The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-02
Thomas Hicks Hangs Himself
While Temporarily Insane.
Lifeless Body Found in Barn by
His Daughter.
HIS NECK WAS BROKEN.
He Had Tied Rope to a
Rafter.
Well Known Citizen and One of
TOpeka's Pioneers.

In a fit of mental alteration, evi-
IDENTIFY induced by meIanchoIia from
which he had been a sufferer at inter !
walls during the last few months.
Thomas Hicks, sixty-seven years old. |
and one of the pioneers and well
known citizens of Topeka. committed
suicide this morning by hanging him !
self with rope slung from the rafters
in the loft of the barn in the rear of
his home at No. 1O3 WoodIawn ave-
nue., Potwin
His lifeless body, with the feet drag
ging on the floor, was discovered by
his daughter Miss Ida Hicks, she hav-
ing gone to the barn to see what had
detained her father. Thinking it possible
that life was not extinct Miss Hicks
united the rope by which her fathers
body was suspended, laid it on the
floor and summoned help. Several
neighbors responded and call was
sent for DR.. H. H. Keith, the coroner.
On his examination of the body DR..
Keith found that Mr.. Hicks neck had
been broken and he expressed the
opinion that his death had been in
Simultaneous.
For many months past Mr.. Hicks
has been subject to attacks of melan-
cholia. Physically, he was a remark
ably well preserved man for his years,
and although in comfortable circum-
stances he delighted in hard work.
His first attacks of melancholy seem
ed to be directly attributable to
financial loss he sustained some
months ago. and for a time following
this loss his dependency was great.
But this dependency semed to disap-
pear and Mr.. Hicks took up his labors
with renewed vigor. During his resi-
dence in Topeka he has been engaged
in farming and cattle raising on quite
an extensive scale, but about a year
ago he gradually reduced the scope of
his activities. During last summer he
looked after a herd of some two hum
dred cows belonging to THE residents
/ of PotWin which he pastured in the
Keith tract, where the golf grounds
/ are located. He also ran a small farm
! to the south of the city. For a while
after his first attacks of melancholy
/ he seemed to be in better health than
/ he fAad been for a long time and fre-
4 quently boasted that he was as strong
i as any man of his age.
About a month ago the attacks of
/ dependency returned and Mr.. Hicks
health began to fail somewhat Two
weeks ago an improvement was
noticed but a week ago he became
somewhat worse than he had been be-
( IOre. II seemed TO the members OF MS
4 family that he was going to be
4 stricken within an illness and he was
! watched carefully. If he was away
+ from the house for an unusual length
/ of time it was the custom of one of
1 the members of the family to go and
hunt him up.
/ Mr.. Hicks seemed to be in about the
same melancholy state this morning
+ that he had been in for the past week.
! Along about o'clock he went to the
/ barn to do the light chores there. These
/ generally took him IS minutes When
i he had been gone a half hour, his
4 daughter, Miss Ida, went out to see
what was OBTAINING him. She could
/ see nothing of him around the ground
! floor and she went up the stairs to the
i loft. There she saw his body hanging
/ from the Tafters, and with rare COM
/ posure and presence of mind she un-
/ tied the rope and then called for aid.
/ From the fact that Mr.. Hicks neck
was broken, and that his feet were
/ dragging on the floor it was evident
that he had managed to take quite
/ fall. The rope used by him was
strong one, similar to those used in
! lettering horses and cattle. The rafters
/ to which it was tied are about ten feet
above the floor of the loft. On the
east side of the loft and not far from
/ where the rope hung is an old carpen-
ter's bench and on this bench was
! bale of hay. 1t was not customary to
have a bale of hay on this bench and
/ it is thought that Mr.. Hicks placed it
/ there, climbed up on it. tied the rope
| to the rafters put his neck in the
moose and then jumped. The force from
/ this fall, which was about five feet, ev-
/ identity broke his neck the instant the
| moose frightened after he had jumped.
No other reason, except that of
| temporary fit Of insanity, can be
thought of by the members of his fam
/ lily and friends which would have led
i Mr.. Hicks to take his own life. HIS
/ home associations were of the pleas
4 ATTEST and while not a rich man, he
was in comfortable circumstances, the
| financial loss he suffered not having
| been very large one. He was one OF
| the old settlers of Topeka and had
host of friends not only in PotWln,
| where he had made his home for many
/ years but all over the city and he was
! respected by all who knew him for be
ing an honest, upright citizen and a
/ Christian gentleman Mrs HICKS IS n
/ poor health and the result of the shock
/ may be serious. She is completely pros
trateG.
Mr.. Hicks was born in Cornwall,
England. 81. years ago. He came to this
| country when he was II years old and
/ first settled in Bedford, Ohio. Ihere ne
married 43 years ago Miss Anna Or
| chard who was also of English birth.
! They moved their home to Topeka IN
1873 and have lived here continuously
since then Four children were born
TO them. three daughters, who with
their mother, survive Mr.. Hicks, and
/ one son who died in infancy. Ihe
| daughters are Mrs. Lydia Walker, Ine
wife of Edward L. Walker menper
Of the city police force; Miss Nellie
Hicks. who is employed at crosby BIOS
/ and Miss Ida Hicks.
| Arrangements for Mr.. Hicks funeral
| have not been made as yet
Weather Indications.