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Disturbing Details from the Local News

The Magnet Mail, Magnet, Cedar Co., Nebraska.

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August 21, 1913 vol. XII no. 36
Supplement, page "1" col 1

Suicide at Randolph

RANDOLPH TIMES: The dead body of Jay Frederick, aged 19, and son of Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Frederick, was found dead at 6 o'clock Thursday morning by Wm. Duisen and others who were driving to McLean. The body was lying 20 feet north of the road just beyond the point where the road at the end of West Randolph crosses the Burlington track.

The boy was lying on his back, by his side an old shot gun, a little distance away his bicycle and cap. The gun was lying with muzzle toward his head, the shoe was removed from his right foot and from the position of the body and gun the men who viewed the scene concluded that in a moment of despondency had assumed a sitting posture, held the gun muzzle close to his face and with his toe tripped the trigger, falling beck lifeless. The full charge entered the head at the upper lip.

The face was disfigured and swollen so the finders of the boy did not know who it was, until some boys came who knew the wheel and recognized the clothing as that of Jay Frederick, and the parents were notified.

Pierce county officials were notified and arrived in a few hours. After hearing the evidence and examining the body it was decided unnecessary to hold a formal inquest.

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September 4, 1913 vol. 11 no. 38
page "4" cols 1 & 2


RANDOLPH TIMES: Robert Smith of Omaha last Saturday morning fatally shot his wife and then suicided by cutting his throat with a razor.

The wife was a Carroll girl and was known in our sister town as Maude Yaryan. She is 27 years old and has a daughter 2 years old by a former husband. Her mother is Mrs. George Yaryan of Carroll.

Smith was very abusive to his wife and had often threatened to kill her. So unbearable had been his fits of rage that the landlady where they roomed ordered Smith to leave. 21 days previous to the act of the crazed husband the wife left and refused to return this infuriated Smith who repeatedly sought for an interview to talk ti over. He then came to where she was staying and after a few words shot the woman twice then took his own life.

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September 18, 1913 vol. 11 no. 40
page "3" col 2

CROFTON JOURNAL: A man by the name of Biles was badly used up at Constance Sunday morning during what is reported as a row over wages.

It seems that Biles had been employed for some time as a farm hand by John John, a well known Assyrian store keeper at Conaiance, and when he asked for his wages and stated his intention of quiting. John informed him that he was lazy, words followed in which Biles insinuated that John was a direct decendent of the canine family, and as Biles tells it, John didn't attempt to bite him, as one would naturally suppose he would, seized him by his throat with one "paw" and grasped a heavy iron rod used for stirring the fire in the other and proceeded to whale him over the head with it. One ear was cut entirely through, a hole jabbed in the face near the nose, six cuts in his scalp, some of them four inches long and several marks on the throat that looked suspiciously like finger marks were silent reminders that Mr. John was not favorably impressed with his employee's opinion of him.

This all occured about 6 o'clock Sunday morning and Bliss was left alone in the house until about three o'clock when a Hartington physcian was called who dressed his wounds The local physicians were also there and the man will in all probability recover.

John John tells an entirely different story, his version of the affair being that his man came home drunk and fell against a wagon and several other things and that he helped him into the house where he did some more falling which is responsible for his badly battered head. No arrests have been made.

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October 23, 1913 vol. 11 no. 45
page "3" col 3

CEDAR COUNTY NEWS: Charles Wilson, living west of town, had a narrow escape from death one day last week while threshing. He was pitching grain to the separator across a belt. In some manner the fork struck the belt and was hurled with tremendous force striking Wilson, tines foremost in the back. The tines were driven into his back clear up to the handle.

the fork was withdrawn and Dr. Dorsey was sent for. He found that one tine had just missed Wilson's heart, but that the wound was not necessarily dangerous. A lung had been pierced, but that was not necessarily serious. The patient is still weak from the wound and shock, but is recovering rapidly.

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January 1, 1914 vol. 12 no. 3
page "1" col 5


Commits Suicide

RANDOLPH TIMES: Wednesday evening the dead body of John Bauman was found in the road west of McLean near the farm of ?? Marsh. A man named Hewitt made the gruesome find. The dead man's team was tied to the fence, but the body was in the road. By the side of the body was a razor, with which it was evident, the unfortunate man had ended his life as his throat was cut deeply, partly severing the neck.

The Pierce county authorities held an inquest at McLean Thursday at 9 o'clock, the verdict being death by suicide and no cause for the act was brought out at the hearing.

Mr. Burman was a man that would be the last to take his own life is the opinion of his neighbors and friends. He came here from Iowa 4 or 5 years ago, buying the farm a mile east and four north where he lived. Last summer he bought a farm near Osmond at $75 an acre, and some seem to think that he worried over this last deal. He was about 25 years old and leaves a wife but no children.

On the day of his death Mr. Burman started from home for Randolph on business, but he did not stop here. Barney Leiting saw him pass his place about noon going west. As his body was found on the Osmond road it is evident he had started for that place. His wife was worried over his long absence and walked to town to find him. The news of his death was a terrible shock to her.

The funeral will probably be held Friday.

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