Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Post, Jay O. 1933
************************************************
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 June 24, 2011, 12:03 pm

Ionia County News, 18 May 1933

Failing Eyesight Causes Suicide of Guard at Prison

Jay O. Post, 74, Shoots Self With Service Revolver

Jay O. Post, 74, a gateman at Michigan Reformatory and for 39 years an employee 
at the institution, was buried at funeral services held Monday afternoon.  

He took his life Saturday morning when he shot himself thru the right temple 
with his .32 calibre revolver.

It was the third fatality to occur on successive Saturdays in the vicinity of 
the city.

Post killed himself in the kitchen of his home on West Main street.  The house 
is only a few hundred feet from the Reformatory in which he had worked so many 
years.

He was alone at the time he took his life, his wife having gone downtown to do 
some shopping.  He was despondent over failing eyesight and had been given a 
leave of absence from his duties two days previously.

Deputy Robert Kelly and Dr. J. J. McCann, coroner, who investigated Post’s 
death, established it as having taken place shortly after 10:15 a.m.  At that 
time Mrs. John Inman, a friend of the family residing on Wall street, about two 
blocks away, stopped at the house briefly to inquire about Mr. Post’s 
condition.  Some minutes after she had left, neighbors heard a report that 
sounded like a revolver shot but as it was muffled they were uncertain that it 
was and failed to investigate.

About half an hour later Mrs. Post returned, accompanied by William Kimball, a 
neighbor, who had driven her downtown.  They found Post on the kitchen floor 
with the revolver he had used on duty at the prison in his lifeless hand.  Dr. 
V. H. Kitson who was summoned and reached the house shortly after 10:45 said 
Post had been dead about half an hour.

Coroner McCann and Deputy Kelly who were then called decided the motive of 
suicide was self evident and that there was not need for an inquest.  They 
found that Post in placing the revolver to his head had stood before a mirror 
in order to aim the shot better.  The bullet passed completely thru his head 
and was found on the floor near his body by Kimball.

The funeral services Monday afternoon were conducted from the home and were in 
charge of Dr. Paul L. Stewart; pastor of the Church of Christ.  Burial was in 
Highland park cemetery.  The pallbearers were John Inman, George Dye, Frank 
Baker, William Marquette, William Kimball and O. D. Graham.  The services were 
attended by members of the Ionia lodge of the Odd Fellows of which Mr. Post was 
a member.

Post was born in Orleans township.  He worked a time at the Ionia State 
hospital before being employed at the Reformatory.  His last years at the 
prison were spent as an attendant at the front gate in the institution.  He was 
one of the four oldest employees in length of service at the Reformatory.

His death followed that the previous Saturday of Clinton Burris, 79, of Ionia 
township who also committed suicide.  The other fatality which occurred on the 
Saturday before that was the drowning in Grand River of Coral Johnson, of Ionia 
township.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/p/post13730nob.txt

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

File size: 3.6 Kb