to
arouse him but could not. and then
got on my horse and went to town for
DIR. Banning. / was in the house at
various times until his death at 1880
a. m. on April s4th, My mother
found a bottle of morphine in the
Ihouse. The deceased was seen To 20
to a closet in the house in a stagger-
ing condition and put something
therein, and in this place was found
the morphine bottle referred to
above"
DIR. I. ]. Banning testified:
s-SSam praeucing physician and
reside in Salisbury, Charlton county,
Mo. was called to see ]. :. Wack,
and arrived at his residence about ,
O'Clock 4. m. on April e4th, 1890. |
found the patient in comatoSc con-
dition. My diagnosis of the cause of
his disease was morphine poisoning.
A drachm bottle. containing little
morphine, was handed me bv family.
The usual remedies to relieve NOR
phine poisoning were administered,
but failed to relieve the patient. |
remained with the patient until his
death, about 1880 4. m. or April
,4th.'
K. y. Garrett testified:
Il first saw 5. Wack between :
and o'clock on the morning OF
April 24th, 1896. l went to his bed
side and found him snoring like some
one sleeping soundly. | tried to
arouse him and asked him If ne was
asleep, to which he replied, No |
then asked him if he was sick and he
said, No, not any worse than he had
been for n week or two Alto
O'Clock on the evening of April ,.Srd
he left my house where he spent the
evening in apparent health and good
spirits"
w. W. Garrett testified:
Il first saw ]. s. Wack sick at ?
O'Clock n. m. on April 24th. 800.
When / first saw him he was breath
ing hard and lying on his left side. |
went to his bedside and tried 10 arouse
him. About this time my father came
in and spoke to him, and asked him
if he was sick, to which he replied,
He had been sick some time. Vt
first he was aroused so much that the
family thought 1t unnecessary to call
doctor. saw some morphine in
spoon on 4 table and some on the
floor
After hearing the above testimony,
all that was offered, the coroner jury,
composed of Messrs. ]. w. Phelps,
James Ownby. VIM. NJ. Craig. Sam b.
Elliott, l.. I. Jackson and J. T.. Drs-
mukes. the last named being foreman,
returned the following verdict: