Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-03-30


Disposal Of Property and Arrange
ments for BuriaI-Wite Is Bride of a
Few Months.
Called to Hastings, Nebraska, by q
telegram notifying her of the death o.
her brother, Joshua F. Wright, Mrs. >.
b. Long of 536 Davis street. found on
her arrival that her brother had COM
mitted suicide. Mr.. Wright was evil
IDENTIFY victim Of dependency over
business affairs
The suicide was deliberately planned
and carefully committed. A note was
left giving instructions for the dispor
sition of the body the settlement OF his
estate and for the payment of his in.
surance money to his wife, bride Of
a few months. He chose for the exc
cution Of his plan room in the Lin
dell hotel. Here in room twenty three,
he committed suicide by putting bull
let through his brain as a means OF
putting an end to his suffering from
dependency which. is thought to have
developed from business affairs.
It is known that Wright has had no
recent financial troubles He owned
large properties and had an interest In
SAteNs
his dependency was caused by the
technical difficulties which came up IN
his negotiations for the recent sale OF
some property.
When Wright left his home early in
the afternoon he seemed in usual good
spirit. He came down town, talked
some acquaintance and about 8
o'clock went to the Lindell hotel. He
talked a few moments with Landlord
| Bowen and James Vivian and then
went into the writing room. few
minutes later he asked to be given a
room. He explained that he expected
some friends to call for him and he
wished to have a place to meet them.
| Vivian showed the man to g. front
room on the west side of the hotel near
the north end.
Wright took some stationery with
him to the room, but whether or not
he did any writing there is not known
The note that was found beside the
body may have been written in the
writing room, as he was there long
enough to have prepared it. or 1t may
| have been written several days ago. II
was dated March Is" but the presumI
ton is that this was an error and thai
the note was written either IN t ;n
writing room before he went upstairs
or In the room where the suicide was
i committed.
About thirty minutes after Wright
i was shown to the room the landlord
office, heard an unusual noise One Of
them thought 1t was shot, but the
noise seemed to come from outside o1
the building and they finally agreed
1 that II must have been caused By
something falling on the sidewalk ,ol
pavement. They thought nothing fur
Their Of 1t until the suicide was discov.
cred.
\ Soon after 6 o'clock Vivian went tt
i call member of show troupe and
he shouted to Wright as he passed the
latter's room but got no response. A
moment later he passed the door agar
and once more called to the occupant
Receiving no answer he tried the knoll
and found the door locked. This arnus
ed his suspicion and he at once
brought a ladder and climbed up 81
that he could look through the tran
som. He saw Wright sitting in rock
ing chair, apparently asleep, but al,
though he called loudly he could no
and he summoned Policemen Widmiel
and Budnek, who broke open the dool
after satisfying themselves that some.
thing was wrong.
/ The body was cold and rigid. TIL.
left arm hung over the arm of tht
rocking chair the head was tilted {
! little to the left and the right arm
rested on the knees, the hand over
revolver on which the grip had beer
only slightly loosened. There was {
bullet wound about an inch above thu
right ear and blood from this hat
triekled down and saturated the shir
Il front.
i The landlord Immediately notified
Sheriff McCleery and the latter sum
J moned County Attorney Snider. Afte
viewing the body and inspecting tn
room Mr.. Snider telephoned Corone
Baxter at Prosser and was requested
by him to take charge Of the persona
effects and have the body turned owe
to Undertakers Livingstons.
; An unsealed note addressed t.
Wrights wife, brother and sister wa
/, found on the table. In his pocket
Iwere found two memorandum books,
: list of household furniture. a decree O
final account, two tax receipts, mem
bership card from the Elks lodge &
Victor, Colorado. two letters from hi
brother, j. N. Wright, Of Custer Cit,
8. D.: note for $50 signed by M,
and Mrs. B. F. Hill. letter from Hig
Y inbotham & IPickens relative to res
| estate matters. pair Of spectacles an