Jerry David Alsup
Samuel and wife Mary lived on the farm that she had inherited from her parents. The agricultural census of Bourbon Co., Kansas for the farm year ending IMarch 1885, reported that Samuel had rented 680 acres in addition to his own farm and had a cash value of $ 9,000 for his total investment. His farm machinery was valued at $ 200 and total wages paid for the year was $400.
s
<>Mr. Samuel Alsop said or did nothing on the day before his death to indicate to his family that he was contemplating taking his own life. He went to bed at the normal time and fell asleep quickly. He slept as well as usual last night and when he arose this morning at the usual hour seemed to be in a perfectly normal condition. Neither his son, daughter nor wife,
244
/11»W^y® ItH/lva
during the time that he was in the yard near the house, and in the house prior to the time he went into his room to commit the rash act, noticed anything in his actions at all tending to arouse suspicion that he was contemplating the rash act.
It was just before 8 o'clock that Mr. Alsop returned to his room. As he entered the room and stretched himself on the bed, Virgil, his young son, was standing near the door. "Son," he said, "close that door: I believe I can sleep a little." The lad obeyed.
It was not more than five minutes later that Virgil returned to the room to find that his father had shot himself. Just why the lad returned to the room is not known, for none of the family had heard the report of the small .22 rifle.
Dr. I.ambeth ofBronson was at once called and arrived within a short time. He found that although Mr. Alsop was not dead the wound was a fatal one. He said that death within a few hours was imminent.
Mr. Alsop was found by his son lying flat on his back on the bed, with a bullet hole almost exactly in the center of his forehead. A small .22 caliber single shot Stevens rifle, resting between his limbs, with the muzzle pointing toward the wounded man's face, yielded incontrovertible evidence of attempted suicide. It appeared that Mr. Alsop after cocking the rifle, had placed the butt of the weapon between his knees, and holding the stock with his right hand, had pressed the muzzle against his forehead, and pressed the trigger with his left hand. The bullet penetrated the skull and entered the brain.
It was about twelve years ago that Mr. Alsop suffered an attack of the grippe, which developed into pneumonia. For many weeks he was dangerously ill, and although at length he was able to leave his bed, and to resume his work to some extent the illness had greatly injured him physically and his health since that time has been very poor. Mrs. Alsop, always a frail woman, became ill about two years ago, and although she has been able to attend to her housework, her health ever since has been very poor. About nine months ago her condition became much aggravated, and since that time she has been in extremely poor health.
245