The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-10-04
GROWN OF HEAD GONE
Horrible Suicide of Jimmy
HOrak on Spring Flat.
Put Shotgun i'm His Mouth and
Scattered His Head All
Over a Room.

One of the most shocking single sui
cideS OF the Palouse country was that of
Wensell commonly known as Jimmy
Horak, a Danish widower of about 4s
years, who owned and lived alone upon
a fine farm adjoining J. b. and Glenni
Johnson, six miles south of COlfaX. In
the little kitchen of his home be placed
the muZz,e of u combination rife and
shot gun in his mouth and fired
the shot gun barrel. The entire
crown of his head was blown off, and his
false teeth blown into the ceiling of the
room. Brains and skull we're scattered
in all directions.
Done Week or More Before
Horak lived al one on his farm. His
wife died about 13 years ago, leaving a
daughter at birth, who has for a num-
Der Of years lived with the family of p.
{. Smith near Pullman.
1t is now known that the suicide took
place as late as Friday last, the BODY
being discovered Monday by Geo.
Howell, a threshing machine operator
who went to HOrak's house to secure
his assistance in the fields, or to engage
his crop
MIR. Howell found Horak's harnessed
team standing tied to a wagon ,famished
both for food and water. The horses
had eaten about all the wood work of
the box within reach and were scarcely
able to stand. A calf was also found
tied in the same famished condition.
Last Friday Mrs. johnson is said to
have visited the place and saw the
horses, but noticed nothing wrong. She
found the house locked, and, thinking
IinFaE Gnmnn ho in bo EaI1,,
without a suspicion that he was living
dead inside. For several weeks HOrak
had been acting queerly and had been
persuaded to remain with the JohnsOns,
SO it is said, that he might be taken
care of. 1t was for this purpose that
Mrs. johnson visited the place.
Other neighbors say that several DAYS
before Friday Horak was seen to drive
home with the same team, harness and
wagon as found. AS he was never seen
after that day, it is believed the body
had lain at least a week or 10 DAYS.
The condition of the body, which was
badly decompOsed, bears this theory
out.
No known Cause.
There was no known cause for the
bloody and horrible deed, outside of in
sanity, which seems to have been work
ing on the man for some time When a
header crew was on his farm two or
three weeks ago he imagined that the
crew wanted to hang him and fled to
the fields At one time he engaged q
room at a Colfax lodging house for
night, occupied it for few minutes and
then fled barefooted and was seen no
more that night. His hallucination
cgar1E1 RI ho hot ho :.
contact with was after his life with a
rope.
Twenty years ago Horak had a
squatters right on a ranch on the
North Palouse river, four miles below
Palouse City, which he traded to &. W.
Hobbs for two or three horses of indif-
ferent breed. He then removed to the
Spring fiat farm. There he has since
lived. The baby girl, now ID years of
age, was cared for during the first few
months of her life by Mr.. and Mrs. RObt.
Crabtree, being finally adopted by MIR.
and Mrs. Smith of near Pullman and
well cared for.
There was no explanation. The only
writing found was a letter to his mother,
of previous date and referring in no way
to the tragedy.
Coroner Mitchell and Deputy Sheriff
Davis were among the first at the scene,
and when they opened the door of the
little house were almost Overpowered
by the stencil from the body which had
lain so long. The verdict of Coroner
Mitchell was that of deliberate suicide.
Even his gun was broken IN twain either
from overlooking or stoppage of the
muzzle when thrust in his mouth.
The body was brought to Colfax and
buried The dead man has a brother,
Frank Horak, who lives near Asotin.
His mother is a resident of Wisconsin.
That be had contemplated the act for
some time is shown by a farewell visit
made to his child few days before his
dead body was found and the transfer Of
a $1,000 deposit in Cofax bank to his
daughter, who is sole heir TO the money
and a well stocked farm.