J. Russell Clift

CLIFT

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 2/18/2011 at 07:42:45

Maquoketa Excelsior, July 26, 1912

Sabula Gazette-
The body of J. Russell Clift, a well known Savanna man was found early Wednesday morning in Plum River, Savanna, with a gaping bullet wound through the scalp. It was first thought a murder was committed, but the coroner’s inquest developed the fact that Clift had evidently attempted to take his life by shooting and having made a failure of this jumped into the river and this ended his earthly existence. He was a man who had been in good circumstances at one time, but owing to his habits his family had left him and his money dwindled away until he had become tired of life and had several times intimated that he would some day end it all. The deceased was 66 years old and is survived by a wife and three grown children. The funeral was held at Savanna.