The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-28
In ICY WATERS.
J. A. Green, Meriden Farmer,
Ends His Life.
Trouble With Wife the Cause Of
His Act.
HE LEFT A LETTER.
Said He Was in Trouble and
Added "DOn't Fret
Coat and Cap Were Found on the
Bank.
Had Decided All His Property to
His Son.
HE LEFT A LETTER.

What is probably a suicide by drown
ing, sequel to family troubles and di-
vorce. occurred on Monday night, at the
foot of Jefferson street. where that
thoroughfare meets the Kaw river
Early this morning about 8 o'clock,
Marel Thompson, small boy who lives
at 4SO Poplar street, while playing about
the banks, found a coat and cap on the
trestle under which the sewer empties
into the river on jefferson street.
He told some workmen nearby and
they at once called the police. Patrol
man 9. w. Dusenberry was sent to in
vestigate. In the upper pocket of the
coat he found a large envelope address,
ed to Jesse Green, at Meriden, Kan.
In this envelope was a copy of divorce
proceedings, now pending in the JEFF
ferson county district court between
Mary Green and John A. Green, which
ordered him to pay $40 attorneys fees
to n. n. Casebier, and $50 alimony a
month until the settlement OF the suit.
Wrapped inside of the divorce papers,
was a stamped, unsealed letter, also
addressed to Jesse Green at Meridens
Kan 1t was as follows:
topeka. feb. q. 1905
jessie am into troubl you may never
Sc me agan but don't fret after me good
by from a Green your father
Patrolman Dusenberry at once inves-
tigated to see if he could find footprints
of any one near the river bank. He
saw that some one had jumped from the
edge of the trestle, which protects the
sewer, to the bank below. a fan OF
about six feet. Where the person had
jumped, were deep footprints Running
right to the waters edge, were the same
foot marks. Just where the water
meets the bank, was the print of a foot,
which had apparently slipped 1t ended
in the water.
Not a sign OF returning footprints
could be found anywhere around that
point. 1t would have been impossible
for man to have walked into the
river and out at another place, Tor
just at that point the water is very
deep, and the current is swift. There
is little question but the footprints led
to a suicidal drowning.
The coat e9nd cap were of poor
grade. The cap was made of brown
plush, size about seven and one-quar-
ter. The coat was probably 81 SIZE
and was of light blue serge.
The police notified the city marshal
of Meriden this morning to look up
the matter.
Telephone communication was es-
tablished by the State Journal with
Lester Sharrard. cashier of the Bank
of Meriden, and he said that a farmer
by the name of John A. Green, lived
four miles north Of that place, and
that he may have committed suicide.
''Green came into the bank the
other day." said Sharrard, land turned
over all of his property, consisting
mainly of an 80 acre farm to his son
Jesse Green, who lives here near
Meriden. He said that he had some
money coming to him from the settle
ment of an estate but did not want
anything said about it. He also told
me of a few accounts which he owed
here in town, the largest of which was
for the burial of his child which died
recently, to an undertaken here III
Meriden.
He seemed" continued Mr.. Shar-
rard, Every much wrought up over
the divorce proceedings his wife had
brought against him and was liter
ally shot to pieces. as we say. He was
grieving about it. and did not seem
like the same man. He said that his
wife had gone to some northern point.
She was his second wife"
There is little question but that
Green committed suicide. and that his
body was swept down the Kaw river
He was about 81 years of age. and a
highly respected farmer in his vicinity.