The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-01-16
YOUNG BRIDE GROOM
COMMITS SUICIDE

THREE HOURS AFTER WEDDING
FORMER UNIVERSITY STU
DENT KILLS SELF
i ILO.-John H. Brown, we'll known
i young man of Idaho county, ended his
life at 9 o'clock Thursday morning by
leaping from the Grangeville passen-
ger train while crossing the Lawyers
canyon trestle. He was married three
hours before to Miss Leta Lovelace at
Grangeville and the couple were en-
route to Winchester where Brown
was employed as carpenter by the
Craig Mountain Lumber company.
His body was found by Lutte Simmons
about 10 O'Clock but was not identified
until several hours later. His wife
had proceeded to Winchester under
the belief that her husband had been
taken from the train by friends as a
wedding joke. She. came out to Craig
Junction last evening expecting to
meet her husband there but received
the news of his tragic death.
Searching inquiry has been made
by officers and friends in the hope
that some cause for the suicide might
be discovered but up to late hour
last night nothing has been learn
ed that has thrown the least light on
the tragedy. Borwn was in poor
health but his condition was not such
as would give cause for ending his
| life. 1t was learned from a friend at
Winchester that Brown had been very
nervous for the past week or ten days
and did not eat well and had missed
his meals entirely for two or three
days at a time.
| Upon reaching Winchester, Mrs.
Brown went directly to the telephone
office, expecting to receive a call
from her husband telling of his
whereabouts and when he would be
able to rejoin her. She told friends
that her husband had left her in the
day coach after the train departed
from Cottonwood, that he had given
her his purse with the remark that it
was all they had and had jokingly
said he did not expect to be with her
long and that he was afraid that he
would not be able to provide for her.
He then went into the smoking COM
partment and was last seen there by
Conductor Harry Morris shortly be-
fore the Lawyers canyon bridge was
reached. At that time he had the
window open and was leaning out Of
the window
Mrs. Brown thought her husband
was on the train when she arrived at
Craig Junction where the transfer to
the Craig mountain line was made
and when he did not make his ap-
pearance to assist her to the Win
chester train and it was found that
he was not on the train that had
brought her there, she concluded that
Winchester friends had intercepted
them at Vollmer and that her hus-
band had been kidnapped as practi-
cal joke. She proceeded to Winches-
ter and spent the greater part OIL the
day at the telephone office awaiting
word from him. She had departed
from Winchester but short time
when the message was received an
nouncing the finding of his body.
Lutte Simmons was visiting his
coyote traps in Lawyers canyon when
he came upon the body beneath the
railroad bridge near one Of his traps.
He at once came to Ilo and reported |
the matter and Prosecuting Attorney
G. C. Pennell and Coroner John F.
Gist came over from Nezperce to
make an investigation The officers
brought the body to lilo and spent the
entire day in their Investigations I
They regard the case as clearly one
of suicide and it was decided no in
quest is necessary A brother-in-law
at Clearwater was reached over the
telephone and he stated that he would
come to Ilo for the body tomorrow.
John H. Brown was about % years
of age, his parents being residents of
Harpster. He was well known in
Grangeville and was a member of the
Woodmen of the World lodge there.
He was employed on farms about
Grangeville for number of years
and was known as steady and in
dustrious young man. He was re-
jected for war service because of de-
fective .eyesight but later entered the
students army training corps at the
University of Idaho. When he was
from this service, he re-
turned to Grangevile and was for Z
period employed in the Miller hard
ware store He later went to Win
chester where he was employed as
carpenter by the Craig mountain lum-
Der company and was engaged in
building residences for the company
there. At Winchester he stopped at
the Metropolitan hotel and had be-
come well acquainted about the town.
He had made many friends whom he
had informed of his approaching
The Lawyers canyon bridge is the
highest bridge on the Northern Paci-
fic system and is the fourth highest
bridge in the United States.
Until two years ago it was the second
highest bridge in the United States,
the highest point being 282 feet above
the water. At the point where Brown