Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-08-25
COUNTY SHOCKED
AT BARNS DEATH
Former Citizen, Crazed by
Poisoning, Takes His Life
atGeorgetown, Kentucky

| OoohAhiS, etASS 11lS 11liC
atGeorgetown, Kentucky
! The town ard community wa,
greatly shocked on Tuesday by tn.
news that Clinton j. Barnes had kill
ed himsef. 1t did not seem possibl,
that the report could be true, and fol-
some time his friends and relatives
here refused to believe it. He wal
here only short time ago, and In
perfect health apparently, and enjoy.
ing life, and it did not appear posi-.
BILE that he should have taken his owr
life. His married life was happy
one, and his business affairs were in
good shape, and that he should do
such rash thing seemed totally un-
reasonable and impossible. The sad
and distressing report was only too
true. His remains were brought to
Tazewell on Wednesday and Inferred
at the old home in the Cove.
On Tuesday morning Mr.. C. j. Moss
received telegram which said that
Barns had killed himself. Mr.. Moss
and John Watkins started at once
to Kentucky, returning on yesterday
with the remains and the family.
The funeral and burial took place ON
yesterday afternoon at the old home.
The following particulars were
gathered from members of the fami-
ly:
Last Saturday Mr.. Barnes cut the
first finger of his left hand with a
meat saw in his store in Georgetown.
Little was thought of the wound at
the time. 1t was plastered over with
some simple remedy, but later phy-
sician was consulted, owing to svere
pain, which reached to his entire arm
and shoulder. On Monday, about noon,
Mrs. Barnes was preparing poultice
to put on the hand. Blood poisoning
had already appeared. He started to
the bath room. His wife called to him
not to put water on the wound. He
went on into the bath room, closed
the door and paced 80 pistol against
his right temple and fired. He lived
about 55 minutes.
The rash deed seems to have been
premeditated. The gun used was one
kept at the store for the purpose of
shooting beeves. and was not kept
in the house. He evidently put it in
to his pocket when he left the store
on Monday morning just before dinner
hour. The shot was fired, it is
thought while he stood in front of
mirror in the bathroom. All the cir
cumstances go to show that the pois-
on from the wound had reached and
effected his brain, and for the time
rendered him irrational. 1t is also
stated that he spoke of dying of blood
poison. There is no evidence what
ever that any outside trouble of any
kind preyed on his mind. His busi-
ness was good, and his family rela-
tions and domestic surroundings were
of the happiest, as they have always
been. The awful event has cast a
gloom over the entire community.
He was universally popular here in his
home town and community. Few
men had more friends or fewer enc
mics. The blow falls with crushing
weight upon his aged father as we'll
as upon his faithful wife and family.
Some years ago he was happily mar
ried to Mrs. Jennie Ratliffe, who own
ed and built the present Jacksonville
hotel, which thy together operated for
some time. 1t was subsequently sold,
and the family bought valuable prop
erty in Paris, KY, where Mr.. Barns
resumed the practice of law. A year
or so ago the family moved to George
town, and engaged in the meat and
grocery business. He made friends
readily, and at the time of his untime-
ly death had won warm place in
the esteem and respect of large cir
Gle of the best people of the fine town
of his adoption, all of whom were
greatly shocked and distressed by the
unthought-of occurrence, as strange
and unexpected as it was awful.
Besides a wife deceased leaves an
aged father, Clinton Barns, brothers,
John D., of Broad Ford, w. O..
Barnes, of the Cove, and sisters, Mrs.
F. Nj. Moss, Burke's Garden, and
Mrs. John T. Barnes, of the Cove.
Deceased was about 45 years of age.
The funeral services were conduct
ed by Presiding Elder C. w. Kelly,
in the presence of large number OF
deeply grieved friends and relatives.