Statewide County AZ Archives Obituaries.....Brennan, Mrs. Jack 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/az/azfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Elizabeth Burns burns@asu.edu and D. Joshua Taylor http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00006.html#0001358 July 4, 2005, 9:14 pm Arizona Republican-Feb. 4, 1909 By her carefully planning her own death by four different means, Mrs. Jack Brennan, 60 years of age, shot herself just above the heart at her home at 1107 South Third Avenue early yesterday morning. As the woman was uncertain in her mind just which method of suicide would be preferable is shown from the elaborate and varied preparations she made for the act. On the sewing machine at the foot of the bed where she was found, was a razor with stout cord bound about the lower part of the blade so that it would not bend back when forcibly used. On the window sill, near the sewing machine, was a half filled bottle of chloroform. It was undoubtedly one of the means for self extermination that the woman pondered over. That she contemplated drowning herself in the river is known from a letter addressed to her husband, which was found lying by her side. While the letter was not opened, a part of its contents could be discerned through the thin paper of the envelope. A part of the message read, "I shall go down to the river and drown myself." It was her intention when she wrote the letter to walk down to the river, which is not so far from the house, and end her troubles. Perhaps the walk to the river in the darkness deterred her and turned her to other methods. She finally disrobed, got into bed and shot herself in the left breast with her husband's 33 caliber revolver. Mrs. Brennan was alone in the house at the time, her husband, Jack Brennan being employed as a teamster at the Glendale Sugar Factory. Mrs. Brennan had been ill for a year and it is though that despondency over her illness was the chief cause of the deed. The body of the woman was discovered about noon yesterday by John Buckley, a teamster who lives next door. Buckley has been in the habit of taking care of Mrs. Bennan's cow. When Mrs. Brenan did not appear at the Buckley home yesterday morning to get the milk, as was her custom, Mr. and Mrs. Buckley went over to investigate. They found the doors locked and the shades drawn. By lifting a screen, Buckley got into the house and found Mrs. Brennan lying dead in bed with the quilt dawn up close about her. He notified the police station. Officer McGarr responded and called up Coroner Johnstone who impaneled a jury to view the body. The revolver was found close to the woman's right hand. It contained four cartridges, one of which had been exploded. Dr. Wylie made an examination and found that the bullet had passed completely through the woman's body and lodged in the mattress beneath. The inquest will be held today at 9 am. Mr. and Mrs. Brennan are well known in Phoenix, having lived here many years. For a long time, Brennan was employed by John T. Dunlap, but of late has been working at Glendale. The Brennan Inquest Feb. 5, 1909 The coroner's jury in the case of the death of Mrs. Jack Brennan, yesterday found a verdict of suicide, the conditions not being materially different from the previously published accounts. Mr. Brennan said his wife's name was Jenette and that she had been ill about seven years. The letter heretofore mentioned was a very brief one and there as little that was not read through the envelope. It was addressed as follows: "Mr. Jack Brennan in care of Buckley, please hand this to Jack, my husband." Within was a small slip of paper from a memo pad of the Mutual Life Insurance Co. and on it was written only "I killed myself to get out of misery. Mrs. Brennan." Then she had added below the signature, "going the river to drowned." **************************************************** LEO BRIZZEE November 9, 1909 Leo Brizzee died Sunday evening about eight o'clock at the home of his mother, Mrs. Ann Brizzee. He was taken ill Thursday night with what appeared to an attack of la grippe, and on Friday was reported doing nicely. On Saturday he commenced to grow worse and Sunday evening he died. He had been sleeping and the family had left the room, leaving Willie Kimball, a close friend, watching. Mr. Kimball noticed he was changing and called to the relatives but before they could get to the room he was gone. He was the youngest son of the family, being twenty four years old the first of last August. His father, H.W. Brizzee, died eleven years ago. Besides his mother, he leaves three sisters, Mrs. J.D. Robertson, Mrs. W.H. Newell and Mrs. M.I. Pomeroy and three brothers, Everett, Arthur and Henry. He was well known in the Salt River Valley. He was a loveable character and bore a good reputation among his hosts of friends who are shocked at the sudden taking away of one of the best known young men in the community. The funeral was held from his late residence yesterday afternoon, Bishop J.L. Horn officiating. The remains were followed by a large number of sincere mourners. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/az/statewide/obits/b/brennan132gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/azfiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb