The Mena weekly star., 1921-09-22
GROONOF AS HOURS.
 COMMITS SUICIDE.
r,ohert o. Owen Shot Self Sunday Eyening-Fear of Trouble With Another Woman Thought to Be
 Cause for Act.

and in so doing gave Mena ahother f,aoie mystery. Owens death oc- ~,rred shortly after o'clock Sunday <vening at his country home near Rainbow Springs, and his act of self 1e<truction was witnessed by his newly made bride.
 It was intimated Monday that Owen hnd met with foul play, but careful Investigation made by Sheriff Thorn ton has developed the fact that Owen Undoubtedly ended his own life; Just what caprice of fate impelled him to suicide is not known, but from facts developed by coroner's inquest It IS Believed that Owen feared the wrath of woman he had failed to marry.
 Owen was married Friday evening to Mrs. Sarah Dalton, widow living cn De Queen street. Justice l.. N. Bur fett performed the ceremony. Previ- 841k to the ceremony Owen had deeded 4xer to Mrs. Dalton a 40-acre tract of land he owned near Rainbow Springs. On the day following the wedding Mir. and Mrs. Owen and the brides chill dfen by a former marriage, left Mena for their country home. One of the last men to see Mir. Owen on that oc- HAsion was J. P. Payne, a former asso- cfate in the real estate business. Mir. Payne stated Monday before the coro- 4tr's jury that his former partner ap- reared to be as jovial as usual
 Had Asked Another to Wed Him.
 During the investigation made Mon duy by Justice Will Carr, acting as &0roner, it developed that previous to marrying Mrs. Dalton, Mir. Owen had asked Mrs. NJ. J. Hunter to marry him. Mrs. Hunter, who is known to many about Mena thru her work in local tafes and hotels, was at Roxton, Tex, a{ the time she received a letter from Mr. Owen, asking her to return to Mena and marry him. In this letter the dead man had told of his loneliness and his desire to change his present state of widowhood. MT. Owen also tod MT. Payne and w. s. Arlington his intention to marry Mrs. Hunter and arranged with Mir Payne to bring his bride-to-be out to the farm when she should arrive from Roxton.
 It is apparent to those who made the Investigation Monday that Owen un- derwent a change of sentiment a few days after writing Mrs. Hunter to
 
 to Mrs. Hunter was dated the 18th. On the 16th Owen stated to Mir Payne he had decided to not marry Mrs. Hunter, hat would marry Mrs. Dalton instead
 Worried Over Trouble.
 Mrs. Hunter testified before the cororner's jury that she wrote back to Owen and informed him she would be in Mena Sunday. She did not, she make 2 direct acceptance Of the offer of marriage, but expressed her sentiments in words that she be- hcyed Mir. Owen would understand. This letter is believed to have reached Mena Saturday and was delivered to Oven, being later destroyed by him. Worry over trouble he expected Mrs. 2 Hunter to cause him after he had fail ed to keep his promise 10 her is be- Heved to be the primary cause for the act of self-destruction. Mrs. Hunter arrived in Mena Sunday afternoon and learning soon after her arrival that Owen had married, she made no effort 10 see him, but expressed her senti- ments in a letter which was never mailed, for before the missive went in- Co the postoffice she learned of his death.
 OWtIi DOOy was IOuflu O1lX d lew yards distant from the country home he had made ready for his new bride. The one shot that ended his life brought his wife and children scream ulg from the house into the moonlight on the yard Neighbors were hastily <nmmoned and the authorities notified. Justice Will Carr and Deputy Sheriff Allie Duncan were first called, and fater Sheriff Thornton was notified.
 Found Weapon.
 When first examined no weapon was 1pund, but Justice Carr later located <tyolver lying under the mans leg. It ! x4s of 3S-calibre and the barrel had Xten sawed off close to the cylinder. he weapon still contained five cart xldges and one empty shell.
 A ghastly wound above the right &ar told the story of the mans death, Hut the jagged appearance of the open HE at first lead to a supposition foul play had been committed. Search Xas made an a lather's hatchet was 1Qund in the house, the blade of which Atted exactly into the gashes in 0Een's head.
 After having been viewed by Jus Zee Carr and a sort of informal ex- < ssiiation held the body of Mir. Owen Has brought to Mena and taken to the u4dertaking parlors of J. c. Frazier, Hhere it was viewed by many curious Fersons and where the inquest was 4eld Monday.
 Left Farewell Letter.
 ID trunk at the Owen home was und formal last statement of the ceased- In it Hr. Owen stated that
 wanted his new wife to have all e property he possessed, selected undertaken, told where certain Hc<es and money were to be found. 1d wound up by stating that he was 2 rry for the trouble he was causing. %< that he could not stand 1t any 1nger.
 When this final statement was >rne to be in Mr. Owens own hand
 writing and was identified as such by Ir Payne and other business associ- 1<es, the last doubt as to the cause of <nth was removed in the minds of <1 dead mans acquaintances
 ne coroner's jury determined 10
 Ee cfrtain however and on Monday 4<fernooH continued an exhaustive &<1nniration of various witnesses. The ID was composed of Frank Tomlin- tr. foreman; W- & Arlington, Ber- X 9zsis. H. T. 8oien. Jack Steel. L.
 Wimberiy. !. b Budd. J. E Cess.