Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1899-03-10

to the house; I did not assist in taking
his clothes of: I don't know of any
thing being found IN his pockets; I
think it was q case of premeditated
suicide.
James Wren, a near neighbor of the
deceased, testified:
I reside in Keytesville township;
am a farmer by occupation; I know
the deceased; on the seventh of March
about five or SIX o'clock p. M, r. B.
Lowry came to my house and told me
that Mr.. Martin had hung himself; in a
few minutes afterwards my son and
myself went up to JIr. Martins barn;
l went upstairs into the barn loft and
saw -lLr. -Iartin hanging there; his
coat was folded up and his cap and
mufler were lying on top Of it; l told
my son to get a horse and go over to
Charlie Herring's and tell him about
it, and have him to send word to Jas.
CIavin, and to so on to Walter Her
rings and tell him to come over to
Tr. Martins and help take the body
down; also told him to go on to Key
tesviIe and notify deceased's relatives;
l united the rope and helped to take
the body down and take It into the
house; 1 recognize the rope shown me
here as the one he was hanging by; I
assisted in undressing the body; l did
not see any marks Of violence except
around the neck where the rope had
made a crease; I did not look in his
pockets; I know of no instrument OF
writing left By the deceased that would
lhIow any light on why he committed
this act; l know Of nothing that would
throw any light on the matter; some
times l thought deceased was despond-
ent; l think the deceased had been
hanging there for several hours as his
left hand was considerably frozen.
Chas. L. Herring, another near
neighbor Of deceased, testified:
1 reside IL Keytesviile township;
Il .atmer By occupation, on the
seventh day of March about six o'clock
p. M, Sam Wren came to my house
and told me Mr.. Martin had hung
himself; | started immediately and
went by for my brother, Walter, but
he told me he could not help take the
body down; | then went to George
BuChanan's, and we both went to Mr..
Martins to assist in taking his body
down, and met several other parties on
the way; we went to the barn and
found Mr.. Martins coat, cap and
handkerchief at the head of the steps
that 90 up into the hay loft; l also
saw Mr.. Martin hanging by a rope;
the rope shown me here, l think, is
the rope he was hanging by; he was
hanging a little sideways-the hay
would not let him hang straight; Mr..
Wren got up and united the rope
while held the lantern; we took the
body down and carried it into the
house; this was about eight O'Clock p.
M; the body was cold and stiff;
think the deceased came to his death
by hanging himself; l think the body
| had been there since about o O'Clock
in the morning: | think the act was
done with suicidal intent; l had never
heard the deceased make any threats
about doing himself any injury; SO far
as l know deceased was at peace with
all Of his neIghbors and was a man OF
good character; he was not subject to
fits or spells of dependency that
know of; Mr.. Martin had been sub.
ject to neuralgia of the face and head.
DR.. Isaiah Knott, Jr., of Keytes
Vile testified:
reside in Keytesville; am a prac-
ticing physician; on the seventh day OF
March, 1899, examined the body Of
the deceased; 1 found the left hand
had been frozen, and the right hand
slightly frozen; I also found a crease
around the neck, which indicated that