Ross, George 1890-1926

ROSS

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/19/2014 at 15:04:30

SENDS BULLET THROUGH HEAD

Poor Health Is ascribed As Cause for Suicide of Hancock Farmer

HAD BEEN DESPONDENT

George Ross Lived In County All of His Life

With the back of his head blown away by a bullet fired through the roof on his mouth from a rifle held in his own hands the body of George Ross, aged 36, a farmer residing in section 12, Hancock township in the west part of the county, was found by relatives in the oat bin of the barn Tuesday, about the noon hour.

L. E. Mauer, county coroner, was notified and drove out immediately to the place to make an investigation. He pronounced it a plain case of suicide and stated no inquest was necessary.

On the farm with Ross lived his mother, Mrs. Emma Ross, whose husband, Duncan Ross, Jr., died in 1892, and three brothers, Thomas, Amos, and Fred. Another brother, Roy, resides at Yankton, S.D., and two sisters, Mrs. C. F. Hummel and Mrs. Florence Banks live in Sioux City.

Health Was Poor

In 1917 the suicide, who was born October 6, 1890, on the farm where he lived most of his life, suffered a severe attack of influenza. Since that time he had been in poor health and had undergone a course of medical treatment. It was believed that he took his life during a fit of temporary despondency resulting from ill health.

It was his custom to occasionally arise early in the morning to go hunting. When he failed to appear at the breakfast table Tuesday his brothers and mother inferred that he had gone hunting, although he had told them nothing of such a plan the night before.

As the day advanced and he did not appear his relatives became worried and instituted a search. This ended when they found the body leaning against the wall of the oat bin in the barn, the skull shattered with a bullet from the 32-20 caliber rifle which was clasped loosely in his hands. Only one of the steel jacketed cartridges had been discharged.

Bullet Through Head

Apparently Ross had placed the muzzle of the weapon in his mouth and pulled the trigger, which he could easily reach with his hand, the rifle being a small one. The bullet passed entirely through the head, ranging up from the mouth and emerging behind the right ear. The barn is about seventy-five feet from the house and no report of the rifle was heard.

Relatives declared that they had had no intimation that Ross was planning to take hs own life. No note was found, but a check for $1,500, representing the dead man's savings on deposit in a Sioux City bank was found in a pocket of his coat, made out to his brother, Fred, with whome he had been long associated in the work of operating the farm. The check was dated August 24.
The funeral services were held yesterday from the house and the interment made in the Logan Park cemetery in Sioux City.

Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
Friday, August 27, 1926
Le Mars, Iowa