Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1908 — MURDER AND SUICIDE AT HILLISBURG SUNDAY [ARTICLE]

MURDER AND SUICIDE AT HILLISBURG SUNDAY

Clarence Jones, a Young Storekeeper, Entertains Friends at Cards and Liquor, and Then Commits Murder and Suicide.

Hillisburg is a little village nine miles east of Frankfort, arid It was the scene of a terrible double tragedy Sunday morning. Clarence Jones, a young store ke?per, who had entertained se; eral friends at his store all Saturday night, th* time benig spent drinking and playing cards, killed Claud Pruitt and then committed suicide. Jones was a married man and had two children. He had two cases of beer shipped to him Saturday and during the day invited several young men, some married and some single. The store was closed about Ift o’clock Saturday night and the men began to drink at once. They had a spread of beer, crackers, cheese, olives, etc., and all drank a great deal. Later they played seven-up and then poker. According to the testimony of all who participated in the orgy there was no dispute among the participants of the card playing, and finally at about thre o’clock the game broke up and all were getting ready to start for their homes, most of them living in the country near by. All but one of the boyp was quite under the influence of liquor. The four others who were present when the shooting occurred saw Jones have bis hand on his hip pocket and heard Pruitt say, “If you pull your gun, I’ll make you eat it” There had been no quarrel and all Uiought that Jones and Pruitt were just parleying in a friendly manner.

but quick as a flash t|.ey heard a shot ring out and saw Pruitt fall arid all started for the back door of the store which was open. One of the young men, the one least intoxicated ran back to see what he could do for Pruitt and he saw Jones leave the store. He ran to the rear door and called for help and the other boys came back, and John Pruitt, a brother of Claud ran for a doctor, but Claud was quite dead, having been shot through the head over the left eye. It was thought that Jones had made his escape, and telephone messages were sent to cities in all directions to be on the outlook for him. Shortly after 4 o’clock, however, the 1 dead body of Jones was found in the rear of his store. He had shot himself through the head, placing the muzzle of the revolver at his temple. From all that was brought out at the coronor’s inquest held Monday ' there was no reason for the crime other than the fact that Jones was intoxicated. He had always been a close personal friend of Pruitt, and he was ■ a jovial and kindly and even-dlspo- ' sitioned man. The funerals, of both Jones and Pruitt were held Monday afternoon, Jones’ being conducted at the M. E. church at Hillisburg and Pruitt’s being held at the-St. Paul’s church in the country near by. It is another tragedy at the door of the brewery Interests of the country.