John Frazier-Suicide-1876

FRAZIER, SOETJE, CARLISLE

Posted By: cheryl Locher moonen (email)
Date: 5/8/2020 at 18:56:54

Cascade Pioneer, Published in Cascade, Iowa, Friday, July 21st, 1876

SUICIDE

An Old and Respected Citizen of Jones County
Commits Suicide by Taking Poison

On Tuesday evening of the present week, John Frazier, one of the wealthiest citizens of Jones County, who resides two miles east of Blue Cut, committed suicide by taking poison.

Tuesday morning he went to Monticello and purchased a considerable quantity of arsenic and an ounce of laudanum at Theo Soetje’s Drug Store.

On Frazier’s return, he entered the kitchen after supper and asked for a cup, which was given by a member of the family, and he then retuned to his chamber. He returned to the kitchen in a short time with the cup in his hand. The rim of the vessel being covered with flakes of a grayish white powder, he was asked what it was, and he replied that it was “nothing,” and took the cup into the yard and smashed it upon a rock, and went back to his chamber, where he laid down upon his bed and soon began to be sick.

Mr. Frazier had long appeared to be ailing in mind and body, and the member of his family hearing his groans and suspecting from his mysterious movements that there was something seriously wrong, sent a messenger to Center Junction to summon Dr. Carlisle. The doctor being sick himself could not come, but sent a purgative for Mr. Frazier to take. When the messenger retuned late in the night, Frazier was retching and in great agony, and he was immediately dispatched to Anamosa to obtain the services of a physician there, who arrived at Frazier’s residence about nine o’clock Wednesday morning. It was too late however to do anything, for Frazier died at ten o’clock that same day.

It was found that Frazier had not only taken a large portion of arsenic, but after taking it had drained off an ounce bottle of laudanum, probably for the purpose of killing the acute effects of the poison.

Deceased was the owner of one of the finest farms in Jones County, embracing a track of nearly 500 acres of rich land, all under cultivation. He was in his fifty-fourth year, a widower, and leaves three children.

It was supposed that his mind had become deranged on account of financial troubles. Last spring he sold a large herd of beef cattle at a disadvantage, and more recently lost heavenly on a sale of whet, some two thousand bushels of which had been damaged by the damp weather and he was compelled to dispose of it at 39 cents per bushel.