Cherokee County GaArchives Obituaries.....Lively, Bartholomew March 10, 1883
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Meredith Clapper http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002801 October 31, 2017, 4:41 pm

The Cherokee Advance 17 Mar 1883 p 2
Suicide In Cherokee

B. Lively 63 years of age hangs himself on Saturday morning March 10th.  For
some time his mind had been wrong.  He wrote and left a letter which we copy,
together with the evidence before the jury, also the verdict.  He lived near
Macedonia, about 10 miles from Cantyn, (sic) in this county.  He had been
Justice of the peace for many years and a mason in good standing.  He left three
children, one grown daughter Miss Ann, youngest child about 12 years old.  His
wife has been dead several years.  The trial explains all that can be known of
the cause. 

Evidence of Miss Ann Lively.
She says--That her father, B. Lively, rose in the morning about 4 o'clock,
walked out, drew a bucket of water, sat down and smoked.  Then went out again,
it being some time that he was out, witness went to hunt him, found him in in
(sic) the corn crib, apparently kneeling and she thought he was at prayer, as
his usual habit.  But he remaining so still, she approached him and found he was
hanging by the neck dead, with a rope round his neck and over a beam.  She don't
think any one killed him. 

Evidence of Robt. Holbrook.
He says--I found B. Lively hanging by the neck in the corn crib, I believe he
caused his own death by his own act.

Verdict of Jury.
We the jury find thbat (sic) B. Lively came to his death by suicide, hanging
himself with a rope.
W. I. Christian Foreman.
J. W. Rhodes,
A. J. Pursell,
O. W. Gaddis,
J. A. Wright,
W. T. Kirk Coroner.
March 10th 1883.

Letter Left.
Mr. Lively left the following which was written several days before the final act.

"God bless my children, may God take care of them and preserve them I can do
nothing more for them, my course is run and I am undone.  May God have mercy on
my soul l (sic) I have committed many sins,  some through ignorance and some
wilfully, (sic) and no doubt crimes are imputed to me.  I am not guilty of; that
is my presentiment at this time and hangs over me like an Ignis Fatuus. 
I am in terror all the time, my mind is strained all the time till reason is
nearly destroyed.

I am sitting here in the world in perfect terror, all abased.  O ! thou giver of
good, take my children in thy care and keep them, let not my sins rest on them.
 I wish to forgive everybody for every wrong done me under the bluff, no relief
of mental agony no hope of relief!  Ann has been a good girl, I want her to keep
the three children together.  They all love her, and I want the children to be
good to her and mind her.  She has been a mother to them.

And may God pour his richest blessings on them, to try to be good and get to
Heaven at last.

To begin when young and hold out to the end.  I want every child I have to get
there, for the other place is awful to think of.  To those who have been friends
to me, I feel grateful.  To those who are enemis (sic) I forgive and beg pardon
for any wrong done them.

I would like to say more, but let my name be forgotten as soon as possible and
let the grave cover up my many sins that I have committed.  Into they hand do I
commit my soul Oh! merciful God. 

                                   B. Lively.

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