The Shelby Democrat
Thursday, November 5, 1904
Page 3, column 2
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ANOTHER MAN KILLS HIMSELF
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John Ferrier Shifts Off This Mortal Coil
By Shot Gun Route
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Because he was tired of this life and being mentally unbalanced on account of financial troubles,
John Ferrier, aged fifty years, took his life by means of the shot gun route, Thursday evening on the
Spiegal farm about a mile and a half south of this city.
Mr. Ferrier was a son of William P.
Ferrier, who lives at 137 West Jackson street, this city, and had gone out to the Spiegal farm on Monday last to spend a few days with
Anderson Hughes who resides there. Thursday afternoon about 3 o'clock he left the home of Mr. Hughes and taking the latter's gun said he was going to hunt during the remainder of the afternoon.
When he failed to return in the evening Mr. Hughes became uneasy and came to this city to see if he had come to his home here.
Failing to find him here, in company with the dead man's brother, George
Ferrier, his son, Charles Ferrier and James Brown, went in search of him.
They scoured the fields near the house of Mr. Hughes and his body was first seen by his brother, George, about 8 o'clock.
He was cold in death and was lying in a fence corner, his head blown almost entirely from his body.
He had fastened an ordinary twine string to the trigger of the gun, which was a single barreled shot gun, No. 12 gauge, and tied the string to his left ankle, placed the end of the barrel at the right band side of his nose and fired.
This is the belief of those who viewed the remains at the time.
Coroner Ray was notified and went to the scene immediately, viewed the remains and will bold an inquest at an early date.
The dead man as stated above was the son of William P. Ferrier, who lived for several years on the
S. M. Thompson farm south of the city. He was a widower and leaves three children, one boy, Charles aged 20, two girls,
May aged 18, Nora, age 16. He leaves besides these children and his father, two brothers, George, of this city, and
William T., of Indianapolis, and three sisters, Mrs. Alice Law, of Tipton,
Miss Emma Ferrier, and Mrs. Belle Madden, of Indianapolis.
His family stated this morning that he had been somewhat mentally deranged over being out of work for the past three months, over financial matters although he seemed bright of late, it is thought by some that he was a little off over religious matters.
He had been out of work for three months or more, having last worked for a man by the name of
Odell on a farm northwest of the city. He left no message of any kind to explain his act but the following note presumably to some brother in the church was found on his body:
"Dear Brother - I thank you for the word you sent me.
I am glad you feel an interest in my welfare. I am sorry to say so but I have to say that I don't feel like the people would have any confidence in me.
I will write to you again. I can't get my mind in shape to write what I want to now.
John F."
He was a member of the Methodist Protestant church and the funeral services were conducted at the Vine Street Chapel Saturday at 12:30 o'clock by Rev. Solomon Stainbrook and the interment was in the Miller Cemetery in charge of Edwards & Hageman to whose undertaking establishment the body was brought late Thursday evening.
Submitted by Barb Huff
The Shelby Democrat
Thursday, April 3, 1892
Page 3, column 3
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Mary A., wife of
Wm. P. Ferrier, died at the family residence near Marietta on Sunday, February 28, of
la grippe. Deceased was in her 60th year. Funeral from Marietta M.P. church at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 1st. Hageman & Pile, funeral directors.
Submitted by Barb Huff
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