DAVENPORT, James W. 1858 - 1907

DAVENPORT, HAYDEN

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 3/7/2006 at 20:40:07

"The Fairfield Journal"
Tuesday, February 12, 1907
Page 2, Columns 2 and 3

LIBERTYVILLE MAN DIES BY OWN HAND
J. W. DAVENPORT, Well Known Libertyville Man, Blew Out His Brains In a Keokuk Hotel This Morning.

Keokuk, Feb. 12--(Special to Journal)

"Sadie: It makes me crazy to think I have all this money when you and the boy need it so much.

J."

This was the last message of J. W. DAVENPORT, respected citizen of Libertyville who committed suicide here this morning.

When the landlord of the Hotel Andrus broke open the door at 7 o'clock this morning, he found DAVENPORT cold in death with a bullet hole in his right temple.

Mr. DAVENPORT, who is well known in Fairfield, arrived in Keokuk Monday afternoon and made some purchases, including some white collars and under clothing at one of the leading stores. He then went to a hardware store where he purchased a 35-calibre revolver together with a number of cartridges. Despite the warnings of the clerk, DAVENPORT placed the cartridges in the revolver before he left the store.

He registered at the Hotel Andrus about four o'clock and was shown a room. He asked the clerk to call him for supper but when called at that hour did not respond.

At seven o'clock Tuesday morning when repeated calls at his door failed to bring any kind of an answer the door was broken in and he was found lying stiff and cold on the floor with a bullet wound in the right temple. The physician called said that he had probably been dead all night.

J. W. DAVENPORT was a prosperous farmer who resided about one and one-half miles notheast (sic) of Liberty. His family consisted of his wife and one child and he was never known to have any serious troubles of any kind. He was a brother-in-law of Dr. and Mrs. HAYDEN of West Broadway and was well known to many Fairfield people.

Dr. and Mrs. HADEN (sic) left this noon for Libertyville to be with the stricken wife and child during this great trial.

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"The Fairfield Journal"
Wednesday, February 13, 1907
Page 3, Column 1

LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS

...--Dr. HAYDEN returned to Libertyville this morning to complete some arrangements for the DAVENPORT funeral. ...

...--The funeral of J. W. DAVENPORT, who committed suicide in Hotel Andrus in Keokuk Monday night, will be held Thursday afternoon at two o'clock from the home near Libertyville.

(same publication and page, but Column 3 -- )

DAVENPORT MYSTERY
No Cause Can Be Assigned For Rash Act of Libertyville Citizen.

In regard to the mysterious suicide of J. W. DAVENPORT of which the Journal gave particulars Tuesday, the Keokuk Constitution Democrat has the following:

The man, whose identity was established as J. W. DAVENPORT, was about of medium height and was very well dressed and was altogether a fine appearing man. His hair and mustache were streaked with grey. He wore a suit of gray, evidently tailor-made. There were no marks on the coat or trousers other than on the suspender buttons which bore the name "Hammon, Fairfield, Iowa." The coat was a frock coat. His overcoat was a long fur coat, and no marks were found on it. He wore good shoes and socks and wore artic overshoes and had a pair of leggings. He carried a new telescope, and in a package done up in Well & Co. paper were a shirt, a collar, and two pair of white socks. The revolver and cartridges were gotten at a Keokuk hardware store, and the revolver was an Iver Johnson 32-caliber revolver.

After the coroner was called and the jury consisting of William Landes, Gus Prasse and C. M. Hart had been empannelled the belongings and letters of the dead were collected and read. In a bank book an account with the Libertyville Savings bank it was found that on October 15, 1906, there was a balance due him of $22. A note for $40 due him was also found. There were no deposits in the bank since last October except one of $7 on January 2nd, for which a duplicate deposit slip was found. Two drafts payable to himself, one of $500 and the other of $100 were found on him. Also with this was found a letter, as follows:

"Sadie--it makes me crazy to think that I have all this money when you and the boy will need it so bad." This is about the only clue there is and there is very little to work from on this. along with the drafts was found a letter as follows: "Below is the signature of J. W. DAQENPORT (sic), to whom we have issued drafts as follows: No 3298 for $500 and No. 3289 for $100. The letter was signed by himself and certified to by the cashier of the bank, J. W. Young and bore the seal of the Libertyville Savings bank. From this it would seem that the deed was premeditated and that he left everything in condition to be paid to his wife. Besides the drafts, money amounting to $70 was found in his pocketbook and some loose change to the amoung of 69 cents was also found. A number of cancelled checks were also found.

A white shirt and collar and socks, evidently from Well's; a plug of tobacco, from which several chews had been taken; a knife, an open face watch and three collar buttons were taken from his pockets.

Among his letters was found one written him by Dr. W. S. Maddux of Fairfield.

At an examination of the man's wound at the undertaking parlors of Crimmins & Chase, to whom he was taken, it was shown that the bullet entered the right temple; the hair and skin were all powder marked and burned over the right temple, and the ball passed out on the left side. Blood covered his face and the back of his neck and had stained the white shirt which he wore. When found he wore a white shirt and had taken off his coat, vest and trousers only. He was lying on his back at the foot of the bed, parallel with the footboard, and the revolver, which was a 32-calibre Iver Johnson automatic revolver, was found lying close to his right arm. He was lying in a pool of blood. At the store where he purchased the gun he loaded the revolver while talking to the clerk, who told him he had better take the cartridges out, but he paid no attention him and put the weapon in his pocket. He walked on down then, presumably, to the hotel, where he registered, and likely committed the deed shortly before 6 o'clock.

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"The Fairfield Journal"
Thursday, February 14, 1907
Page 3, Column 2

LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS

...--Mt. Pleasant News--Mr. DAVENPORT. who committed suicide, graduated from Iowa Wesleyan with the class of '84. He was a prominent member of the student body, a "Phi" and a "Hamlin." He was married in 1885 to Miss Sadie HAYDEN of Libertyville of the class of '85. They have one son, Philip born in 1894. Mr. DAVENPORT after graduation took his law degree with the class '96 at Iowa City and for a while practised law. His wife will be well remembered by the resident Pi Phi girls, as she was a prominent member of the fraternity.

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"Jefferson County Republican"
Friday, February 15, 1907
Front Page, Column 2

Commits Suicide.

J. W. DAVENPORT, well known resident of Libertyville, committed suicide by shooting himself, in a hotel in Keokuk, Monday night. He leaves a wife and one child. The remains were brought to Libertyville, where the funeral was held yesterday afternoon.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: James was buried in Fell Cemetery near Libertyville, with children of his who died young (no names are noted, just "children"). His wife was Sarah Ellen 'Sadie' HAYDEN, who died in 1956 in San Diego, CA, and was buried in the Cypress View Mausoleum there. Their son Phillip was also of San Diego at the time of Sadie's death.