SUICIDE. We are called upon this week to record one of the most reckless acts that man is guilty of, that of suicide. On last Tuesday morning the report was circulated that Charles METZ, (a German butcher) of this place had killed himself, at once crowds could be seen assembling on the streets, and gathering at the place where the fatal shot had been fired. The facts in the case, as we understand, are as follow: On Tuesday morning the deceased went to the house of Mr. Neadham DAVIS, to borrow a gun. Mr. DAVIS not being at home, Mrs. DAVIS, after hearing his story, let him have the gun, he telling her that he wanted it to kill a beef with, and that he was afraid the load that was then in the gun would not kill it, he asked for larger shot, which was granted. After leaving the house he was next seen by a citizen of this place, who asked him where he was going; and in reply said that he was looking for a beef to kill. He was next seen by another man whose attention to him was drawn by the report of the gun he had just fired, for the purpose of re-loading it with the large he had obtained at Mr. DAVIS. The next and last place he was seen, was where the fatal shot was fired. At his place he was seen to go in an old house, by some ladies and his action caused them to suspecion that something unusaul would follow. And in a short time after he entered the house they heard the report of a gun and the fall of the deceased on the floor, they at once went to the house where they found him a corpse, lieing in his own blood. Judge BISHOP, summoned a jury and held an inquest, the verdict of which we give below. When he was found the gun, was lying on him as it fell. There was a string tied to his foot, which was supposed to have been tied to the trigger that he might fire the gun with his foot. The load went in his mouth and passed out at the back of the head, completely bursting his skull. Some of the hair, brains, blood and skull was found with the ball in the sealing which proves beyond a doubt, that he was standing when the shot was fired. The deceased had no relatives in this place; has been here about twelve months. Was a strong Spiritualists and has for some time past, been a victim to the worst enemy of the human race, whisky. And its thought by many that the constant study of the former, and the fearful effect of the latter, the two combined was the cause of this fatal act and deplorable end. The following was found pinned to his hat:
Marion, Ill, the 1st Sept. 1874.
The spirits have troubled me for 25 years since February. I can
not live on this earth any longer. Goodby to my friends of
Marion. Some of the people of Marion have treated me well and
some have not.Charles METZ, Butcher.
State of Illinois, Williamson county, } Sept. 1st 1874 We the jury empaneled as an inquest on the above day, in the town of Marion, in said county, by Hon. Jesse BISHOP, acting coroner to enquire by whom, when and where and all the surrounding circumstances attending the death of a body found dead on the above date, in said town return our verdict:“That the dead body is that of Charles METZ, (a German butcher) and that he came to his death about 9 o’clock and 15 minutes a.m. of the above date, from a shot fired by his own hand intentionally to take his own life.W.W. CLEMENS, foreman. R.M. ALLEN, W.P. GOODALL, J.A. LEE, Henry GRAY, A.F. WHITE, Joseph EWEN, L.D. HARTWELL, Thomas FERRELL, J.F. CONNELL, J.W. SAMUELS, G.W. GODDARD.
LOCAL--Considerable sickness in town.--The MONITOR is three months old to day.--J.M. BURKHART is in St. Louis, buying goods. --Mrs. Hartwell HENDRICKSON has been very sick for several days, but is now convalescing.--A.F. WHITE and lady are visiting in this city. Mr. WHITE is an employee of the Asylum at Anna.--W.R. HALL and family, H.T. GODDARD and Family, L.A. GODDARD and Mrs. John BAINBRIDGE, will all go to St. Louis on Monday, on a business and pleasure trip.--Several of our citizens attended the camp meeting of the M.E. Church, held at Jonesboro this week. They report a fine time, and say they heard several ‘big guns’ speak.--H.V. FERREL, the well known physician of the west end of this county, called on us this week. The Dr. is a clever gentleman and a reader of the Monitor. --Henry F. GOE has bought W.F. ERWINS interest in the Crab Orchard mills. These mills are in complete repair, and are now making better flour than ever before. --Mr. William WASHBURN, a son of the Hon. James M. WASHBURN is keeping the clerks office, while DENNISON is gone to the Convention. Will is a graduate of Ewing college, and is a clever gentleman.--There will be an Association or church meeting of some kind, hold at the Baptist church in this place, next Saturday and Sunday. We have not been furnished a report of the nature of the meeting, therefore cannot give it. --Mr. Griffon BAKER of Grassy, called on us this week, and subscribed for the ‘Monitor.’ Mr. B. is one of the finest young men in the county, and has a bright future before him.--Miss Roda EDGAR, a sister-in-law of Jesse PICKARD, of this place, left here on Monday last for Los Angles, California. She will have a trip of nearly 3000 miles alone; but will travel over some of the finest portions of the earth’s surface. --JDF JENNINGS, GW GODDARD, JB CALVERT, WJ PULLEY, CH DENISON and AC NELSON, all left here yesterday for Anna, as delegates to the Democratic Congressional Convention. The supposition here is that either ALLEN or WASHBURNE, one or the other, will be nominated.--John BULLINER, who has been under arrest in this place for several days, charged with the murder of James HENDERSON, left here last evening, with deputy sheriff W.J. PULLEY, for Anna, to be tried to day on writ of habeas corpus. Dr. JENNINGS went down on behalf of the people, and J.B. CALVERT for the defendent.--Monroe STANLEY’s, a son of Overton STANLEY, who lives in the south side of this county, has his gun out on last Thursday, and set the breach on the tongue of a wagon to rest. While in this position, the gun slipped off the tongue, the hammer struck it, causing it to fire and shot Monroe through the heart killing him instantly.
