Graham, Thomas 1841-1916

GRAHAM

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/24/2011 at 17:13:47

The Grinnell Herald; Sept. 19, 1916

BROOKLYN RESIDENT ENDS LIFE

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Thomas Graham, Retired Farmer and Pioneer, Takes His Own Life--In Ill Health and Despondent.

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In ill health and despondent, Thomas Graham, an old and respected resident of Brooklyn committed
suicide by hanging last Saturday morning. He was a retired farmer, and an old resident of the Brooklyn neighborhood. A family of children had grown up and married, and he and his wife lived alone.

Saturday morning Mr. Graham rose and had breakfast as usual about 7 o'clock. Then he left the house. From something he said his wife thought that he had gone to a neighbor's after an axe. She went down town and on returning about 11 o'clock found that her husband was not in the house. She went to the barn to look for him and found his lifeless body hanging there. He had placed a two by four across the opening into the hayloft, fastened one end of a rope to it and the other end about his neck, then climbed up on a trestle and ended it all by kicking the trestle out form under him.

Coroner J.H. Friend was summoned but did not find it necessary to hold an inquest on account of the nature of the evidence and Mr. Graham's known attitude of mind before the tragedy.