Ray County, Missouri Obituaries - Charlie Ford d. May 6, 1884 Source: Richmond Conservator, Richmond, Missouri; May 9, 1884, Front Page The Last Of Earth Charly Ford Shoots Himself Through The Heart A report spread through the city Tuesday morning that Charlie Ford, one of the slayers of Jesse James, had committed suicide at his father's residence, two miles east of the city by shooting himself through the heart. Dr. W.W. Mosby Jr., was summoned to the scene of the tragedy and found that the unfortunate man had shot himself with a heavy revolver through the left breast making a small hole out of which poured the purple life drops and after laying about an hour in an unconscious condition he went to join his victim in the realm of shadows. His parents stated that he got up and eat his breakfast, showed no sign of depression, went up stair to his room and in a short time there-after hearing the report of a pistol they went up and found him laying in bed with his coat off and the blood pouring out of the wound made by the fatal shot. Dr. Gant, Coroner, and other went out, an inquest was held and the particulars as above was incorporated in the following verdict: We, the jury, having been duty sworn, of Ray County, State of Missouri diligently to enquire and a true presentment make in whit manner and by whom Charles Ford, whose dead body was found at the residence of J.T. Ford, two miles east of Richmond, Mo, on the sixth day of May A.D. 1884, came to his death, after having heard the evidence and upon full inquiry concerning the facts and a careful examination of said body do find that the deceased came to his death by a shot from a pistol in his own hand, with suicidal intent. G.W. Turner, Forman G.N. Noding J.W. Warnistad S.G. Clement R.D. Asbury C.W. Brown Slowly but surly the Almighty moves in the affairs of men. We might moralize on this tragic end of a man in the bloom of life, but the pallid corpse gaping wound and lusterless eye out weigh all sermons, the suicide has passed beyond the power of mortals he is before the bar supreme, there let him rest happier far no doubt that at any time since he took part in an act that gave him a wide notoriety. We learn that he had become an habitual opium eater, that he had used an ounce of morphine within the past week and had sent to town for a fresh supply, as he was suffering intense pain from catarrh of the bladder, which combined with a gloomy outlook for the future rendered him morbid, hence he resolved by a bold stroke to end all his troubles, his own hand pointing the shot that sealed his fate, thus soling the supreme problem of four thousand years. Bob Ford came down from Kansas City and the dead man's wife from St. Louis to attend the funeral, and were much affected, his wife fainting and her grief seemed insupportable. The remains were interred in the city cemetery Wednesday, a large number of persons being in attendance, many drawn thither through curiosity. After the funeral Mrs. Chas. Ford and Bob left for their respective homes, and thus ends another chapter in the annuals of the bandits of the border. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Jenna Zunker USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or their legal representative, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------