Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-06-18
OUR COUNTY CORRESPONDENTS
They Chronicle all the Happenings
Of the Biggest and Greatest
County in the State.
Denver Items.


Monday morning James Kessler
came to town in a flying hurry and
announced that he had discovered
"a dead man lying in a little draw
on the place occupied by VIM Kes-
isler, about a mile northwest of
town, while engaged in cutting hay
for his team preparatory to going
to Lewiston. Following upon his
information Mr.. j. j. Pulse and
Justice of the Peace Hinkle drove
out hurriedly to the place mention
ed and found it too true. Some
poor lonesome old fellow had de-
1iberately went in and blew
his brains out. The body was in a
most horrible state of decomposi-
ton, having evidently lain in the
hot sun apparently about n week;
"a big bullet hole in the forehead
and an an empty revolver at his
feet told too plainly the whole
story. Returning to town and
finding that the coroner was not
in the country, Justice Hinkle
summoned jury consisting of
Rev. Silas Perkins, Lou Rhoades,
Lou Schleier, Jno. Chase, Robt.
Baker and j. T. Mitchell, who
drove to the scene and held
an inquest. A careful examina-
ton of the corpse did not reveal
the unknOwn's identity, and after
a thorough examination of wit
nesss, the above jury brought in a
verdict of death by his own hands.
The horrible condition of the de-
ceased precluded any possibility
of exact determination of age and
features, but he evidently was a
man about 80 years of age, gray
haired and bald headed, about 81
feet tall; was attired in two new
understands, two recently bought
,ovcrshirts, a jumper and IA brown
duck coat, wore new large broad
trimmed straw hat, and in his pock-
cts was found a pair of spectacles,
fine bowie knife, a fish line and a
pocket book with S7.45 in it, but
not a scrap of paper of any kind
for Identification. In his pocket
was also found a cap, for wear
when weather was cold. 1t is evil
dent from the testimony of witness
w. Kessler, who saw him looking
in this field on Tuesday evening,
that he went in there that night,
lay down, put his sack containing
bread and bacon ON the ground
with small lard bucket filled with
water, laid his hat and cane be-
side him and deliberately took his
life without any further move
ments, his food and water not be-
ing disturbed. LArER.-Felix
Warren says this same man was
seen repeatedly on the road to
Lewiston, coming this way The
old gentleman looked tired and
sick aud Felix offered him trans
portation but he refused; he also
requested him to come in at Sol
.dier Meadows, but he said he did
not want to impose on anybody,
and was on his way to Mt. Idaho,
to see if he could not be taken care
of by the county, as he had no
friends and was sick. He evident
ly thought he was in the way of
people, and being sick and dis
.couraged concluded to end his
miserable existence. That he was
not discovered sooner is a miracle,
as he lay but short distance from
n regular travelled road, near Web
her and Nelson's, and parties pas
sing all the time. The road super
visor, MIR. Upton, worked with a
crew OF men all week within fifty
yards of him. He was buried in
the Denver cemetery. This man
evidently has some relatives or
friends who will know him by the
above description. His clothing
was new and scrupul6usly clean.
The revolver was a Al bulldog,
and it is evident his first attempt
- shoot was a failure, as the car
aridgs missed fire that was before
the one that did go off.
LATER.-The body has since
been identified as that of F. s.
Wills and that he was suffering
from the effect of a stroke of par
.alysis. induced by sunstroke. He
has brother butcher, residing
in Lewiston.
The frost of last Thursday nip
p'd the ten Ter plants.
j. J. Murray was q visitor TO
Fezperce last Saturday.
Mr.. White, the nurse-y man of
Moscow, is around on our streets,