BOILEAU, J. P. (1856-1903)

BOILEAU, ALLENSWORTH

Posted By: Elaine Harrington (email)
Date: 11/27/2006 at 20:17:40

MILLS COUNTY TRIBUNE
DATED JULY 2, 1903:

J.P. BOILEAU KILLS HIMSELF

Commits Suicide at his Meat Market
in Red Oak Saturday Morning
While Despondent

J. P. Boileau, who recently went from Henderson to Red Oak to engage in the meat business, committed suicide at that place shortly after 5 o’clock last Saturday morning.

Friday night Mr. Boileau purchased a revolver at the Malony Brothers’ hardware store and went to the boarding house where he and his son, who is a piano salesman for a local house, roomed together. The son says that a number of times during the night his father awakened him and asked for assurance that should anything happen to him (the father) that he (the son) would look after the wife and mother, who had not yet removed from Henderson to Red Oak.

Saturday morning he got up, dressed himself and went down to the market as if to begin the mornings work. Appearances lead to the belief that he laid down on the floor and placed his head on a box that was about eight inches high. He then placed the gun to his head and fired, but it seems that his aim was poor and that the angle at which he held the gun so deflected the ball that it glanced and did little more than to inflict a bad flesh wound. The second shot was fired with a better aim, the ball piercing the skull from the right side where it entered just below the temple. This ball lodged just above the right temple.

The sound of the shots drew attention to the shop and it was but a few moments after the shooting before he was discovered. A doctor was at once called, but he was unable to do anything for the injured man and he died about two hours after he was found.

Friday evening Mrs. Boileau received a letter from her husband stating that he was very homesick and urging them to come at once to Red Oak. They were already packed up and expected to go Monday. Saturday morning early, before hearing of the tragedy, Mrs. Boileau and two daughters started to drive overland to Red Oak. They reached there shortly before his death.

Mr. Boileau was engaged in the meat market business at Henderson for about 12 years, where he is said to have done quite well until he began to buy cattle. Then he is reported to have lost some money and finally sold his business and again bought a meat market at Griswold, where he is said to have lost about $200 by the investment. It is thought these recent losses had so weighed upon his mind that it had become unbalanced.

Friends of the family assert that Mr. Boileau suffered an accident some time ago, causing a nervous trouble that at times affected his mind, and his relatives have been apprehensive that he might take his life when depressed.

The body was taken Monday to Henderson, where the funeral was held in the afternoon at the Christian church, Rev. McCrea officiating. Burial was made at the Wesley Chapel cemetery, 6 miles southwest from Henderson. The family are at present staying at Carson at the home of Mrs. Boileau’s father, G. C. Allensworth. The family have sympathy of friends in this their peculiarly sad bereavement.

BURIAL:

Wesley Chapel Cemetery
Tombstone: J. P. Boileau 1856-1903
Row #18