Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa Thursday, February 8, 1912 NEWTON JUDD, one of the wealthiest and most prominent farmers of the county, committed suicide by hanging at his home southeast of Garden Grove Monday morning, the body being discovered by his son, FRED JUDD, shortly after 10 o clock. Mr. JUDD had been suffering mentally for many years and had twice been sent to an asylum for treatment. At times he was seized with fits of despondency and it had been feared that he would do himself harm while suffering under the influence of one of those periods of aberation. During the past year he had been more cheerful than for a long time but recently, some five or six weeks ago, he became despondent and seemed constantly to worry fearing his family would be impoverished. A close watch had been kept upon him by the members of his family but on this particular morning he eluded them and ended his life. FRED JUDD, the son, who is in charge of the farm, has been in the habit of hauling in fodder from the fields each morning to feed the stock and generally was accompanied by his father. Monday morning he prepared to go to the field and asked his father if he intended going with him. Mr. JUDD made some commonplace remark and said that he would not go this time. The son drove on to the field and while there decided that there had been something unusual in the conduct of his parent, so he quickly completed loading the fodder and drove back to the barn with all haste. He went to the residence on the west side of the road where he left the team and hurried across to the hay barn on the east side of the road. As he passed into the barn he discovered the body of his father hanging from one of the beams of the barn. Some neighbors among them Kale Browning, Clarence Bartlett and one of the Dodd boys, were passing and were summoned by the grief stricken son. The body was taken down and carried to the house. It seems that directly after the departure of his son for the field, Mr. JUDD had made his way to a beam some sixteen feet above the floor of the barn where he had attached a rope, then fastened one end about his neck, fastened his arms with hay baling wire and then slipped from the beam. When discovered he was hanging with his feet several feet from the barn floor. He had been dead but a short time. The authorities were notified but an inquest was not considered necessary. The funeral occurred Wednesday morning from the home. The bereaved family have the sincere sympathy of all in this sad hour. About forty-five years ago while digging a well on the farm near Garden Grove a bucket fell from the top of the well down upon him striking upon his head and shoulders. His mental troubles began to appear some years following that accident. Two weeks ago he was in Leon and while here purchased a revolver at the Wm. Crichon & Son hardware store. His son became aware that he had the gun in his possession and Mr. JUDD's brother, OSCAR JUDD, was summoned from Davis City. He succeeded in getting the revolver away from him. On the morning of the suicide Mr. JUDD had been chopping wood near the barn having lately been giving quite a little of his time to that work. Mr. JUDD was a close friend of A.M. Pryor, of Leon, who at numerous times has assisted in rescuing Mr. JUDD from a period of despondency. Mr. JUDD had been taken by Mr. Pryor to his home in this city, at various times where he had visited for several days at a time. Mr. JUDD was the owner of much valuable land and is known to be a wealthy man. His affairs have always been in the best of condition. Only Mrs. JUDD and their son, FRED, were at the home at the time of the death. OBITUARY to follow..... ------------------------------------------------------ Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 29, 2009 [email protected]