The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-11
BLOWS HEAD
OFF WITH
DYNAMITE
Knight w. JoIes Committed
Suicide Yesterday Morning
AT PERRY, OKLAHOMA
Oe8pondeat Over His Arrest
by Federal Officer.
HOME is IN WICAITA
Graduated From High School
in 1895.
HOME is IN WICAITA

Knight ". JoIes, formerly OF wichita,
who was arrested az Perry. 0. T. last
week fer burning United States mails.
committed suicide at that place Jester
day morning BY blowing the upper rart
Of his head CT with dynamite. The
tragedy occurred on the banks of Cow
Creek IN the northeastern part Of the
town. Thitker the young nan had gone
at 10 O'Clock in the morning. and holding
the stick OF dynamite against his head.
caused il 10 explode. The upper hale OF
his head was torn CT by the force Of
the explosion and his hands were badly
mutilated.
It is thought that the suicide Of knight
Joles was the result Of dependency over
his arrest and the loss OF his federal posi-
ton. The night before his death, how
ever, his friends were unable 10 detect
anything unusual in his conduct. lie ap-
peared TO be in good spirits and spent
the evening with e young lady.
That ne he'd premeditated suicide for
several days. however. is evidenced by
a letter which he wrote 10 his father
A L Joles. who resides az pa South
Handley avenue. The letter was written
Thursday. the day after his arrest and in
Il Re stated that MS life Insurance would
Re found in his safe in Perry o. T. IN
the care OF the assistant postmaster. IN
the letter. Knight also stated that he
would send his trunk 70 this city Sat
urday and IN IL would be a fl.ll explana-
ton. The letter contained nothing about
his discharge or arrest, and 10 those IN
acquainted With the young man, II would
have no special significance. Mrs. Joles
however,. was familiar with the moods Of
her son. concluded as soon as she read
the letter yesterday morning, that he
was Respondent.
Another evidence that several days ago.
he had determined 20 take his iifs, is
that hs bought the dynamite nearly q
week ago At Henry W'allece's grocery
store IN Perry.
soon after the deed had been commit
ted. the remains Of the young man We're
found. The Perry lodge Of Odd Fellows.
of which Mr. Joles was a member, took
charge Of the remains and notified the
parents Of the suiciCe Mrs. Joles. the
mother Of knight first heard the sad
tidings by loug distance telephone at ,
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The readers Of the Eagle win remember
that knight Joles was a letter carrier
II Perry and had confessed 70 burning
some papers which came through the
mail Instead Of delivering them. For
this cause he was discharged from the
+ federal employ and bound over t. the
meets in Guthrie. The maximum pen
atty for his offense was d fine Of 800.
To a reporter for the Eagle, Mrs. =. L.
Joles said last evening:
Ny bov killed himself because ne was
respondent He had no friends in Perry
TO tel him he had committed no crime
and We did not write TO him. I could tell
by the letter which I received this morn
ing that he was Respondent, for often
when he was mel0ncholy. he wr5,s 10
nc"
The news az the suicide OF Knight
Joles came as q shock 10 the frie IDS Of
the family IN this city. and many OF
them called az the home or the mourn
ing parents last night 10 express their
sympathy James Allison was Vel &C.
uuainted with knight. who graduated
from the Wichita High school and
worked in this city for many years. and
ne was greatly shocked b. the tragedy
He said last night:
7 believe that Knights suicide vas the
result OF his trouble over the mail. I
do not believe that he intended anything
wrong when he burned some Of the
0spers- 7 believe, as he said. they were
papers no one would care for and be-
Iieve most people would have thrown
them away. He had a great deal OF mail
70 carry. I have known him In tbs past
and always admired his character. He
worked his way through school ~ car
rying papers. He studied assiduously
while IN school and worked hard 70 Sc
cure the Postofice position.
The people Of Perry, o. T. vera also
greatly shocked by the suicide. The
Young man bad no bad habits and by the
people OF the Oklahoma town his char
acter had heel considered exemplary.
Knight Joies was born 81 Ha1soa.
Mich. September g. 1S-5- When be- was
= years cid his parents moved 90 this
city and he entered the eiEath grade OF
the Mccormick school he later entered
the high school and graduated il IS5.
-Four years asc he went 70 T0ioga. %.
r where re stayed two years HI then
returned 70 This CITY an6 worked for The
Rock Island Railroad company IN the
position CT trucxr1an Fl The freignt dz-
por. bargagenasrar and clerk in ths
freight Office About fftHs1 months AK
he was discharged from the Rock Is
land employ. He vas q member n taa
Dodge Avenue Methodist church His
father A. T. Joies. IS teauster. lie
leaves Q father. 3 mother. and e brother,
aged j.
The remains VIII arrive in this city az
20 tbs afternoon over TIE santa Fs.
IRE funeral arrangements have not ys-
been made
TELEPHONE MEN ARRESTED.