Charles I Dice 1848- 1901

DICE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/27/2021 at 18:57:15

Sioux Valley News
4 July 1901

COULD NOT SURVIVE POVERTY.

Rock Branch Farmer Suicides Because Poverty and Ill Health.

Sunday morning Charles I. Dice, a farmer near Rock Branch committed suicide by hanging himself in a tree near his home.

Mr. Dice was 57 years old and had lived in Woodbury County 21 years. He owned the farm on which he resided in Wolf Creek township, but it was mortgaged for nearly all its worth, S3,000. Mr. Dice had been unable to pay the mortgage and the creditor was about to foreclose. This, combined with his long-continued ill health, is supposed to be the cause of the despondency which finally led to his suicide. The family he leaves is a wife and seven sons, two of whom are grown and will assume the support of the family. He carried no life insurance.

It was about three o’clock Sunday morning that Mr. Dice woke up and remarked to his wife that he would get up and take a walk in the air as he was not feeling well. Mrs. Dice cautioned him against going out into the damp air and then went to sleep. Sometime later she awoke and finding him still gone sent the small boys to find him. The body was found in a tree about thirty-five rods from the house. He had mentioned suicide as a way out of his troubles. The coroner’s jury impaneled by R. B. Twogood, a justice of the peace, and consisting of J. 0. Jerman, Lucky Valley; M. E. Irish, Arlington; A. F. Tracewell, Wolf Creek, returned a verdict of death at his own hands by hanging and that the suicide was premeditated.

Sioux Valley News
11 July 1901

Suicide Not Poor

According to the Sioux City paper C. I. Dice, who committed suicide near Rock Branch, was not being pressed by his debts and the estate will amount to about $10,000 after the debts are paid.