Stocker Suicide - 1897

STOCKER

Posted By: Deb Barker (email)
Date: 6/19/2019 at 19:44:13

Bloomfield Iowa Newspaper, Thursday July 1, 1897.
A very shocking affair occurred near the Albany school house Friday morning. Isaac Stocker took his own life by shooting himself in the forehead with a revolver. He had been in poor health for more than a year and had recently bought a grist mill at Blakesburg, mortgaging his farm for the money to pay for the mill. One week ago Saturday he had a sale and was preparing to move to Blakesburg the day of the suicide. His brother had come to help him move and while breakfast was being prepared Isaac went out of doors and was missing at breakfast time. On searching for him, he was found lying on his back in a fence corner with a bullet hole in his forehead and the revolver still in his hand. He was not dead but unconscious and remained so until he died about 10 o'clock. The revolver he used was an old rusty one he had had since a boy and which he apparently had oiled up for the occasion. One load remained in the weapon. Mr Stocker was about thirty-five years of age and leaves a wife and four small children. He is believed to have been demented.