Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-02
Gus Grant, Swedish Laborer
Takes His Life After Calling
Children to Witness Deed
SAYS GOOD BYE" AND FIRES
Death Follows About Half Hour La
ter, Without Reaainina Conscious
ness-Bullst Went Thru the Heart,
and Was Picked Up on the Floor
Had Boon Drinking and Was Dos
pendent.
pondent.

Gus Grant, q. Swedish la'horer, 704
Wood street. shot himself thru the
heart at 7:55 Wednesday night. after
summoning his son and daughter to
meet him at neighbours home to witt
ness the deed. Grant had been drinking
hard for some time, and was partially
under the influence OF liquor when the
iced was committed. After first sat
isfying himself that he knew the exact
location OF his heart, Grant said
Goodbye" With these words he
pulled a gun from his pocket and fired
He sat In the chair u few moments
then arose MS II to go In another room
and fell. He breathed his last hall
hour later.
Grant was n cement worker, and had
been employed by Gus Weinberg. His
wife died about year ago, and since
that time he had been drinking heay-
lily. For week or ten days Grant had
been making threats OF ending his
existence. but those with whom he
talked on the subject considered his
threats only IDLE boasts Only Satur-
day he told his landlord, George Rey-
nolds, OF Reynolds & Sheldon, that he
was going to buy a revolver and use
it. The gun was a cheap 32-calibre
weapon, and when picked UP contained
five loaded chambers. One was empty
and the bullet, which had passed d.
rectly thru the heart and the body
was picked up on the floor back Of
where Grant sat.
Grant had selected the home Of a
neighbor, O. b. Olson, ITO Wood street
as the scene for his bloody work. For
several days the man had been dis
posing OF his household goods, prepar-
atory to breaking up his home. He
sent word to his son Louis, aged 1S
who is employed by the Lennox Ma
chine Company, and his daughter
Dorothy, aged 10, employed as a do
nestle at the Duncan home on South
Third street, to meet him at the Olson
residence at O'Clock. Mrs. Olson
supposed that Grant wanted to give
them some uf the household effects
that he had not sold, which were
fHlVlVA III Lille OlSOll +HSOllc.s STSII IulhSu
with his children who noticed that he
had been drinking. In fact the man Inn
bibed as he talked. and only few
moments before he fired the fatal shot
took drink from flask of whisky
in his pocket. His son thinks that al
tho not intoxicated at, the time, he was
partially under the influence Of liquor.
His excessive drinking, and the fact
that he had been Respondent ever since
his wife's death, are assigned by the
son as the cause for the act.
Grant was a native Of Sweden, and
was 81 years OF age. He came to this
city eighteen years ago. and has re-
sided here ever since. The funeral will
be held from the undertaking parlors
Of Wilbur & Sons Friday afternoon at
8 o'clock. Interment will be in River
side.
Deputy Sheriff Alva Nicholson and
Desk Sergeant Goodale, of the police
force, answered the call when the shcr-
iff's, office and police headquarters
were notified directly after the shoot
ing. Coroner Nichols, who also arrived
shortly after the man shot himself de-
cided that an inquest was unnecessary.
The body was removed from the Olson
home after the coroner's visit to the
morgue of Wilbur & Sons.