Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-07
VALID ENDS
HIS SyFfER|NcS
J AMEs WILL AM PlckLER
sLAsHEp THROAT YEsTER-
DAY WITH KNIFE.
HAD PLANNED SUICIDE

pecedent Had Been III. for TWO Years,
Having Suffered Stroke OF
Paralysis - Coroner
Held Inquest.
Suffering from paralysis and throat
trouble, brought on by the first az
Fiction, which would sooner or later
cause his death, James William PICK
Ter, aged Sc, yesterday afternoon
slashea the left side Of his throat with
pocketknife. Death resulte shortly
after. Dependency over his i'll health
was the cause attributed by his family.
The suicide occurred at his home over
528 East Main STREET, and from tne
evidence submitted at the inquest TINS
morning, the decedent had planned to
take his own life.
Wife Made Gruesome Find.
No one was in the house at the
time except the deceased and MS WIG.
He remarked to Mrs. Picker that ne
had a dream about their son, Frank
picker. employed in Des Moines. and
asked her to find the almanac so ne
could find out the meaning OF tne
dream. This occasioned search. ~
another room and upon her return 10
the room where her husband was sit-
ting in his invalid chair, she was nor
rified to see blood flowing from q
wound in his throat. Going to the
back door of the house, she screamed
for her son, Ed Picker, who is en-
ployed as foreman at the Swift plant.
w. w. Jackson, who was passing down
the alley at the time, hearing the cries
for help, went to the room and founh
Mr.. Pickler gasping for breath. he
a physician, but when the
doctor arrived the man was dead
It is the supposition of the family
and Coroner Slaught, who conducteu
an inquest over the body this mornlns'
that after his wife left the room, M.
picker had wheeled the invalid chair
in front of the mirror, and pulling
out his pocket knife, slashed the LETT
side Of his throat. The deceased was
naralyzed on the left side and he had
used his right hand IN accomplishing
mis- task. The blade sevcrol the Jueu-
lar vein.
Wanted to End suffcrings.
The decedent about two or three
wears ago suffered stroke OF paraly-
sis. which affected his left side. re
showed signs Of improvement SNORT
TINT ago, but suffered setback anu
his throat became affected, making IL
difficult for him to speak or even 60
swallow. At times he could hardiy
and worrying over this is be-
lieyed to have caused him to end his
life. Edward Pickler, his son, on the
witness stand at the coroner's inquest
this morning. testified that his father
had threatened suicide several times.
At one time, he stated, his father de-
clared he was going to jump from the
second floor OF the building to the
ground below. At another time, he as
serted his father wanted him to buy
him some strychnine SO that he could
end his sufferings. He further testified,
that Patrolman Riggle- had come to
him and told him that his father had
asked the use OF the officers gun SO
that ne could shoot himself. Another
time WAS named by the son, when the
father asked one OF the employees OF
the Star livery for the use OF a re-
volver. ~
seemed Cheerful at Times.
since the stroke of paralysis Few
wears ago. the deceased could not walk
and had to use an invalid's chair. Des-
pite his sufferings during the hot sum
mer months, he always seemed cheer
FIJI to people who had occasion to pass
him to and from work, and he always
greeted them with kind word. Be-
sides his wife, who Is grief.stricke1.
two daughters, Mrs Rosa Case and
Miss Edna Pickler at home, and two
sons, Frank Picker Of Des Moines and
Ed Pickler at home, survive him. The
deceased was born in Salem, Ind. Sep
TENDER 5, 1854. and had resided in OF
tumwa about six years.
Jury Gives Verdict.
After listening to the evidence OF
DR.. J. B. Wilson, Mrs. Picker and son
Edward, and w. w. Jackson this morn
ing. the coroner's Jury, composed OF
VIII B. Lowry, w. l.. Linn and c. A.
HYATT. returned verdict that the de-,
ceased had come to his death by a.
knife wound in his throat inflicted by
his own hand.
Funeral Tomorrow.
Funeral services over the remains
Of the deceased will be held tomorrow
from the residence over 52S East Main
street. at 2 o'clock. Rev. D. ]. Elsea,
pastor OF the First Christian church.
will conduct the services. Mrs. Edward
Picker. daughter-in-law Of the de-
ceased, is a member of the First
church and an invitation Is extended
to members Of the church to attend
the services. Interment will be made in
the Shaul cemetery.
REGATTA AT DUBUQUE.
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at BIG Western Aquatic Event
Scheduled for July As.