The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
By Ills Own HAND.

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Monday afternoon about O'Clock
Coroner McAllaster received word from
Decatur City that Frank Nj. Moore had
shot himself and was dead.
DR.. McAllaster Immediately drove to
the home of the deceased mile and q
half north. west Of Decatur and held an
inquest before Jury composed of +. E..
Beck, Edgar Cave and Charles Shell.
The deceased was Lying on the farm
he recently sold to ]. T. Smith, there
being two houses on the place and Mr..
Smith was living in the new house while
Mr.. Moore and a young man about %
years old named F. j. Cresswell were
occupying the old house and looking
after the stock and getting things read y
to move to the Woodmansee farm which
Moore had purchased after he sold his
other farm.
Monday morning Mr.. Moore was
around the barn as usual and helped
Cresswell get load of wheat sacked to
come to the Leon mill. About ten
O'Clock he went to the house aging he
was going to take some of his medicine.
After finishing the work Cresswell hitch.
ed up the team and went to the house.
NJ oore was lying on the bed and when
Cresswell told him he was ready, replied
''there comes the passenger; guess we
had better get dinner before we go.
Put up the team and feed and will get
dinner ready" When Cresswell returned
to the house Moore was still lying on
the bed and the meat for dinner was
cooking on the stove. He spoke to him
but receiving no answer went ahead and
finished preparing the dinner. When
it was ready he again called Moore but
as he did not reply supposed he was
sleeping and went ahead and etc his
dinner. When he was through he called
Moore again and receiving no response
went into the bed room and shook his
shoulder. Failing to arouse him he
went to the other house and told MIR.
Smith that Frank was asleep and he
could not wake him. Smith went to
the house and on taking hold of Moore
found he was cold and then noticed a
revolver lying on the tbed. He turned
him over and saw bullet hole in the
right temple from which Just few drops
of blood had oozed,
The revolver with which the deed was
done was cheap Boston Bull Dog. 80
calibre short, and only one cartridge
had been fired. 1t was the property Of
young Cresswell but had been taken
from him at gathering of one of the
neighbours homes on Friday evening by
Edgar Cave and John Muse, being kept
by Mr.. Muse. Monday morning Mr..
Moore asked the boy where bis gun was
and he told him Muse had it. Moore
went to the home of Mr.. Muse and got
the revolver saying the boy wanted it,
He had frequently borrowed the reyolv.
er from the bow during the nast few
weeks.
Henry Ruggles and John Muse testi.
fed that they saw the deceased about
10 O'Clock and that he appeared in good
spirits. In reply to question he said
he was as we'll as usual. j. T. Smith
also saw and talked with him that morn.
ing but noticed nothing unusual.
Mr.. Moore had not been feeling we'll
for several weeks and had been staying
at the home of his father, w. ID. Moore,
in Decatur, but returned to his own
home Saturday as he was feeling much
better. q.
The deceased was AZ years old. and
was never married. He was a hard
worker and had accumulated consider.
able property. When he purchased the
Woodmansee farm he paid $1,000 cash
for 1t, had over $1,000 on deposit at the
Decatur Bank, and had several hun.
dred dollars worth of notes and mort.
cages. He had probably $500 to $1,000
worth Of live stock and did not owe a
dollar. So far as known there was alb.
solutely no cause for the rash act, but
it was evidently premeditated, for in
one OF his pockets was found a note adj.
dressed to his father which read as fol.
lows:
Fred or Eugene take the stock and 90
on the farm with you.