Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa Thursday, September 21, 1911 GEORGE BENNETT, age fifty-five years, committed suicide by swallowing carbolic acid at an early hour Wednesday morning at the home of T.H. Kelley, near Crown. Soon after he had taken the acid his condition was discovered by Mrs. Kelley, who is his sister, and Dr. C.H. Mitchell and Sheriff J.E. Andrew summoned from Leon. The man was dead, however, before the arrival of the physician. He left four letters, one to Mr. Kelley, one to Mrs. Mollie Bennett, of Oakland, Laclede County, Missouri, and one to Charles Bennett, his son, at McAllister, Logan County, Kansas, and one to another son, Walter Bennett, at the same place. In this letter to Mr. Kelley he stated that domestic trouble had wrecked his home and that he had found married life a failure and that life held nothing further for him. He stated that he was taking carbolic acid and that he would soon be through with this vale of tears. He asked that he be shaved and that a new collar and tie found on the dining room table be placed upon him and that he be buried as he was found. On the back of one of the sheets he had written that he preferred a black tie but that he had none. He also asked that his shoes be left off. The unfortunate man came to the home of Mr.Kelley on Monday, September 11th, and had remained at the home since helping some with the work. He had a fellon on the middle finger of his right hand and was not in condition to do a great deal of hard work. It seems that the deed had been premeditated for days as some of the letters left by him were dated September 14th, and some of them as late as September 18. A bottle that had contained an ounce of fluid extract of balladona, bearing the label of Sampson, the Weldon druggist, found in the pantry, the two ounce bottle that had contained the acid, was found in the kitchen empty. After the arrivel of the physician and an examination it was disclosed that there were severe carbolic acid burns in the mouth and throat. In his letter to Mr. Kelley he stated that nothing was in his pockets that all his belongings had been placed on the table and in a book case. The articles found were a comb, knife, eye glasses and five one dollar bills. Mr. And Mrs. Kelley had been to church at Crown Chapel and upon their return found Mr. Bennett suffering greatly with the fellon upon his finger. They did what they could to relieve his sufferings and then retired. Later on Mrs. Kelley was awakened by groans from the room occupied by her brother and upon going to that apartment found him sitting upon the floor apparently suffering great agony. He had spread a comforter upon the floor and had placed a pillow thereon. Mrs. Kelley ran up to him and asked what was the matter. He only asked her to let him alone. Those were the only words spoken by him after being found. Mrs. Kelley called her husband and neighbors were notified as soon as it was found that he had taken carbolic acid. He expired at five minutes past four o'clock a few minutes after Mrs. Kelley reached his side. Dr. C.H. Mitchell and Sheriff J.E. Andrew had hurried to the Kelley home as quickly as possible but found the man dead upon their arrival there. In addition to the children and his wife to whom letters were left, he has a brother in Des Moines, one at some point in Kansas, and one in Butte, Montana. Relatives have been notified and the funeral arrangements await word from them. It is possible that he will be buried in the cemetery at Smyrna not far from Weldon. It is said that members of his family are buried there. ---------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 14, 2009 [email protected] Definitely a very sad 'vale of tears'..