HAISTON, John E. 'Jack' 1872 - 1904

HAISTON, DONNER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 1/25/2024 at 21:59:36

"The Fairfield Journal"
Tuesday, July 7, 1904
Front Page, Columns 1 and 2

TAKES HIS OWN LIFE.

John HAISTON Snuffs Out the Spark of Life Last Night by Shooting Himself With a Revolver a Few Minutes After Parting With His Sweetheart. Despondent Over Ill Health and Unable to Work.

John E. HAISTON, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter HAISTON, who reside in Gage's addition to Fairfield, committed suicide last night by shooting himself through the heart with a revolver.

He had called last evening at the Charles Wray home and seemed while there fairly cheerful and ate ice cream with the family and conversed as usual. When he left there about 9:30 Miss Jessie Wray went out and walked a ways down the railroad track with him. When he was alone with her he commenced to talk despondently and talked of suicide and threatened throwing himself under a passing train. Miss Jessie talked to him and got him quieted. She returned to the house and told her folks what "Jack" had said and was very much worried about it. The family retired and about twenty minutes later Mr. Wray heard a shot and heard Jack's voice exclaim "My God, I'm Shot!" Mr. Wray sprang from bed and hastened toward the railroad and found John lying under a tree just north of the track with a revolver still clasped in his hand.

John's father was at once summoned by telephone and Dr. A. S. Hague was called. John was taken at once to his home and died within a few minutes afterwards. The ball entered his left breast, just over the heart, and passed clear through his body, lodging in the outer skin at the back.

John was about 33 years old. He had worked for the Louden company and also for the Turney Wagon Co.; but for some time he had been in poor health and unable to work and for the past week had seemed very despondent. He as at one time a member of Charter Oak band. The family have lived here about fifteen years.

John bore a good reputation and no cause is known for the rash act, unless it was dispondency from poor health. So far as known he had never carried weapons and it is thought he must have borrowed the revolver with which he shot himself. The funeral will be held tomorrow at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. A. W. Miller, of the Baptist church.

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"The Fairfield Journal"
Tuesday, July 7, 1904
Page 8, Column 3

Funeral Notice.

The funeral of John HAISTON will be held at his late home tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock. Fairfield lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 629, will have charge of the services. All members of this order are requested to meet in the hall at 1 o'clock to attend the funeral in a body. The members of Jefferson lodge No 4, I. O. O. F., are hereby invited to meet with them.

By order of
Ray H. Maxwell, Noble grand.

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"The Fairfield Journal"
Saturday, July 9, 1904
Front Page, Columns 4 and 5

LOCAL NOTES

... Bert HAISTON of Davenport was in the city yesterday to attend the funeral of his brother, the late John HAISTON. ...

... Mrs. Ed Queeny of Ottumwa was in the city yesterday afternoon to attend the funeral of the late John HAISTON. ...

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"The Fairfield Journal"
Monday, July 11, 1904
Front Page, Column 5

We note by Thursday's Courier that Jack HAISTON of Fairfield committed suicide by shooting himself Wednesday night.

We are exceedingly sorry to know of the terrible manner of his taking off. Jack HAISTON was a genial, good hearted fellow, the son of a family who were neighbors and friends of ours during our entire residence in Fairfield and they have our utmost sympathy in their bereavement. Despondency at his continued ill health which prevented his marriage to Miss Jessie Wray, a popular teacher in Fairfield schools and a most estimable young lady, was supposed to be the cause of this deplorable act. He leaves a father, mother, four sisters and two brothers.--Batavia Watchman.

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Wednesday, July 13, 1904
Front Page, Column 4

LOCAL NOTES.

... Fred HAISTON has returned to his home in Davenport, after a short visit in the city. ...

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Wednesday, July 13, 1904
Page 6, Column 4

DEATH BY HIS OWN HAND.

John HAISTON Brings Tragic End to Life in Fit of Despondency.

A little before 10 o'clock Wednesday night people living near the Main street crossing of the C., B. & Q. railway in this city heard a pistol shot, which was closely followed by the exclamation, "My God, I'm shot." Amelia Leafgreen, at the home of M. H. Cuddy, saw the man fall. Mrs. N. H. Baker, W. D. Shirk, M. H. Cuddy, W. S. Starkey, J. A. Wray and others were among the first to reach the injured man. His right hand grasped the revolver from which the fatal shot was fired and he was still living, although unconscious. These people as soon identified him as "Jack" HAISTON. A message was sent for Dr. Hague at once, but when he arrived he found that the case was one more for the coroner than the physician. HAISTON was suffering from a wound just above and to the right of the heart, from a thirty-two caliber revolver, and was rapidly bleeding to death. Arrangements were at once made to remove him to the home of his parents, but life was extinct before that could be accomplished.

