Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1919 — KILLS TWO SONS AND HIMSELF [ARTICLE]

KILLS TWO SONS AND HIMSELF

I L. O. Potts Commits Horrible Tragedy B t Monticello Early Tuesday. Lenlel Otis Potts, aged about 36 years, a resident of Monticello since last January, arose from his bed about 2:40 o’clock Tuesday morning and, taking a revolver, from a dresser drawer, went into an adjoining room where hlB two little sons by a former marriage, aged 9 and 11 years, lay sleeping, flred a 32-caliber bullet into the head of each and a third into his own brain. Death was 'practically instantaneous in all three cases. The cause for the terrible deed will probably never be known, at least no cause has been found up to this time. He is said to have been in poor health soy several years, due to an accident in which his back had been Injured, and at times was unable to sleep but little during the night, because of suffering great pain. The family had retired as usual about 10 o’clock Monday night and the wife by his second marriage and their 5-year-old daughter were aroused by the shots and missing Po<,ts from' the bed. They found the prostrate forms of the father and sons in the boys’ bedroom adjoining theit own. They Immediately ran to the street, screaming, and neighbors were soon upon the scene. Potts’ first wife died in 1910 at Sharpsburg, 111., and a few years later he was married to his present wife, also of that vicinity. The family consisted of the husband and wife and the three children. At the time of the tragedy he I# said to have owned 600 acres of land near Roselawn, upon which he had intended to move In the near future, most of his life having been spent upon a farm. The bodies were shipped to the former home at Sharpsburg, Hi., Wednesday and burial made there yesterday afternoon.