Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

SUICIDE OR MURDER
J.A. Forsythe Found Dead This Morning
With Gun in Hand

J. L. M. Strange found John A. Forsythe, a prosperous bachelor-farmer, living on the Sebits place seven miles southwest of town, dead in bed this morning. The deceased had a revolver in his hand and a bullet had penetrated his head, entering through the mouth. His shoes were lying on the floor, but the rest of his clothes were all on his body. A coroner’s inquest is being held this after-noon. It is not known whether he met death by suicide or murder. He is quite wealthy, it is said, but it is not thought he had any money on his person. No reasons have been advanced for suicide. He was seen the evening before but was all right, except that he complained of feeling of laudanum. One of the doors to his house was open. – Monday’s Daily.

JOHN A. FORSYTHE SUICIDE

Our citizens were very much surprised Monday of this week, when the announcement was made that John A. Forsythe one of our well known farmers had been found dead. It seemed that one of the neighbors, Mr. Strange, while passing by hailed the house, and getting no response, went in search of Mr. Forsythe and found him lying on the bed, dead with a revolver still in his hand. A coroners inquest was held, and the verdict was that of suicide, as nothing indicated murder or robbery. The bullet, entered the mouth and ranged upward, and death was probably instantaneous. Mr. Forsythe, was reputed well to do, and was generally believed to be an unmarried man; he was a member of the Masonic lodge of this city. He was rather of a nervous excitable nature, easily worried and his death is supposed to be because of his worrying over family troubles. He has a sister, Mrs. Brown at Newkirk, also a nephew and niece in that city and the latter Miss Jennie Brown, has kindly furnished the following information concerning the deceased.
John Alford Forsythe was born in Perry Co., Indiana, a few miles from Troy, Ind. He was about 65 years of old. He was married to Miss Hattie Huston, a cousin of his while living in Indiana. Several children were born and the union seemed in every way a happy one for a great many years. He afterwards moved to California followed by his family where he was engaged in the railroad business; thence to Oregon but remaining only a short time there, he settled in Nebraska on a half section of land. He came to Blackwell a little over two years ago and made the remark to Mr. Kyger, the undertaker, only a short time ago that he wanted to be buried in this county for he liked it and wanted to be buried by the Masonic Lodge.
He was related to President Pierce on his mother’s side. He was a man of great energy and sterling integrity and of no bad habits. He neither used tobacco or alcohol in any form. Captain Hamilton of Blackwell was an old school mate of his in Indiana. He has a brother and a half sister in Indiana. Mrs. Mary J. Brown of Newkirk is an own sister of his and he is an uncle of D. W. Brown and Jennie Brown of Newkirk. He leaves a wife and three children in Nebraska. His children are all married but one son. He was an independent high spirited man and a staunch republican and if he really suicided, it was on account of his family troubles for as the old adage says – “Worry kills more than work.” His isolation from his family in his old age possibly was more than he could bear. Alas, when we have our loved ones with us we do not appreciate them as we would, but when death takes them away then we shed tears over their remains and they see and hear it not, and if more kindness and appreciation were shown our loved ones in life many a heart would not be broken and many a life would not go out before the time for God to take it. Tis better to give them the flowers while living and not wait to scatter them over the bier.
JENNIE BROWN

W.H. Forsythe, R.T. Dowis and H.C. Harwiger of Nebraska who arrived late Wednesday to attend the interment of their deceased father and father-in-law, J.A. Forsythe, will remain in this locality awhile to settle up the estate and perhaps dispose of all the deceased’s interests here.