Woodson County KS Archives News.....Maxson, Ralph L. Flings Self to Death June 2, 1922 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 July 23, 2020, 5:05 am Austin American-Statesman Friday Pg 1 June 2, 1922 SLUGS HOSPITAL GUARD; FLINGS SELF TO DEATH R. L. Maxson of Beaumont, Who Slew His Son Last Saturday Stages Spectacular Suicide. KNOCKS DOWN NURSES Fights Way to Fourth Floor and Plunges Headlong to the Pavement. by Associated Press BEAUMONT, Texas, June 2.--Charged with the murcher of his 16-year-old son last Saturday night, and suffering from self-inflicted wounds in his neck, R L. Maxson, under guard on the fourth floor of a local hospital, knocked his guard, J. J. Powers, in the head with a water bottle, overpowered and disarmed him, fought away two nurses who sought to help the guard, and leaped to his death from the fourth floor porch adjoining his room at 2:45 o'clock Friday morning. Maxson died shortly after he had been treated for a dislocated hip received in the fall and after he had put up another fight with Police Officer George White when the latter started to leave and had given his revolver to the nurse for her protection. Maxson had quarreled with his wife, after being separeted from her two days, and went to the family home on North street after mid- night Saturday, where he cut the throat of his 16-year-old son. He then hid in a ward- robe until the boy was carried away. He then stepped out and cut his own throat, but did not inflict a fatal wound. He was closely guarded night and day in the hospital. As the guard sat beside his bed at 2:45 o'clock this morning Maxson rose up, apparently to get water, and struck the guard over the head with the water bottle. The two clinched; Maxson disarmed the guard, whose revolver failed to fire because it had become unloaded in the scuffle. He struck two nurses, who tried to intercept him, plunged through the screen window of the room to the porch and then jumped off the porch to the ground. Policeman White and Riley, having arrived from the central station, found him with a dislocated hip. As physicians put his hip in place Maxson said, "I am ready to die." He died a few minutes later. Additional Comments: Ralph Lee Maxson Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 Name: Ralph Lee Maxson Event Type: Death Event Date: 02 Jun 1922 Event Place: Beaumont, Jefferson, Texas US Gender: Male Age: 48 Marital Status: Married Birth Year (Estimated): 1874 Birthplace: , Kansas Father's Name: D W Maxson Occupation: Auto Mechanic Cause of Death: Internal injury caused by jumping from 4th floor of hospital (Suicide) Record Number: 17886 Lorain Ralph Maxson Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 Name: Lorain Ralph Maxson Event Type: Death Event Date: 28 May 1922 Event Place: Beaumont, Jefferson, Texas US Gender: Male Age: 16 Marital Status: Single school pupil Birth Date: 22 Aug 1906 Birth Year (Estimated): 1906 Birthplace: Gates Casites, Kansas [Yates Center] Father's Name: R E Maxson birthplace: Coyville?KS Mother's Name: Lyla Burk [Buck] birthplace: Nashville, TN Cause of Death: Murder, throat cut Record Number: 14961 Fort Worth Star-Telegram Tue May 30, 1922 pg 1 FATHER CONFESSES TO SLAYING BOY BEAUMONT, May 30.--"I hid in the room after killing Loraine, then after they had taken his body away I cut my own throat with the same razor. Oh, let me die." R. L. Maxson, who slew his 16 year-old son, Loraine, as he slept in his mother's bed in the family home here Saturday night, made this statement to police and hospital attendants yesterday. Mrs. Maxson recently brought proceeding for divorce and was granted an injunction to prevent Maxson selling furniture from the family home. Maxson is expected to recover. He is being closely guarded. Maxson's explanation of the tragedy further revealed that he had determined to kill himself and "take the boy," who was his favorite child, with him to "prevent his mother having him." The Houston Post Mon May 29, 1922 pg 1 BOY DEAD, FATHER SERIOUSLY HURT AND UNDER GUARD Houston Post Special BEAUMONT, Texas, May 28.