Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1898 — [?] Was Suicide. [ARTICLE]

[?] Was Suicide.

Y?^W^xK i,ev in a'life I' <H [li'liton liiitv Took ilis Own ■ Life * t , ' HHK mystery of the death of BHKs Kirtley. treasurer of Benton HBs now considered definitely ■BBfd, although there are still HB circainstances that are rather MmKilt to harmonize with the eon-' BKsion that has been reached. ■Mr. Kirtley was found dead on Ke floor of his office in the court House at Fcwler, late Wednesday night. He was first seen by his yonng son, who was held up to the w/ndow to look in, by some men. The office was locked and the keys on the floor. The office safe was open, and some of its papers strewn about the floor. A Toll of pennies was on the floor and one outside the window aS though it had been dropped by a robber. Mr. Kirtley had been shot three times in the head. One bullet was scalp wound. *Another above the right ear, and just penetrating the skull, but said to have sent splinters of bone clear through the brain. The other in the center of the forehead, going clear through the braui.

In the man’s pocket was a piece of blotting paper, rolled around a lead pencil, and on which was written “two men in here.” The c shooting »as done with a new revolver, which was found on the floor. His own revolver, which he had owned a long time, was in his desk. \ All the circumstances seemed to indicate murder for purposes of robbery. But nothing appeared to have been taken, and finally a clue was found which solved the mystery. John E. Bixler, a gun dealer in Lafayette, west of the public square, remembered Having sold a revolver to a very Bnan on Christmas day, whose ' resembled Mr. KirtBixler therefore went gfcyfßkriday aftcnp >■ >n. and BkKirthw as " Booher lb B B B Blr. Bixler’s evB will be “suiB ■ v ’ 1 • B BR. •k ■' B ■ B>g ■ B B B Bih.. ' Bd to giv • hw <lw,lh % ” Bl' i thi- ■ ■ B B ■ II B B Bren instance that ■ Bosed fatal wounds B ! B B Ml -v .■ . B tl ■ scalp wound, and the B" Bi:" . it w;w. ami that ■BBHsh<>• <ii>- in th'' toriIhe only on- whih: in