CRAINVILLE LOCALS--Died, on the 26th ult., James DITMORE, son of Mr. and Mrs. John DITMORE. Aged about 15 months, Drs. Curtis BROWN and A.D. WATSON, were the attending physicians.--Mr. L.D. CRAIN, of Crainville, opened out his school at the Hampton district Monday morning, August 31. We wish him grand success.--Wm. SPENCE of Crainville, is doing splendid business. Wm. is very polite in manners.--T.C. CRAIN is just completing his brick kiln. Those wanting brick will do well to give him a call.--L.D. CRAIN is acting as Notary Public at Crainville.--The old goose of Carterville, is yet flopping her wings, and her hair is a frazzly as ever. She wants everybody to pay her debts and excuse her, especially security debt.
LOCAL--Remember the Williamson county fair--Oct. 6th to
9th.--Singing at the M.E. Church tonight.--The mercury in the
thermometer is still considerably elevated.--Sam NORTH, of
Carbondale, was in this city on
yesterday.--New side walks are being laid in various parts of
town.--Henry GODDARD has a new sign, which reads--”Groceries
and Provisions.”--Alva KIBBY has moved his barber shop up
stairs in the Westbrook building.--J.W. HARTWELL has moved his
law office to a room up stairs in M.W. ROBERTSON ‘s new
brick.--Henry GODDARD is having a ware house built in the rear or
his grocery store.--Prof. E.C. HAMILL, of McKendree College,
preached at the M.E. Church in this place on last evening.--The
peach crop is growing beautifully less, and will soon be numbered
with that that were.--Wm. GOODALL and P. LANG, are filling up the
low place in the south east corner of the public square.--Mon.
VICK has moved his grocery store to W.P. GOODALL ‘s
building, on the east side of the square.--Levi SIMMONS is now
running a butcher shop in the building formerly occupied by
Charles METZ.--In all parts of town can be heard the sounds of
hammer, saw and chisel, which tells us that Marion is improving.
--The army worms are so numerous in the north eastern part of
this county that the farmers in that section have defered sowing
wheat.--Rev. John RODMAN has been holding a general good meeting
at Galatia. We will report the success of the meeting in our
next.--John WILLEFORD, who is now operating the SPILLER coal
banks, is selling grate coal at 7 cts per bushel, delivered.--Our
young friend J.W. WESTBROOK, left this place to-day for Leabanon,
Ill., to attend school. He will be gone nine months.--At the E.M.
Conference held in Murphysboro, last week, Rev. Thomas M.
RAGSDALE, was appointed to the charge of the E.M. Church in this
place.--Mr. Sim BARTON, of Carbondale, a “typo” called
on us last Saturday. He was on the hunt of a second hand press,
with which to start a newspaper at Carbondale.--Mr. James
HENDRICKSON, who has been visiting friends and relatives in this
city, shook the dust off this feet last Monday, and pulled out to
his grasshopper home, in Minnesota.--The card of Dr. Z BLAY will
be found in this paper. The Dr. can be found at his office, over
Hundley & Holland’s drug store, ever ready to attend to
any business in the dentistry line. --Mr. Solomon NORMAN, one of
the oldest citizens of the county, living three miles east of
this place, has been dangerously ill for the past few days, but
is now growing better, and will probably recover.--Mr. Riley
HARTWELL, who live seven miles east of this place, was kicked by
a mule, on Monday last. He received the blow on the side of the
face. The wound is a severe one, though his physician report him
improving. --Mr. Thomas BUNDY, son of Dr. S.H. BUNDY, who resides
in the west end of this county, died at Fredonia, Ky , on Tuesday
last , of bullious fever. Mr. BUNDY was a young man of high
respectability and culture, and was loved and esteemed by all who
knew him. his body will be brought to this county for
burial.--James GOCHRANE, of this county, returned home Tuesday
morning from a trip West. he left Colorado last Friday. His
report of Colorado, compares very well with others that have
visited that region. Crops are very good out there this season in
sections where the grasshoppers have been neighborly enough to
make a fair divide. --Rev. John CALVERT, of this county called in
our office last week. He is one of the old pioneers of Egypt. He
has lived here to see her bud, bloom and produce all she is, in
intellect, morality and wealth. In an early day he lived in Pope
and Johnson counties. Obtained the first marriage license ever
issued in Vienna, joined Presbytery in ---- and entered into the
ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. has labored
faithfully as long as strength would permit, always keeping the
faith that was once delivered to the saints.
