Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....McDowell, George 1917
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net August 3, 2019, 6:29 am

Ionia Daily Standard, 8 & 9 Aug 1917

Despondent Aged Man A Suicide
George McDowell Shot and Killed Himself Wednesday At Home Of Son.

Geo. McDowell, aged 63 years, was found dead this morning at 5 o’clock in his bed,
having committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver at the home of his son,
Major McDowell, East Main street, with whom he has made his home for several
months.

The old man retired as usual Tuesday evening and at 9 o’clock his daughter-in-law,
Mrs. McDowell and one of her daughters, who were sitting on the porch, heard a noise
. . . [unreadable lines] . . . morning about five o’clock Mrs. McDowell went
upstairs, thinking she had heard a noise in her daughter’s room and while upstairs
asked Mr. McDowell to see if his father was all right.

Mr. McDowell found his father lying across the bed, undressed, his arm hanging over
one edge, and the revolver on the floor where it had dropped.  The magazine of the
revolver showed that three shots had been fired.  The first cartridge had not
exploded; the second had entered his breast near his heart; and the third had
entered his right temple, accomplishing his fatal purpose and probably killing him
instantly.  The shot passed through his head and lodged in his left temple.

The state of the congealed blood from the wound in his temple showed that death had
occurred about eight hours before the time he was found, the sound heard the evening
before probably having been the shots he fired.  His shirt around the bullet hole in
his chest showed that the revolver had been fired at a very close range, muffling
the sound, as the windows of the room were open and none of the neighbors had heard
the shots.

Sheriff Lowrey and Coroner Boynton were immediately called, the latter impanneling a
jury – Frank Stevens, Fred Van Leuven, Walter Franks, S.L. Terry, Wm Horrocks, Wm.
Erridge.  If an inquest is decided on, it will be held Saturday, although it will
probably not be held, as the case is plainly suicide.  The deceased man had told
several persons the day before that that was his last day, and had been very
despondent all day.  He had been in poor health for a long time, and was despondent
over family matters.

Besides the son with whom he lived, he is survived by a daughter about three years
old by a second marriage.  He left a note on the bureau saying that a certain ring
on his watch chain should be given to this child.

------------

Funeral services for Geo. McDowell will be held at Bradley’s mortuary Friday
afternoon at 2:30, Rev. E.E. Branch officiating.  Interment will be in Highland
Park.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/m/mcdowell9773gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/

File size: 3.1 Kb