The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-04-16
M. L. BoyIes Appointed Friend as
the Executor of His Estate
and Then Ended His
Life.
HAD $4,000 INSURANCE
Details of the Suicide Of Former keo-
kuk Citizen as Told in
Newspaper Of Muskosee,
Oklahoma.

The Muskogee (Okla.) Times-Demo-
crat of April 18th contained the follow
ing account of the suicide of M. l..
Boyles, which will be of interest to
a great many Keokuk people:
M. L. Boyles, well known in Iowa,
Kansas and Oklahoma as a lumber
salesman and lumber commissioner,
was found dead in bed in room Ven
dome hotel shortly after o'clock this
morning. A bottle on a dresser LABEL
ed "poison-carbolic acid" and glass
by the side of the bed which contain
ed traces of the deadly drug, showed
lconclusively how the deceased came to
his end, and additional and conclusive
evidence of self-destruction was dis
covered in letter found on table
addressed to John ". Burnett of Fort
Gibson in which, after relating his
troubles, ne requested that Mr.. Bur
nett accept the appointment as ad-
ministrator of his estate.
Mr.. Boyles was last seen alive at
an early hour Monday morning by
Mrs. Bliss, who runs the hotel. He
had just come up the stairs and when
asked what he was doing up so early
said that he was out for breakfast
and that he expected to remain in his
room for another night. From the ap-
pearance of his body when found 1T is
Ievident that he went directly to his
room, addressed farewell letter to
Mr. Burnett and after partially dis
robing took the fatal drug.
Monday night an effort was made to
get into his room but the door was
locked. 1t was thought at the time
that he was sleeping but when he
failed to arise this morning an in
vestigation was made and then the
, dreadful truth was discovered. A
I. ladder was placed up against the door
and Mrs. Bliss daughter on looking
: over the transom saw Boyles' body
hanging out of the bed apparently
llifeless. Ben Watts, who has an office
on the lower floor, was requested to
make an investigation and when he
} entered the room he found that Boyles
was cold in death. The empty car
, bolic acid bottle and the glass told
the story
; Coroner Bloom was notified and
, after examining the body and the eff
: fects of the deceased he impaneled a
: Jury. A verdict of suicide was re-
/. turned. The body was turned over to
1 the Street undertaking establishment
3 anr Mr.. Burnett notified. The remains
S will be buried in Green Hill cemetery
1 tomorrow in a grave adjoining that OF
Mrs. Boyles. who died less than a yeal
ago.
Rack of the death of Mr.. Boyles
' there was tragedy-the story OF an
old man who when he lost his help
i mate of more than half century BY
; death found the world cold and desc
j late and life entirely changed. Fol
time he struggled against the in
Ievitable but with the loss of his wife
!, he lost confidence in himself and his
:. capabilities to earn living, after
which the thought of self-destructlo1
entered his mind
That Boyles contemplated lnis ldsi
act calmly and seriously and that III
} figured everything out is evidenced b.
the several letters written by hin
n while he was stopping at the Ven
dome. He apparently made up nj
mind to commit suicide on April
t for the following letter written by hin
It on that date in clear, strong nam
e tells the story of his sufferings:
"Muskogee, April 4, 1909
e ITO John w Burnett,
eft. Gibson, Okla.
e .Dear Friend-If anything happen
Is IN mo 7 want you to take charge o
INV affairs. / am old and cannot &c
i ANYTHING to do and am about broke
7 cot badly hurt last Friday by fal
T. hurt my head and both knees and an
q co lonely and Respondent that hardl
know what to do. l wish | was GU
) IN Green Hill cemetery along side Q
e INV wife. and want you to nave IN
street Furniture company to take m
! remains and put them in caske
>. about like one l got for her. | hav
an insurance policy in the Banker
D. Life Insurance company OF ne
:. Mojnes. Iowa, for $4,000, that VIII NOR