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]