Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-08
THOMAS ]. NASH
BROWNS HIMSELF
FORMER RESIDENT OF oTTUMWA
JUMPS FROM PIER OF MIS-
slssIPPi BRIDGE
For Two Years He Has Resided With
His Son in Rock Islard-Writes
Letter and Mails it, Saying He VIII
Jump From the Ferry Boat.

Relative to the drowning of Thomas
j. Nash, formerly Of this city, the
davenport Times has the following
in the issue of Dec. g.
Thomas J. Nash who for two years
has made his home at the residence
of his son. George G. Nash, S53 Nine
teenth street, Rock Island, yesterday
morning at about II o'clock ended
his life by jumping off the Davenport
end OF the government bridge. While
all of the family excepting his wife
were away yesterday forenoon at 10
o'clocA, the aged man left the house,
saying that he was going to the post
office to mail some letters, but would
not again return. Mrs. Nash imme-
diately suspected tn a rash iGea was
entertained by her husband, as on sew
eral previous occasions he had men
toned that he intended to do away
with himeslf in the Mississippi.
Son on Search.
Mrs. Nash notifieu her son, who is
agent of the American Express com
pany in this city, and who was at the
office at the time, and Mr.. Nash hur-
riedly crossed the bridge, but finding
no trace of his father returned and
telephoned to learn if he had stated
where he was going. Upon learning
tlat he desired to mail letters at the
postoffice, Mr.. Nash went there and
secured the Letter in which he found
statement that his father said he
was going to the ferry boat and would
jump off it into the river The son fol
lowed as fast as he could to the river
and learned from Captain Henderson
of the ferry that the father with whom
Capt. Henderson is personally ac-
quainted, had crossed to Davenport a
short time before.
Upon learning that his father had
crossed to the Iowa side Mr. Nash
was relieved, believing his father had
put aside his designs, and returned
to this CITY, He learned by telephone
that his father had not put in his ap-
pearance at the home, and his fears
being again aroused, telephoned to the
Davenport police. He learned from
them that they had just received a
message from the bridge guard stating
that man had leaped from the second
pier into the stream. Mr.. Nash was
positive that The person was his faith
er and, as soon as possible obtained
dragging tools and placed six men in
three boats to work dragging the
stream in the vicinity Of the drown.
ing, but have not recovered the body
The current is very swift at the bridge
and Mr.. Nash does not expect to find
the body until it comes to the surface
The victim of the drowning was
SO years of age. He was born in Ohio
Aug. 2, 1928 and passed his boyhood
in that state. With the gold rush to
California in the sos he followed and
upon his return sett.od in Pennington
an Buren, county, Iowa, where he
engaged in the hotel business. lie
again made trip to California in
1854, nine years after his first, and
returned to Pennington, where he con
ttnued his hotel for many years
Twelve years ago he moved to Ottum
wa, and two years ago came to this
city to live with his son. Besides hi
wife, Mrs. Amerilla Nash, and his son
in this city, he has two sons in the
north. ]. G. Nash at Butte, Mont, and
T. w. Nash at Minneapolis.