Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-08-04
OCTOCENARIAN
KILLS HIMSELF
Despondent Old Man Ends His
Life on the Sabbath,
WAS HAPPY A WEEK AGO,
Hut Grew Discouraged and Frighten-
ed Under the Haliucinahon That
others Were seeking His Life.

The little town Of Herman, this
county, was shocked last night by
the suicide of James Dansie, man
80 years Of age. Hanging was the
method the old man chose and the
Sabbath day the time while his people
were away from home at Riyerton at
tending quarterly conference.
A week ago yesterday he celebrated
his SOth birthday and a week ago today
he was made the recipients of pleasant
surprise and was presented with a suit
Of clothes and several other articles Of
wearing apparel by his relatives. AS
result Of these attentions he was very
happy and made 1t point to say 80.
But his happiness was broken as 1t
has been q great deal In the closing
years of his life. He was very des-
pondent at times and frequently labor
cd under the hallucination that others
were seeking to destroy him. II Is now
thought that he concluded TO do the
Job himself.
He had lived at Herman hut two
months. He resided alone in house
specially set apart for his use. His
meals were sent to him by his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Janette Crane who lived
short distance away. The meals were
carried by his little grandchildren as a
rule, Yesterday morning his breakfast
was sent him as was also his dinner.
At that time he appeared to be all
right and the rest Of the family went
TO conference at Riverton, Last night
on the return home Mrs, Crane sent
two Of her children to his house with
his supper II was dark and the child
rem returned to their mother with the
statement that they could not find him
whereupon they were again dispatched
to the house, this time with lantern.
on this visit their youthful minds were
filed with horror at finding their aged
grandfather In a corner Of rear room
With a rope around his neck, dead.
They FASTENED home again and soon
the news was circulated through the
settlement An official investigation
was made and II was ascertaned that
life had been extinct for several hours
as the body was rigid and stiff, The
old man was found upon his knees,
with his head dropped forward upon his
breast. The strange feature about II
is that the rope around his neck was
broken and he was some distance from
the point where he had hanged himself.
II appears that he had gone about the
details of his rash act with much de-
liberation as he had climbed on to q
box directly under an opening in the
ceiling across which he had placed a
stiok-the stick which was used to sus-
tain his weight until the rope broke
and caused him to fall to the floor. The
break, II is believed, came Just as the
aged victim was In the last throes OF
the fatal stranguation but while he
yet had strength enough to crawl into
the corner where he died.
The deceased was a native Of Eng
land and Joined the Mormon" Church
while q young man. He came to Utah
many years ago and was a brother
OF the late Bishop Dansie His life was
characterized by good and generous
deeds. In fact there were so many Of
these In his career II made him pau
per His funeral will be private and
will take place at HERMAN tomorrow,