Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-01-08
TAKES HIS OWN
LIFE BY HANGING
PROSPEROUS YOUNG FARMER
NEAR GRAY ENDS ALL BY
COMMITTING SUICIDE

The people of Audubon were
greatly shocked last Thursday ey-
ening when they read the announce
metn in last Thursdays Republican
that Joe Williamson, living three
miles southeast of Gray had hung
himself. Word had Just reached
the sheriff's office when we were
ready to go to press and we had to
content ourselves by giving our
readers only the bare announcement
that the body of the man had been
found.
The lifeless body of Mr.. William
son was found by his wife and her
father. John Stewart, who had
been at the Williamson home for
couple of weeks looking after the
chores as Mr.. Williamson had been
sick for a while and unable to do
the work.
Joe had been acting queer ever
since before Christmas. New
Years day he seemed about as usual,
though after dinner he smoked
cigar when suddenly he arose, threw
the half burned cigar away with the
remark: THAT will be the last
cigar I'll ever smoke" The fam
ily thought nothing of the remark,
thinking he had made New Years
resolution.
shortly afterward he said he was
going out to do some of the chores,
but Mr.. Stewart insisted it was the
middle of the afternoon and for him
mt to bother for he (Mr. Stewart)
would do the chores when the time
came. However, Joe insisted on do
ing something, and finally left the
house. telling his wife that he was
going out to fix some fence. Be-
fore leaving the house he picked up
the little baby and kissed 1t fondly,
making some remark or other as he
did so.
Mr.. Williamson went out to the
barn and later to the hog house
which Is located northeast of the
house. and the building farthest out.
Here he committed the rash act.
After he had been absent from the
home an hour or more, his wife be-
came uneasy and went TO the we'll
fer some water. She went to the
barn to look for her husband but he
was not there. Then accompanied
by her father they went to the new
fcg house and 60 their utter amaze
lifeless body of Mr.. Williamson
hanging in the runway. He took
some rope, evidently that taken
from bundles of binder Irvine, and
fixed a slip-knot around his neck
With the other end of the rope Sc
curely fastened to the rafters sour-
teen feet above him. When found
he hung suspended in the air with
a mt
ground.
Neighbors were Immediately noti-
ned and also Sheriff Wilson, who in
turn notified Coroner j. G. Newton
OF Extra, who went to the scene at
once. On their arrival they en-
paneied coroner's jury comprising
Alex Campbell, Glenn Mclaughlin
and p. A. Schroeder. After hear
ing all of the evidence the jury re-
turned the following verdict: "That
the deceased came to his death by
his own hands"
A number of theories were adj
vanced why Mr.. Williamson should
have committed this rash act. He
was young man who had a SPLEEN
did future before him and that
financial troubles effected him can
A6AaAy OS DOlCNCu LUZ he Hdu JuSl
given his wife a thousand dollars
and had also paid off a note of
several hundred dollars. He with
another party had purchased a farm
and made a small payment ; but it
cannot be that he worried over flu
ture payments even though he could
not meet them. 1t Is all mystery
and no one perhaps will ever know
the reason unless 1t be that he kept
his troubles to himself and brooded
over them to the extent that his
mind became unbalanced. He was
a jovial, good natured young man
who had lot of friends.
The sympathy of the entire COM
munity Is extended to the bereaved
wife and fatherless children who
are heart broken.
Joseph Roy Williamson was born
April 2, 1888 in Wabash county,
Indiana and died at his home three
miles southwest of Gray January 1,
1920, aged SO years and eight
months. He was married February
%, 1910 TO Jane Stewart. To
this union six children were born,
i've of whom are living and are
Margaret, Maude Irene, Oral d., Ag-
mes Josephine and Roy Stewart,