SMITH, William Riley 1847 - 1922

SMITH, ELLIOTT, SCHILLERSTROM, TOOTHAKER, FARMAN, KYLE, HOPKIRK

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:23:27

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger-Journal"
Monday, February 27, 1922
Front Page, Column 5

W. R. SMITH 75 YEAR'S (sic) OLD IS A SUICIDE
Melancholy for Several Weeks He Ended Life Sunday Morning By Taking Poison

William Riley SMITH, 74 years old committed suicide, sometime early Sunday morning by taking poison. His body was found about 9:30 o'clock in W. C. Harrell's hog house on East Lowe street, where he had evidently gone shortly after midnight, as the body was cold.

He had gone to bed as usual at the home of his daughter, Mrs. L. C. ELLIOTT, 507 East Lowe street, and the family was not aware of his leaving the house. He had made his way to the hoghouse, driven out a number of shoats, that were kept there, carefully latched the door, lain down and taken the contents of a vial containing poison.

About 9:30 Guy Jones of Akron Colo., who is visiting his sister, Mrs. W. C. Harrell, went down to the house, to feed the pigs, and was surprised to find the door bolted. Looking within, he found the body of the man, reclining upon a small bed of straw, with the empty poison bottle at his feet. He quickly notified his sister, who in turn called upon her husband, who was engaged at his duties as agent, at the Burlington station.

(Newspaper damaged and a line missing) summoned and the body taken to Butler's Undertaking parlors, where an inquest was held, by Dr. G. K. Dunkel, coroner. The jury, which was composed of H. L. Mulgrave, Charles Cochran, and William Neibert, gave a verdict of suicide, caused by taking poison.

Although Mr. SMITH has been suffering from melancholia for several weeks, he retired Saturday night with apparent cheerfulness, and gave no heed of the step taken Sunday morning.

The deceased was born May 11 1847, in Glendale, Iowa, and practically his whole life was spent farming in that locality, he having been a resident of Fairfield, only for the last year. Early in life he joined the Parsonville Methodist church, and had been a faithful member since that time.

On December 30, 1869, he married Willhimina SCHILLERSTROM at Glendale who died June 11, 1902. The on April 3, 1903 he was wed to Emma H. TOOTHAKER, who preceded him in death, August 9, 1918.

He is survived by the following children: Mrs. John FARMAN of Rome Iowa, Mrs. J. M. KYLE of Glendale Mrs. L. C. ELLIOTT of Fairfield, Frank of Stockport, Perry of Stockport, Paul of Sandpoint, Ida., Floyd and Elmer of Valier, Mont., Chesney and W. A. of Glendale, Samuel and Eli Oscar died sometime ago.

Funeral services will be conducted by Dr. C. L. Tennant, from the Methodist church at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon and interment will follow in Union cemetery at Glendale, Iowa.

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"The Fairfield Tribune."
Thursday, March 2, 1922
Front Page, Column 4

RILEY SMITH DRINKS CARBOLIC ACID SUNDAY WITH FATAL RESULTS
Aged Resident Found Dead In The Early Morning In A Neighbor's Outbuilding

Quietly slipping out of the house in the early morning hours, probably about daylight, last Sunday, William Riley SMITH went to the outbuilding of a neighbor, drove some pigs from it, seated himself on some straw and drank two ounces of carbolic acid which resulted in a speedy death.

Mr. SMITH was about seventy-four years of age and lived with his son-in-law and wife, Curtis ELLIOTT, at 507 East Lowe street. He came to Fairfield only about one year ago, coming from Glendale, in which vicinity he was born and had spent all his life in farming.

He had suffered considerably from ill health recently and was said to have worried a great deal about some investments which turned out unfortunately, although he was far from feeling any pinch of financial embarrassment.

The body of the dead man was found about 9:30 Sunday morning by a brother-in-law of W. C. Harrell, who was staying temporarily at the Harrell home and who went to the shed in the Harrell backyard to feed the pigs kept there. He found the door of the shed fastened with a latch on the inside, but succeeded in opening it by means of a stick run through a small crevice, with which he raised the latch. The dead body of Mr. SMITH reclining upon the straw, with the emptied bottle marked carbolic acid greeted him. Mr. Harrell and Sheriff Harris were at once notified and arrived within a few minutes. The body was yet slightly warm. The fact that the dead man's clothing was not in the least disarranged, his hat being still on his head, led to the surmise that death must have come quickly and painlessly.

A coroner's jury returned a verdict of suicide at the inquest held at Butler's undertaking rooms.

Mr. SMITH leaves the following children: Mrs. FARMAN of Rome, Mrs. KYLE of Glendale, Mrs. Curtis ELLIOTT of Fairfield, two sons at Stockport, two at Glendale, one in Idaho and two in Montana.

Funeral services were held Thursday at the Methodist church in this city and burial was made in the Glendale cemetery.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger-Journal"
Friday, March 3, 1922
Page 2, Column 2

OBITUARY

William Riley SMITH

William Riley SMITH, son of Eli and Mary Ann SMITH, was born at Glendale, this county, May the eleventh, 1847, and died here February 26, 1922, aged 74 years, 10 months and 15 days (sic).

He always made his home at Glendale until a year ago last October, when he came to make his home in Fairfield.

On December the 30th, 1869, he was in marriage to Miss Willhelmina SCHILLERSTROM to which union there were born twelve children, two of whom having passed away in childhood, the living are: Mrs. J. M. KYLE of Glendale, Mrs. John FARMAN of Rome, William A. SMITH of Glendale, Paul A. of Sandpoint, Idaho, Elmer M. of Valier, Montana, Frank S. and Perry of Stockport, Floyd of Valier, Montana, Chesney L. of Glendale and Mrs. L. Curtis ELLIOTT of Fairfield.

Mrs. SMITH passed away at Glendale June the eleventh, 1902, and on April the 3rd, 1903 he was married to Mrs. Emma HOPKIRK who lived until August 9, 1918.

Aside from the living children he leaves one sister, Mrs. Siddie TOOTHAKER of Des Moines, Iowa.

He untied with the Methodist Episcopal Church of Glendale and had retained his membership there until he moved here a year and a half ago, when he brought his membership here. He had been a life long member of the church, and ever a faithful attendant on the services of God's house.

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