The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-07
dad JERN|GAN DEAD.
TRAVIS COUNTYS TREASURER
COMMITTED SUICIDE YES
TERDAY MORNING.
PISIO! BULLET BELOW HIS HEART.
IN THE PRIVACY OF HIS OFFICE
HE PULLS THE FATAL
TRIGGER
SHORTAGE IN ACCOUNTS CAUSED RASH DEED
lie Loaned Andrew George and His Gold
Mine Scheme $500, and the Bal
ance Went to Friends-Eull
Particulars Of the Affair-He
Died Shortly Before .
O'clock Last After
noon.
SHORTAGE IN ACCOUNTS CAUSED RASH DEED

The sharp crack Of a pistol, fall and
some smoke drifting out Of the county
trcasurcr's Office yesterday morning al
$40 o'clock caused many Of the county
officials TO hasten with throbbing hearts
10 the scene Of the disaster They arriv.
ed none to soon for on looking into the
Office they found the body of Treasurer
\. j. Jcrnigan laying half in his chair
at the desk, and the still smoking pistol
Told the story of his end.
Friends Immediately rushed to his as.
sistancc and he was placed in. an easy
position. Life was still in his body and
he called for District Clerk Jim Hart
and DIR. Smoot, two of his oldest friends.
They were Immediately sent for, and in
the meantime Il messenger was sent
post haste, to his home TO convey the sad
tidings of the morning TO the wife and
children. After some little necessary de-
lay all parties asked for bv the dying man
were assembled at his side and he then
told District Clerk Hart what he had to
say. That was in the nature of con
fcssion, and will be found below. Soon
aftcr this II was seen that there was
some hopes Of prOlonging his fast ebbing
life, and he was accordingly tcndcrly con
rcycd 10 his residence on West Sixth
street. Once here he was given all the
attention that medical aid and wifcly care
could possibly devise, but il was all to
no purpose. At 10 minutes before
o'clock last afternoon he brcathcd his
last. He had gone to the last judgement
seat.
His sudden death and the means caus.
ing il caused all to stand aghast. The
news spread like wildiirc, and within half
mn hour the sole topic of conversation on
The streets was the suicide.
As 10 the cause Of the rash act the dy-
ing man explained that il was because of
u shortage in his accounts. He was not
the bcncfitor of it. The mistake was one
of the head not the heart, but he could
mot face the future. He Sought relief
from disgrace, from investigation, and
from his fellow man in death. He cross
I'd the dark stream into land from
which none return. and left the world to
talk and TO surmisc He said that he
gave the money away TO the negro
George and TO friends. He loaned it. He
loaned that which was not his. He did
40 through the generosity of his heart,
but when the time came 10 face the issue,
though he had stood by friends in their
a n, Ia, L.,
To stand by himself He was ever man
who thought of others. He possibly
thought of those he loved in this dark
hour, He possibly thought that it was
better for him TO get out of the way and
save them the humiliation of exposures.
He did not reason ms to the cost of his
deed. He simply did that which his feel
ings dictated. lie sought ready means
of dashing into another world and his
flight was rapid. One crack Of pistol
and "Old Dad" rs he famiiarly known,
had done that which within few hours
laid him cold in death.
With the death of Capt. Jcrnigan in the
closing hours of the year 1896 one can
but think of the passage of the past
twelve months in this city. 1t has been
attend with incidents that saddcn ones
heart 20 the degree of deepest grief.
More than one of our citizens have sought
the grave in haste. They have not waited
that call TO death 10y old age. They
have rushed frantically into the arms OF
death, their passage FASTENED only too
markedly, 10y the assistance of some
worldly weapon. AS we look back over
the past we find many who have pre-
cedcd Dad" Like him they were har-
assed with troubles. Like him they had
loved ones and friends who mourn their
loss but in "Od Dad" we find man
who was universally liked by all, His
death. while sudden, and while shock.
ing in its severity, is not unlike that of
others. He has gone TO his Master to
report of his earthly doings. His life
among men was one of purity, He erred,
but he did not profit by it himself, nor
did he aim TO. He was helping friends,
He did that which his heart promoted
He lived for others. and who is there
hat can say that he did not die with
that same unselfsh end in view. lie
has gone 10 his Maker, there to be
Judged, and none among those who knew
and liked as well as honoredh him on earth
can say aught but that in the death Of
"Old Dad" true friend and Companion
passed from the veil of earthly friend
ship into the mist of the other world
He has gone and the world is left 10
ponder over that which caused his de.
mise.
THE TERRIBLE DEED.
4 few moments after the fatal shot