Obituary - Lincoln Evening Courier, 10 March 1925 FARMER POISON VICTIM ROY BUCKLES GOT FATAL POWDER HERE Worried By Ill Health and Financial Reverses, Coroner Told THREATENED SUICIDE One month ago today Roy R. Buckles, Mt. Pulaski farmer, purchased a package of strychnine in Lincoln. Early this morning he died in convulsions, the evident victim of strychnine poisoning, according to the agreed testimony of two doctors. In the absence of definite information, however, as to the taking of the poison, the inquest, held at the home this morning, was adjourned and left open for a day or two. Buckles had been in extremely ill health, and had furthermore been worried by financial reverses. Several times he had threatened to take his own life. Each time his wife had talked him out of the suicide notion. Only last evening Buckles told his wife: "It's all right, don't worry, tomorrow I will not be here." It remained for the Courier, however, to ascertain from whence came the poison that Buckles apparently swallowed. Records kept by Frank Pfau Jr., Lincoln druggist, show that on Jan. 10 last, Roy Buckles of Mt. Pulaski bought a 35 cent package of strychnine at the Pfau drug store, declaring that he wanted it for killing rats on the farm. The information was found this afternoon in the "poison book" at the drug store where a record is kept, according to law, of all persons buying poison. Two years ago Buckles had an attack of acute appendicitis and had suffered severely. He had consulted many doctors in Mt. Pulaski, Lincoln, Springfield, and Decatur, and was greatly worried over his health. Finances, too, caused Buckles anxiety. He formerly owned a farm of 160 acres, left to him by his father, Elias Buckles, and grandfather, John Buckles. He had disposed of 80 acres, and the rest was said to be entailed. Last Oct. 1, Mayer Bros. of Mt. Pulaski took judgment on a note for $1152. At a sheriff's sale, a tractor and one or two articles of farm machinery, not under chattel mortgage, were sold for $178 and the amount applied on the judgment. Several times since, Buckles has been at the sheriff's office to confer regarding his difficulties, and seemed worried. Most of yesterday he spent in Mt. Pulaski with his uncle, Lee Buckles. The latter took him to the Scroggin bank and helped him straighten out a financial matter. After this, Roy Buckles seemed in better spirit, his wife said. On the way home, however, he told his wife he intended to kill himself, she said. He had often said the same thing, and she had persuaded him not to, the widow said. Buckles did his chores as usual, and after supper complained of a headache. He retired at 7:30 after Mrs. Buckles had heard him getting a drink of water in the kitchen. She also heard him rattling a paper in the kitchen at the same time, but thought he was preparing to smoke. At 8 o'clock, when Mrs. Buckles went to bed, her husband complained that he felt sick. He did not want a doctor, he said, but she called Dr. C. E. Hildreth. The latter gave a restorative to relieve apparent pain. At 2 a.m. Buckles became worse and the family doctor, Dr. G. S. Connolly, was called. Buckles was in convulsions, and Dr. Connolly immediately diagnosed the malady as strychnine poisoning because of the decided symptoms. At 4 o'clock Mr. Buckles passed away. Mrs. Hettie Martin Sheets, deputy coroner, was called this morning and impaneled a jury to open the inquest, held at the Buckles home. The widow, the two physicians, and Charles Waddell, who works on the farm, were called as witnesses. Dr. Hildreth agreed with Dr. Connolly that death was apparently caused by strychnine poisoning. No package, however, was found. Mr. Buckles, recalling hearing her husband rustling a paper while he was getting a drink of water at bedtime, looked about the kitchen. She saw the corner of a piece of white wrapping paper sticking out from under a stove lid. Apparently it had been dropped into the stove by Mr. Buckles. But when she lifted the lid, the unburned corner dropped into the fire. Mrs. Sheets adjourned the inquest, planning to conclude it within the next day or two after inquiries had been made at all drug stores in Logan County relative to poison sales. Those on the coroner's jury were George Suedmeier, foreman; Frank Rentschler, John Leischer, John Bowles, Byron Scroggin, and Ward Harper. Roy Ray Buckles was born south of Mt. Pulaski, June 23, 1886, son of Elias and Elizabeth Dyer Buckles. He was married to Miss Jennie Erlenbusch Dec. 20, 1906 at Mt. Pulaski. Surviving are the father, residing at Decatur; the widow, Mrs. Jennie Buckles; two sons, Ralph and Roy Jr., at home; and the following brothers and sisters: Cecil, Harry, Hubert, and Frank Buckles, Mrs. Oscar Mayer, Mrs. Thomas Rothwell, and Mrs. George Litterly. Mr. Buckles was a member of the Woodsmen Lodge of Lake Fork. Funeral services will be held at the Christian church in Mt. Pulaski at 1 o'clock Thursday afternoon, with burial in Carlyle Cemetery, Lake Fork.