Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1912 — FINANCIAL TROUBLES CAUSE MAN’S SUICIDE. [ARTICLE]

FINANCIAL TROUBLES CAUSE MAN’S SUICIDE.

Horace Gilbert, of West Carpenter, Drank Carbolic Acid When Officer Came to Get Mortgaged Stock. A sad suicide accurred shortly before noon this Saturday morning in West Carpenter‘township when Horace Gilbert, 45 years of age, father of six young children, killed himself by drinking a vial of carbolic acid. Gilbert committed the deed at his home on the Peter Buck farm, 3 miles east and 1% miles north of Goodland. W. R. Shesler, of Rensselaer, was at the farm when the deed was committed and Attorney W. H. Parkison arrived there soon after. Financial difficulties doubtless caused Gilbert to end his life. The story of his transactions is a sad one. Gilbert was a poor man and lived about on different farms in the neighborhood of Remington and Goodland. Last year he lived on the Eckhart farm near Remington and last spring he moved to the Buck farm. He was always mortgaged to the limit and each crop he raised was sold in advance and money borrowed on it early in the year. Last year he borrowed $l6O of J. L. Brady, giving a mortgage on his corn and also on his cows and horses. He sold the corn to a dealer named Murray at Goodland and claims that the horses died. He was criminally liable for having disposed of the mortgaged corn but there was no disposition to invoke the criminal laws. He seemed willing to have the cows taken and their value applied to the mortgage and promised several times to bring the cows in. He failed to do this and Thursday told Attorney Dunlap to send out for them. Constable W. S. Parks was to go but he was busy and deputized W. R. Shesler, who went there this morning. Gilbert was not at home and had not told his wife that the cows were to be taken away. She refused to allow them to go and sent one of the children for Gilbert, who was working with a thrashing gang not far away. He came to the farm and just as he reached the gate in the yard Mr. Shesler saw that Gilbert was staggering. He first thought that he was intoxicated and asked Mrs. Gilbert if he drank. She said that he did not and both went to the place where he had fallen, just outside the yard. He was almost dead at the time and expired there in the road. Mr. Parkinson came along a little bit later and gave what assistance he could to the distracted wife and children. Gilbert formerly lived in Illinois and is believed to have no relatives in this- county. He has a brother at Watseka, whom he claims is quite well-to-do. , He was at Watseka a few days ago ahd appealed to his brother for aid but was refused. He claimed that he was interested in a small estate and that his brother probably owed him something in settlement Coroner Wright went to the Gilbert home this afternoon to investigate the death. “Apparenly the wife and children, which range in age from a boy of 15 down to a babe in arms, are Entirely destitute.