The Harrisburg “Chronicle,’ of the 11th inst. says “Wm. HARPER of Stonefort, while sitting on Ed. WIEDEMANN ‘s counter in this place, Wednesday night, was shot at and his cheek grazed with a bullet. Who did the shooting is not known, but it is rumored to have been a man whose wife HARPER was endeavoring to induce to elope with him.”
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Stonefort is a little-town in the South East corner of our county, on the C.&V. Railroad. It is only eighteen months old, and has a population of about five hundred. It is situated in a valley bound by hills on the West which overlook the little town. The houses are all new, the plat level and covered with grass, surrounded by large timber, making it one of the most beautiful and coosy places in the State. Then go down in the town and you will find a sober, good looking, honest, industrious and clever set of people. On the hill west of town, lives J.V. TRAMMEL, ex Treasurer. Mr. TRAMMEL has a beautiful place and has everything around him that makes life happy, and his hospitality is boundless. He is one of our bestcitizens.
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GRASSY PRECINCT--Sept. 6, 1874,--ED. MONITOR:--According to promise, I herewith send you a few items which may be of some interest to the readers of your valuable paper. Crops are looking up since the rains, yet the cinch bugs are cutting corn pretty short.--Elders RHODES and SANDERS held a discussion on communion, at the Baptist church, on the 3d and 4th days of this month, which proved to be very interesting, as they area both able speakers.--An unexpected case of meat stealing, was tried before Esq. HOWELL of the precinct, last night. The accused, a well to do farmer of this community found guilty and bound over in a bond of $200, 00.--The Republicans here, seem to appreciate the nomination of Ike for re-election to congress. They will go for him, “teeth and toenail’ Hurrah for CLEMENTS. POST
LOCAL--Dr. BUDLONG left us Monday morning.--Mr. H. DITTO, son of W.H. DITTO, of this place is in the city.--Brice HOLLAND ‘s horse took the first premium on trotting at the Murphysboro fair last week.--Mr. Pleas CHAPMAN, of Johnson County called on us this week. Mr. CHAPMAN was on his way to Leabanon, Ill., to attend school.--Dr. BUNDY, of Eight mile, called on us this week. The Dr. has charge of the hospital of Nashville, Tennessee, where he will remain for the next twelve months.--At the Senatorial convention held at Raleigh, Saline county, last Wednesday, Milo ERWIN, of this place, was nominated for Senator, and John N. WASSON, of Gallatin, was nominated for Representative.--Robert MANIER, of Franklin county, a brother of Judge MANIER of this place, sold the cherries off one tree for thirty-two dollars, in Chicago, the tree netted him over twenty-eight dollars.--Mr. Walter WARDER, late of Du Quoin, has located in our city, and enters into the practice of law. He will practice in all of the courts of this state. Any person wishing council would do well by calling on him.--Our fellow citizen, Laban CARTER, has bought a house in Carterville, and is going to move into the town. He is police magistrate of Carterville, and makes a good officer, being familiar with the law, and possessing extraordinary judgment.--In this issue will be found the announcement of G.W. SISNEY, as a candidate for sheriff of Williamson county. Mr. SISNEY is well known in this county, has served one term as sheriff and his official acts are before the people, therefore we do not consider it necessary for us to say anything further than he is now a candidate for the office, and no doubt would make an efficient sheriff. --There is a buzzard that sails gracefully around over Northern Precinct, which tradition says is over forty years old. One of his legs is stuff and hangs down as he flies. According to tradition this bird has a mysterious history. It is said it was caught in a wolf trap over forty-five years ago, and some of the most reliable men in the county say they have kept sight of him ever since. And in the same locality lives a gray Eagle, whose mate Dr. S.M. MITCHELL killed over twenty three years ago. These birds have remarkable duration, or else Northern is remarkably healthy.