Elijah Clark Stevens (1912)
ROBERTSON, STEVENS
Posted By: Kent Transier
Date: 3/7/2024 at 17:12:25
The Courier – Democrat
Seneca, Nemaha County, Kansas
Thursday, June 6, 1912
Page 1, Column 1CLARK STEVENS COMMITS SUICIDE
End Life Tuesday Morning About 9:30 By Hanging. Left No Reason for the Act
Clark Stevens committed suicide Tuesday morning about 9:30 o'clock by banging himself to one of the rafters of the chicken house at his place just north of the school house. He, with his wife and three step children, had moved from property owned by them in the northwest part of town to this place, but the day before. The body was found by his wife, who had gone in search of him to secure his assistance in moving some articles. She immediately called for help and the body was cut down but life was extinct.
A physician was called and stated that death had resulted some fifteen or twenty minutes previous to the finding of the body. The coroner was notified but decided it was useless to hold an inquest as there was no doubt but that it was a case of suicide.
The act was evidently premeditated as he had placed the rope used in this shed the day previous and had also made several remarks about not making another move and that he would not live there long. He had been in failing health for several weeks and had slept poorly Monday night but had given his relatives no worry or cause to think that he was premeditating such an act. He gave no warning that he contemplated committing such an act or left no word in regard to why he took his life.
He was highly respected by all who knew him. Elijah Clark Stevens was born April 2, 1845, in Warren county, Illinois, and died at the age of 67 years, 1 month and 3 days. He was married September 15, 1901, to Mrs. Mary Robertson, of this county. They lived on a farm for the past ten years until up to one year ago they moved to town.
He leaves to mourn his death a widow, Mrs. Mary Stevens and five children, one son and four daughters, besides two brothers, John Stevens, south of town, and Zedick Stevens, in Iowa. Funeral services will probably be held today from the home, conducted by Rev. L. R. South.
________________________Transcriber's note: The deceased appears in the 1885 Madison County Census as "E. Clark Stephens" and the 1895 Mahaska County Census as "Elijah C. Stevens". Madison County Marriage Records show him to have married Nancy Bell Hamilton in 1872 and Sarah J. Hamilton in 1885, the latter having lived about a month per her obituary.
Gravesite
Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen