CHANNELL, John W.

CHANNELL

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 4/24/2016 at 19:10:38

JOHN W. CHANNELL SUICIDES

In another column is given the obituary of John W. Channell, a life-long resident of this county, who committed suicide Thursday morning at his home on a farm a couple of miles east of Douds-Leando. Mr. Channell had not, apparently been in the best mental condition for two years past, but attended to his work and relatives had no thought of the impending calamity. The family had partaken of their breakfast and the women members were out in the barn arranging to Douds with horse and buggy when they heard a shot, the sound indicating that it was in the house. They hastened to it and found the husband and father lying dead on the kitchen floor with a shotgun at his side. He had, apparently, placed the muzzle of the gun against his neck with the butt resting on the floor, and pulled the trigger. The side of the neck was badly torn, causing instant death. It was a terrible shock to Mrs. Channell and other member of the family. P.K. Ware, coroner, was called from Farmington and was accompanied from Keosauqua by Sheriff Haney and Charles Dodds, but when they arrived at the scene of the tragedy it was decided the case was so plainly an act of premeditated self destruction that an inquest was not necessary. Besides the mother, four children survive, two sons and two daughters, viz: Mrs. Gilman Horn, Mrs. Laura Phelps, William B. and Samuel, all residents of the parental home locality. The obituary elsewhere in this issue of the REPUBLICAN relates the details of his life and the funeral service.

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book F, Page 290, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA