The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-11

hC bOuy VI JAMES T.. FRANCIS, of ltOH
Monsey avenue. who disappeared from
home last Thursday morning, was found
hanging from a tree in lonely woods
beyond Nay Aug park yesterday morn
ing at II o'clock by Flora Lisk and
Henry Ptlger, two young men, who
were out chestnutting. There is no
doubt but that his death was the re-
suit of very carefully planned scheme
on the part of the unfortunate man to
put an end to his life.
The two young men had started out
on chestnutting excursion and were
tramping through a patch of woods
about 1000 feet beyond a road leading
from the boulevard and known as
Snooks addition, when they discovered
the body of the unfortunate man hang
inC from tree, the feet three or four
feet from the ground
There We're two trees growing to-
gether with a space of about two feet
between them. The rope. which was
about three or four feet long, was tied
to limb running across the space be-
tween the trees and the body hung be-
tween them. A limb about five feet
from the ground undoubtedly served
as stand for the deceased while ad-
justing the rope and from this he must
have jumped The knots were care
fully tied, indicating that Francis was
perfectly cool and collected while per
forming this operation.
BADLY DECOMPOSED.
The body was in a bad state of NOR
tifcation and the stencil arising from
it was almost unbearablc very near It..
The two young men hurried to a tele-
phone nearby and notified police head
quarters, who in turn notified Coroner
Roberts. Officer Sloat was dispatched
10 the scene and, together with Park
Policeman Mcnamara, arrived at the
spot about 1890.
The coroner started out all right and
reached the intersection of the boule-
Nard ana the road known as Shook s
addition. He left his carriage there
and started out for the place where the
| body was hanging. He did not know
the exact location of the spot, how
ever and had been searching vainly for
1t through the woods for nearly three
quarters Of an hour, when he was met
by officer Sloat. who had gone in search
Of him. and conducted him there.
The body was Immediately cut down
! and laid on the ground and a thorough
examination of the clothes made. In
one pocket was found an envelope adj
dressed to Mrs. James Francis, 1909
! Monsey avenue, Scranton, Pa. and
some small change and knife were
found in another. The backs of both
hands were cut and gashed to quite an
| extent and the coroner is of the opin-
ion that the deceased had made an at
tempt to cut an artery before hanging
himself, thinking, perhaps, to kill him
self in this manner. The coroner took
| possession of the knife and will make
a microscoDical examination of the
| blade for any traces of blood thereon.
HANGING SEVERAL DAYS.
| He is of the opinion that the body
| had been hanging there from two Ia
| three days, owing to the state of NOR
| tifcatiOn in which it was found. There
were no signs of struggle, and the
| deceased undoubtedly died almost in
stantly.
Undertaken Raub removed the BODY
| to his undertaking rooms on Spruce
street, where it was identified by HARRY
| T.. Francis, son of the deceased, who
had been notified of the sad affair by
Tribune man.
Young Mr.. Francis said that his
father left home last Thursday morn
| ing, Ostensibly to visit some relatives
in Park Place, and that when he did
not return that night inquiries werc
made, but no one, not even the parties
he said he was going TO visit. had seer
|
sometime on Thursday. Had it not
been chestnutting time, the body might
have hung undiscovered for weeks, as
that section of the woods is very sell
| dom traversed
| The deceased was up to three months
ago employed as general stable boss
and stock buyer for the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western company
| Three months ago he suffered a sun.
| stroke and had not worked since. II,
had been slightly demented since then
but not enough to cause any alarm
and was generally thought to be i'm.
! proving. He gave no warning what.
ever to anyone that he contemplated
taking his life. He was very vel
known and popular throughout this en-,
! tire valley. He is survived by a wife
and one son, Harry E., an inspector
| for the Pancoast Coal company.
| COrOne, Roberts has emDanelled tho
| following jury and an inquest will hi
held this evening at o'clock in the
| arbitration room in the court house: ]
! D. Ferber, Theodore w. Keisel, Will
iam Beckman, y. ID. Williams, II. E
Sloat and p. ]. McMannama,
|
! DrnMslness is disnalled by Rnachann,.