William Erald Jones (1896-1934)

JONES, SMITH, SYKES, BUCK, GOODRICH, HALLOCK, CLEMMENSEN, CLAUSSEN, JUHL, BARTLETT, JOHNSON, YOUNG, OAKES

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 6/24/2012 at 14:04:29

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Thursday, Nov. 15, 1934, pg 1

--------
Errol Jones Of
Brayton Shoots
Self With Rifle

--------
Had Attended Show In
Exira Short Time Be-
for Fatal Shooting

--------

Errol Jones, 37-year-old farm
hand of Brayton, shot and killed
himself Sunday night, leaving a
note which read: "I'm sorry to
do this, but it is all my fault."

The shooting took place at Oak-
field at the old Ward Smith resi-
dence, where Jones occupied up-
stairs rooms. Locking himself in
his room after borrowing a .22
rifle from Reginald Sykes and
attending a movie at Exira, he
pointed the gun at his head and
fired twice, both bullets entering
his brain.

Jens Buck, who with Butler
Goodrich has the downstairs room
in the old home, heard the shots.
Unable to force open the door to
Jones' room, he summoned P. C.
Hallock, Jones employer, and no-
tified Sheriff Fred Clemmensen
at Audubon.

Buck and Hallock battered in
the locked door and found the
young farm hand's body crumpled
on the floor. The note, lying on
a table, apparently was intended
for Hallock. It said the "chores"
had not been completed but pro-
c(v)ided no motive for Jones' action.
He had been in the best of health.

Buck said Jones, after locking
the door to his room, had shouted
to him to notify Hallock if any-
thing happened and repeatedly
yelled "goodbye" before pulling
the trigger of the gun. Buck was
unable to intervene before the
shots were fired.

A verdict of "self-inflicted
death" was returned Monday
morning by a coroner's jury com-
posed of John Claussen, Ralph
Juhl and H. M. Bartlett of Bray-
ton. Hans Johnson, Audubon
county coroner, conducted the in-
quest.

Jones was a lifelong resident of
the Oakfield community. His par-
ents, Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Jones,
died four years ago. Surviving
are one sister, Mrs. Roy Young,
and five brothers, Orol of Ha-
warden, Freddie, Lester, Norton
and Ilo of Brayton.

Funeral services were held Wed-
nesday afternoon at the Brayton
Baptist church. Burial was made
in Oakfield cemetery.

Note: Parents were Erwin Alfred Jones and Mary Catherine Oakes. I did a review of the Oakfield Cemetery in July 2011, and did not find a grave marker for Mr. Jones, although there is an un-named funeral home marker in front of his parent's gravestone.