The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-02-01
KILLS SELF With
FIRST SHOT FIRED
FROM new GUN
Carl Powers, %, Commits
Suicide, Soliciting Gro
cery Orders
WORRY OVER MONEY Is
BELIEVED THE CAUSE
Young Widow Becomes Hyster.
ical, When She Sees
Mates Body

After telling his friends that he
would take his life Carl Powers, q
years old a grocery clerk, shot and
irsnantly killed himself yesberda,
morning at the rear door of the home
of Mrs. Ida Kirkpatrick, who lives
on North Main street, a short dis
tance north Of Sloan's Creek bridge
He was found there by the Kirkpat-
rick children. short time af-
ter he had ttken an order from Mrs.
Curry. who lives in the adjoining
house. He had shot himself in the
right temple, the bullet piercing his
head and emerging above the left
ear.
The body was taken to the B ink
ouf Undertaking Co.'S paIlors, after
Justice Of the Peace Orren Wilson had
summoned a jury and the siz had
viewed the body on the scNne. An in
quest held at the undertaking parlors
fail~d TO reveal the roal cause for the
young mans rash act.
TIE verdict returned by the jury
was open, the jury being unable to
,d termine from the testimony Ct the
witnesses who fired the fatal shot.
No witnesses were found who heard
the report Of the gun.
The pistol used by Powers to take
his life was perfectly new. The fatal
shot was the first bullet to leave a
"han7hpr Of tho cylin'er. It IS 4 cheap
32-caliber revolver with five chambers
TIE pistol was found 2 few inches
from his right hand. The weapon and
othcr property consisting Of several
bills found in the pockets Of the dad
man, are being held by Justice of the
Peace Orren Wilson for the wife.
That Powers had contemplated kill
ing himself for several days is eviden-
ced by the assertions Of several of
his friends that he remarked he would
end his life. He is said to have told
friend Sunday evening that hn would
kill himself Monday. A barber on
Main street std Powers remarked TOD
him yesterday morning he was going
to end his life, but hn dhid not pay any
attention to the remark.
The cause of overs death still
remains a mystery, but it IS now be-
lieved that worry over the failure to
mcct his debts in conducting his ice
cream parlor and confectionery store
on Broadway near Middle street Offer
an explanation for the suicide. Several
uEnGid bills were found IN his rockets.
Mrs. Powers, one Of the witnesses
at the inquest, could not explain why
her husband committed suicdn. She
said he had threatened to shoot HIM
self Sunday evening, but she wrestl"d
the gun from his hand. She had seen
him carry the weapon, and when she
asked for an explanation, was told
by her husband the revolver belonged
TO friend to whom he wanted TO re-
turn the revolver. The young widow
denied that she an dher husband had
had any troubles that would cause
him TO take his life.
Other witnesses were, Mrs. Eva
Curry, a next door neigNbor of Mrs.
Kirkpatrick. and the latter's two chill
dren, Ethel, S, and Edgar, 3 years
old. Mrs. Curry testified Powers came
to her home shortly before 10 o'clock
to take an order for groceries, and
then stopped at the kirkpatrick home
as was his custom. Shortly after he
rad left. she testified, she and the
TWO ch ldron went 20 the Kirkpatr OK
homo, where she started a fire in the
kitchen stove. They returned to the
house. A short time later tie ch:'dre
went back to th0ir home, and it was
then that the body was found. Her
testimony was corroborated bv that
Of Ethel Kirkpatrick. Mrs. Krkpat-
rick, an employe of the shce factory
was not at home at thet;me
4 short time after the finding OF
the body, whict, lay within f,w feet
from TIE beck door Of tie kirkpatrick
horne. Justice Of the Peace Orren VIII
son summoned a jury and after the
men had viewed the body it was tax.
en- to the Brinlopf Undertaking Co
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