Coroner Hague made the examination which is customary in cases of this kind, his jurors being Dr. E. G. Grove and Messrs. F. W. Freshwater and G. F. Turner. Their verdict was that young HAISTON "came to death by a gunshot wound inflicted by his own hand and while in a condition of melancholia, a case of suicide for which no one but himself is responsible." It is said that for some time past the young man had been paying attention to a young woman in this city who did not appreciate it as he thought she should. He had also been out of employment for a time, and these two conditions had rendered him exceedinly despondent. Earlier in the evening of his death he had crossed the railway track at a point where his body was found, in company with the lady in question, and had threatened to end his life by throwing himself under a passing train. She had dissuaded him from his purpose for the moment, but his intention must have been fixed in his mind, for he had parted from her only a few moments when he fired the shot which closed his life.

Mr. HAISTON was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter HAISTON, who have been residents of this city for many years, and he was thirty-two years of age. He was a man of good habits, active and industrious, and was generally popular with those who knew him. He is said to have been a man of violent impulses, however, and quick to act upon them. The body was interred in this city Friday afternoon, funeral services being held at the residence of his parents by Rev. A. W. Miller of the Baptist church. Mr. HAISTON was a member of Fairfield lodge, I. O. O. F., and the Forest City band, and both these organizations attended the funeral exercises.

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"The Fairfield Tribune"
Wednesday, July 13, 1904
Page 7, Column 5

TIRED OF LIFE.

Jno. E. HAISTON Ends His Existence In a Most Tragie Manner.

Last Thursday morning groups of men might be seen standing on the streets discussing in hushed voices the awful tragedy of the evening before in which "Jack" HAISTON ended his own life by firing a pistol aimed at his heart and which sent a ball through his body and ended his life in a short time.

For the past year he had been in poor health, most of the time unable to work and had become morose and melancholy and wholly unlike himself. However, of late, his health was improving and his mother said that Wednesday evening he seemed brighter and more cheerful than he had for some time, saying that he had a good job in view and would soon be at work. He had also promised his sister, Mrs. Wm. DONNER to come to her home on Thursday and assist her in packing household goods preparatory to their removal to Nevada, thus showing his act of self-destruction must have been on the spur of the moment and not premeditated. The revolver with which he fired the fatal shot was one which he borrowed from a friend early in the evening. Mr. HAISTON had been spending the evening apparently in a most pleasant manner at the home of a lady friend and had said good-night and started for his home. Shortly after his departure members of the family heard a shot and cries of distress and upon investigation the young man was found a short distance north of the "Q" tracks on North Main, with the pistol in his hand and the death rattle in his throat. Assistance was hurriedly sought and the unfortunate man taken to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter HAISTON, but he was dead before reaching there. Medical skill was nof no avail, his aim was deadly and true to the mark.

A coroner's jury held an inquest over the remains and rendered a decision "that the deceased came to his death from a pistol shot wound, fired by his own hand in a moment of temporary insanity."

Jno. E. HAISTON was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter HAISTON and was born in Weyland (sic), Iowa, thirty-two years ago. For the past fifteen years he had made his home in Fairfield and has been employed at different times by the Louden Machinery Co. and also by Turney & Co. at the wagon works. He occupied a position as a brakeman on the C. R. I. & P. railroad until his health failed about a year ago.

Among his associates he was known as an honest, industrious and sober young man. He was a loyal member of the I. O. O. F. and also a member of the Charter Oak band. In his home life he was a dutiful and affectionate son and a loving, helpful brother, and we are sure had he been in his right mind, would not have willingly brought such grief on his family.

The funeral services were held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Peter HAISTON on West Grimes street Friday afternoon. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Miller. The members of the I. O. O. F. attended in a body and had charge of the services at the grave. The floral offerings from sympathizing friends were many and beautiful and the funeral cortege was one of the largest seen in Fairfield for some time.

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

Note: Buried in Lot SDiv.1-017.