--Loraine Maxson, 16, is dead, and his father R. L. Maxson, 48, brother of a prominent railroad man at Galveston, is in a serious condition at a local hospital as the result of cutting at the Maxson home at 1083 North Street at 2 o'clock Sunday morning. The tragedy is the result of domestic troubles. Mrs. Maxson had filed suit for divorce against her husband and had applied for an injunction restraining the man from selling the household furniture. Mrs. Maxson had just re- turned home with her son from a party and had retired when Maxson entered the house and demanded $50 for his share of the furniture. Mrs. Maxson refused to give him any money and Maxson seemingly had left the house. Fearing he might return, Mrs. Maxson went into the adjoining room and retired with a young lady roomer. Loraine took his mother's place in her bed. Shortly afterward Maxson returned, entered the dark room where the little fellow lay asleep, slashed his throat and disappeared. The lad died almost instantly. The body had been removed to an undertaking parlor and the police had searched the home for the slayer when Maxson again appeared at the house, entered the very same room and presumably with the same razor made an attempt to take his own life. He fell to the floor unconscious from a deep gas. [sic], in the neck. At the local hospital it was stated that the man would live unless complications set in. No charge as yet has been filed against Maxson, but he is held a prisoner at the hospital and is closely guarded by the police. Officers are not inclined to believe that Maxson cut his son's throat by mistake for his wife, it being learned through friends who talked with the man that Maxson had taken the life of his son in order that he should be with him after death and not with his mother. Funeral services for the boy will be held Monday afternoon. United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Name: Ralph Lee Maxson Event Type: Draft Registration Event Date: 1917-1918 Event Place: Jefferson, Texas, US Event Place (Original): US, Texas, Jefferson County no 1 Gender: Male Birth Date: 9 Jan 1874 Birthplace: Jefferson, Texas, United States Address: 1723 Calder, Beaumont, Jefferson Tex. Wife: Mrs. Lyda A. Maxson Citizenship Place: United States 1920 Beaumont Ward 1, Jefferson, Texas Ralph L Maxon 46 Head KS NY NY Automobile Mechanic Lydia Maxon 44 Wife TN IN Ireland Maurice Maxon 18 Son KS KS TN Loraine Maxon 13 Son KS KS TN 1910 Beaumont Ward 2, Jefferson, Texas Ralph L Maxon 34 KS IN TN Lydia A Maxon 31 TN IN Iowa Maurice L Maxon 8 KS KS TN Loraine R Maxon 3 KS KS TN Margurite M Buck 63 Ireland Irish Irish mother in law own income Lora E Taylor 39 TN IN Ireland sister in law 1900 Toronto, Woodson, KS Maggie M Buck 53 Oct 1846 widow Ireland Ireland Ireland Lyda Maxson 26 Sep 1879 TN IN Ireland daughter Ralph Maxson 25 Jun 1874 KS NY TN son-in-law day laborer Kansas, County Marriage Records, 1811-1911 Name: Lyda Buck Gender: Female Age: 19 Birth Date: abt 1880 Marriage Date: 11 May 1899 Marriage Place: Woodson, Kansas, USA Spouse: R L Maxson Film Number: 001428859 1880 Coyville, Wilson, Kansas Daniel W. Maxson 43 NY NY RI Physician Louisa E. Maxson 41 TN NC NC Edward W. Maxson 16 KS NY TN Franklin L. Maxson 12 KS NY TN Henrietta Maxson 9 KS NY TN Altana Maxson 7 KS NY TN Ralph L. Maxson 5 KS NY TN Lillie A. Maxson 1 KS NY TN 1875 Kansas State Prison Verdigris, Wilson, KS D W Maxson 37 NY Doctor Ed Maxson 11 KS F Maxson 7 KS Ralph Maxson 5/12 KS Louisa E Maxon 35 TN H E Maxson 5 KS Alla Maxson 4 KS 1870 Verdigris, Wilson, KS D W Maxon 34 NY Physician L E Maxon 31 TN W E Maxon 5 KS F M Maxon 3 KS Ettie Maxon 9/12 KS submitter is not related and has no further information File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/woodson/newspapers/maxsonra1369gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 8.4 Kb