John E. Douglas (1875-1916)

DOUGLAS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From Nevada Representative October 2, 1916 (page 1)

MAXWELL MAN TOOK OWN LIFE

JOHN DOUGLAS SHOT HIMSELF THROUGH BRAIN ON SATURDAY EVENING

John Douglas, a well know farmer of near Maxwell, and a brother of Attorney Ike Douglas, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head on Saturday evening. The affair occurred about 9:15 Saturday evening.

Douglas was a married man but there were no children. He lived on his farm southeast of Maxwell, over the line in Polk county. The coroner of Polk county was called to investigate.

Douglas and a neighbor, Al Whitney, had some trouble during the evening. Following this altercation John broke and ran and left for his home at once. A warrant was sworn out for his arrest and placed in the hands of the Marshal Bill Cure. Mr. Cure with Byron Olinger, Forest Allen and John Oxley started out to serve the warrant, but when they reached the place found the man lying across the bed dead, with a bullet from a 32 calibre revolver through his brain. Death had apparently been instantaneous. The trouble between the two men started over an accusation on the part of Whitney that Douglas has been intimate with a seventeen year old daughter of Whitney.

The men were in an alley at the time the quarrel was on and someone entered the church and secured Marshal Cure and asked him to quell the disturbance. About the time that the officer came out Whitney told Douglas that it was his intention to swear out a warrant for his arrest. Douglas started away at a rapid gate and told Whitney that if he intended to get him he had better do it soon.

He had driven into Maxwell in the evening with Mrs. Douglas in their automobile, but when he started away he left the car and cut across fields on foot and had reached his home and accomplished his purpose before the party with the warrant was able to get out to his place.

The tracks through the field showed that he had run most of the way.

From Nevada Representative October 6, 1916 (page 4)

The funeral of John E. Douglas was held from the home Tuesday afternoon and was largely attended. Rev. L. W. Day of Hancock, Iowa a former pastor of Mt. Zion church conducted the service, assisted by Rev. S. C. Wadding of the Presbyterian church. Interment was in the family burial lot in the Maxwell cemetery.