The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-06-13
THECARBOLIC
ACID ROUTE
CHOSEN
By Ben HedrD;; Deed Was
Deliberately Planned;
Body to Ark.

We, the jury empaneled at the
coroner's inquest over the body OF
Ben Hearn, agree that he came 10
death by drinking carbolic acid admin
istered by his own hand.g
This was the verdict OF the follow
ing men who acted as jurors in the in
quest proceedings held in the office
of Judge r. J. Moore this morning
A. Branan. H. Kohn, W. A. Griffin.
L. =. Neville, G. c. Goetting and &.
Harris.
The evidence submitted at the in
quest brought out nothing new on the
suicide which occurred at the Conrad
rooming house late last evening. Ben
Hearn, young fireman on the Rock
Island. was found in the room OF Ben
Neville after he had taken an ounce
Of carboiic acid. Mr. Neville went to
his room and found a man dressed ly-s
/ ing across his bed, whom he did not
at first recognize. He notified Mrs.
Conrad and together they went to the
room to make an investigation. Aft
er the man was moved into an adjoin-
ling room it was discovered that he
was Ben Hearn. A doctor was sum
moned Immediately and the man lived
forty minutes after DIR. Leeds reached
the bedside. An empty vial was
found on the floor ia Neyille's room.
The odor Of earholie acid was ifans
in the room
There were no evidences that Mr..
Hearn suffered any intense pain after
he was found The poison was assimi-
later through his body and no medical
aid could be administered. His face
was badly burned by the drug.
On the suicides person were found
three letters, one addressed to John
Meadows containing a check fog $500
and instructions as to the disposal Of
his body after death; one to his
friends in the city and one to young
liady in Chickasha. The last letter
was read BY the jurors at the inquest
this morning, but at the request Of the
young lady it will not be made pub
Ilic.
After reading the letter Judge
Moore said, There is nothing in the
letter that is compromising to the
young lady or her family il is a
purely friendly note with bequest'
lit is understood that the young man
LETT life insurance policy made pay
able to the young lady
John Meadows, the dead mans best
friend. Ben Neville, the man in whose
room the young man was first found.
I'M. C. Conrad. proprietor Of the room
ing house where he died, and DR.
Leeds. the physician who attended
young Hearn. testified before the cor.
oner's jury The evidence showed that
the deed was committed by the man
himself and that it had been contem-
plated.
Mr.. Hearn was rcomer at the con-
rad house last fall during the period
that he was off duty from the effects
Of a gun accident which happened at
Mangum during the early part Of the
hunting season. He was a frequent
visitor at the house. His presence
there was not unusual last night
The body Of young Hearn will be
taken this afternoon at 800 to the
Rock Island station and viii be sent
to Greenwood, Ark, the home Of his
parents. w. R. Wilson. John Mead
ows and W. c. Eagle viii accompany
the remains to Arkansas.
Two beautiful wreaths Of carnations
we're laid on the coffin " the dead
.aan while 1t was kent at the Clay
comb s Anderson morgue. One from
the railway firemenis organization
and one from the ladies' Auxiliary of
tie same
The Hearn suicide is the seventh
to occur in Chickasha since last Sep
! tember. Ben Hearn boarded at the
same place that Fred Weidenmalr did.
J who committed suicide last spring
The circumstances Of their deaths
we're very similar. Both were young
men Of good habits and about r. years
Of age Brooding over appointments
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