The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-10-01
DEATH OF ". 7. HENRY
Takes Own Life While Suffering
From Dependency.

William T. Henry, well known Ma
haska county farmer, committed sui
eide at his home southeast of the city
Tuesday morning about half past
eight o'clock, by hanging himself in
his barn. The act was discovered
soon and assistance was called but
did not arrive soon enough to prevent
death. Mr.. Henry has been subject
to periods of temporary alteration for
a number of years and most likely
during one of these spells he commit
ted the act that resulted in his death.
Mr.. Henry has been in rather poor
health for some few days but he
seemed better Monday and in better
spirits. He was not feeling so well
Tuesday morning and had been in
bed longer than was usual. Mrs.Hen-
ry was washing in one part of the
residence. Mr.. Henry arose about
eight o'clock and said that he was go
ing out to the field to cut some corn.
He was gone longer than usual and
thinking there might be some trouble
| Mrs. Henry followed after him. She
looked in the barn and as she stepped
/ in the doorway was Mortified to see
her husband hanging in the loftway
suspended by rope. She ran imme-
i diately for assistance. There were
no men working on the place at the
j time and she had to summon assist
ance from the Thornburg place near
by. A hired man named William JEFF
ferries was working in the field. He
4 responded quickly-but when he got
/ to Mr.. Henry he found him quite
1 dead. The telephone was used and
/ in very short time other help came.
| Captain Woodruff happened in the vi
! cinity and a woman ran toward him
i telling him of the trouble. He has
! tened to the place and assisted in cut
i ting the form down. The neck was
not broken but the man had died
j from strangulation. The cord that
i was about the throat had choked the
| man to death.
When Mr.. Henry had entered the
l barn he laid his hat aside in box
! occupied by setting hen. He had
deliberately taken piece Of window
cord with which to end his life. A
small ring was securely fastened in
j one end of the cord. He slipped the
other end through this ring, making
i perfect running moose. This he
i placed about his neck, climbed into
j the hay NOW and fastened the other
i end of the cord to piece Of timber
j conveniently placed directly above the
j entrance into the NOV. He then per-
y mitted himself to drop down through
the opening so that the body hung
with the feet about six inches from
the floor. The hands were hanging
limp by the side, showing that he had
not attempted to save himself from
the tortures of strangulation. The
ladder leading into the hay loft was
within a few inches Of him, in fact,
touching his body. He could have
grasped this or could have placed his
foot on the cross pieces with little ex-
!, ertion. The man had most likely
\ thrown himself down from the loft
/ above and was probably unconscious
} Immediately following the shock.
Life was gone when the body was cut
c down. The form, still limp and quite
[ warm, was carried into the house and
q Coroner Chas. Foehlinger was sum
/ moned.
y He arrived soon after the body had
t been carried into the house. He
: made a careful examination of the
> place and appointed a jury consisting
: of C. Woodruff, G. Pugh and A. Chan
) dler. The inquest will be held this
al evening at seven o'clock in the super
el visors' room of the court house.
: w. T. Henry was man about fifty
a eight years of age. He leaves wife
ell and three children, Ernest, Russell
j. aged 9, and Ruth, aged Z. The chill
d dren were at school at the time. 4
e brother, Chas. Henry, owns farm
ell near Evans. The deceased himsel
a formerly owned large farm neal
! this place, but sold 1t. He broodet
b over this act and has been mental!
s unbalanced at times for some years
I'll He had recently sold his home ant
! residence place just southeast OF thu
nj city and it is thought that this hat
ri aggravated the trouble again.
f. The act of suicile is not a surpris'
ell to those who have known the man III
d timately. He has told friends that h
81 would some day put himself out o
the way. The trouble that has com,
I'll to the family is to be deplored AM
i. the sympathy of all goes out to them
) "
i. Hand Badly Hurt.
! H. L. Fairbrother had his left han'
badly bruised and lacerated thi
lnnnrninp while at work ON the neN