The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-10-01
MAN KILLSSELF and
FALL KILLS COUSIN
Family of James Cracraft Hear
Of His Death Returning from
Suicides Funeral.

While the funeral of Joseph Cra-
craft, 26 years old, whose body was
found early Sunday morning on his
farm near Jackson with the top of the
head blown off by a shotgun, was in
progress yesterday at Jackson, James
Cooper Cracraft, the 10-year old son
of Cracraft's cousin, John Cracraft,
plunged to his death through hole in
the floor of the hay NOV at his home.
The boys neck was broken and he
died instantly.
The parents of the body were mott
fled of their sons death as they were
in the cortege of the elder mans fu-
neral. They left Immediately to go to
their sons side.
Joseph Cracraft lived with his moth
er, Mrs. Louis Cracraft, a younger
| brother and a sister, on farm about
two miles west of Jackson on the Cor
donville road. When he arose Sunday
morning he told his mother he was go
| ing into the barnyard to feed cattle
and hogs and do sundry chores before
breakfast.
| In a few moments he returned to
the house and got his shotgun and
some shells, telling his mother that he
wanted to shoot at an owl which was
in tree back of the barn.
He departed and in few moments
Mrs. Cracraft heard a single shot
fired. She believed her son had been
shooting at the owl he had told her
of. She continued to prepare break
fast and eventually she and her two
younger children ate breakfast.
Joseph did not return to the house
and they believed him to be busy with
the feeding and work he had planned
to do.
After breakfast, the younger broth
err, Cleo, loaded his pockets with shells
and told his mother he was going down
to the barn to get the shotgun and
hunt some squirrels for dinner.
As he entered the barnyard he call
ed out to his brother, without getting
a reply. He walked around a corner
of the barn and saw the mans body.
His brother was lying on his back, the
gun resting across both legs.
The entire top of the head had been
torn away. Parts of the skull and head
were found several feet away. The
tree in which the owl was supposed to
have roasted was about thirty feet
away.
/ At Cracraft's feet was a heavy
/ plank over which he might have STUN
bled. The shotgun was single barrel
weapon containing the exploded shell.
The brother notified neighbors who
carried word of the accident to Cor
oner Schoen. A Coroner's jury Sun
day declared the death accidental and
the funeral arrangements were made
for yesterday morning.
When Mr.. and Mrs. John Cracraft
departed from their home near the
farm of Mrs. Louis Cracraft, they left
their three children at home. There
are two boys, 4 and ten years old, and
girl, II years old.
They went out to the barn to play
and James climbed to the hay loft
There he caught the rope that is used
in hauling hay into the loft.
He improvised a swing of the rope
and as his brother and sister looked on,
he swung out over trap door in the
floor that led to the stalls below. He
had made the swing over the open
trap door several times, when, as he
suspended over the middle of the hole,
he lost his grip and fell, head fore
most down through the place.
He became wedged in between the
stall and wall at the bottom. 1t was
found when his body was extricated
that his neck was broken.
The two children who witnessed the
accident, and it was several minutes
before the boys body was removed.
Judge John A. Snider motored to
Jackson to notify the child's parents.
The boys funeral will be today.
James Cooper Cracraft was a grand
son of Judge w. C. Cracraft of Jack
son, and Joseph Cracraftwas nephew
of the Judge. They were members of
a very old family in Cape County.
Coroner Schoen yesterday went to
the John Cracraft farm to view the
boys body and pronounced the death
accidental.