Obit of J. L. BUTTERTFIELD (d.1893), Sibley Co., MN

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Sibley County Enterprise
Thursday 3 January 1893

Hung Himself
J. L. Butterfield, an Old Resident of
New Auburn, Commits Suicide
by Hanging Himself
Despondency the Cause
     J. L. Butterfield, an old farmer, living about three 
miles from the village of New Auburn, committed suicide by 
hanging himself to a ladder upstairs in his house.  The
last seen of him alive was Friday afternoon, Dec. 20.  
Saturday afternoon neighbors went to his place and found him 
dead.  He was hanging to the rungs of the ladder laid across 
the entrance to the garret, and the act was evidently 
premeditated and deliberately executed.  The rope was a bran' 
new one and had a nice loop braided in the end.  It seems 
that after putting the rope around his neck with the noose 
under his ear, he twisted it around a couple of rungs in the 
ladder and then took the other end in his hand, turning it 
around once to make his hod secure.  These preliminares 
completed, he sank down, throwing his whole weight on the 
rope and slowly strangled himself.  Coroner Kelley was 
notified, but being unable to attend, he deputized Dr. Bushey, 
of this place, who proceeded to the scene of the tragedy Sunday 
and held an inquest that night, the jury bringing in a verdict 
to the effect that he died by his own hand.  Family troubles 
seem to have made him despondent and is no doubt the cause 
of the dreadful act.  His wife left him about three years ago 
and has since been living in Minneapolis with her two children.  
Deceased was about 60 years of age and fairly well off, having 
sold his farm a few days before his death, for some $3500, 
which amount was found on his person.
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