Iowa Old Press

 

Algona Upper Des Moines
Algona, Kossuth co. Iowa
October 31, 1883

Suicide at LuVerne.
The Review gives the following report of a sad event which occurred over a week ago at Lu Verne, by which Samuel Roe voluntarily ended his life. Last Saturday afternoon the people of our usually quiet little city were startled by the report that Samuel Roe had committed suicide. Further investigation proved about as follows:

On Friday evening he had trouble with his wife and they had agreed to disagree and this matter seemed more than he could bear. On Saturday he went to the drug store and called for strychnine, saying that he wanted it to kill rats, and refused to buy but a small quantity for fear the children might get hold of it. He carried the mail as usual at noon, but did not appear in the afternoon, whereupon Mr. Crandall called at the house to ascertain the cause of his nonappearance. He was told that Roe was up stairs, and Mrs. Roe asked him to go up and see what was the matter, as he had been groaning considerable. When found he appeared to be in great agony, but refused to tell what he had done, and in a short time went into spasms and departed from his earthly cares.

The coroner's inquest was held Sunday, and after hearing the testimony the jury gave in a verdict of "Came by his death by strychnine administered by his own hands." The funeral services were held at the house on Monday afternoon, and he was soon laid in his last resting place. No more we'll see his smiling face upon our streets and he will be sadly missed from the mail route that he has so faithfully attended to in the past. He leaves quite a family of heart-broken children to mourn his demise.

[transcribed by L.Z., October 2012]


Iowa Old Press
Kossuth County