MOMONROE-L Archives

From: Lisa Perry <>
Subject: [MOMONROE] NBC: Hensler
Date: Sun, 04 Aug 2002 11:02:51 -0400

Untitled and/or undated articles; original sources unknown. Extracted
from the newspaper article collection started in 1879 by Mrs. Nannie
Brown of Madison, Missouri.



ANOTHER SUICIDE!

The Body of Wm. Hensler Found in Elk Fork Sunday Morning.



"(Our) people were startled Sunday morning by parties coming in (and)
announcing that a man had (been) found drowned at Burton's (unknown) on
the Elk Fork of Salt river, (about) two miles southwest of here. Sunday
after the first news other persons came to twon and stated that the body
had been recognized as that of Wm. Hensler. The body was taken up and
brought to his home in this place where Coroner Shearman conducted an
inquest Sunday afternoon and which brought out the following testimony:



Mrs. C. Hensler's evidence: About 5 or 6 o'clock Sunday morning my
husband told me that he was going to the farm to see about the fencing
as there had been a big rain the night before. He started from home
afoot. He did not tell me when he was coming back. When he goes to the
farm he always walks. The farm is about 5 miles from town. He is 46
years of age. He has not been in good health for more than a year. He
has been troubled with something like heart disease for some time. He
did not eat any breakfast yesterday morning before he started. He has
always bee kind and affectionate to his family.



Thos. Noel: I was at Mr. Cupp's house when Mr. Sherman's little boy came
there and told us that his father had found a man in the creek near his
house. We went down to where the dead man was found. Young Turpitt,
Mr. (Sherman, Mr. Cupp and myself pulled) him out of the water. He was
(lying) with his head east and (feet) west. The back part of his head
and shoulders were all that was not under water. The body was found
about a fourth of a mile from the nearest house to where anyone lives.
The branch was very full Saturday morning - past fording.



G.W. Sherman, being sworn, said: This morning at half past 9 o'clock I
started to the creek to fish. Where I first stopped the water was so
swift that I went down the creek to where the branch empties into the
creek. There is an island between the branch and creek. I saw
something lying in the water on the opposite side. I first thought it
was a chunk, until I took the second look. I ran up the hill and called
for my little boy and sent him for Mr. Cupp and Mr. Harley, and sent my
little girl for Mr. Turpitt. I did not touch the body till the persons
I sent for came. We all took him out of the water. None of us
recognized him till we got him up out of the water on the hill, when Mr.
Turpitt told us it was Mr. Hensler. The boy was about 25 yards above
the ford and about 25 yards below the crossing above which is used only
when the creek is low. The branch is 10 or 12 feet wide. The body was
lying head to the east. His face and body were under the water. His
shoulders and back part of head were not covered with water."





"We the undersigned jurors, impaneled and sworn on the 19th day of May,
1889, in the township of Marion, in the County of Monroe, by Thos B.
Shearman, coroner in and for said county, to diligently (inquire) and
true (unknown) make how and (by) whom and (in what) manner Wm. Hensler,
whose (body) was found at Burton's Ford on (the Elk) Fork, 2 miles south
of Madison, (on the) 19th day of May, 1889, came to his death; having
viewed the body and heard the evidence, we do find that the deceased
came to his death by cause unknown, the body being found in the creek
nearly covered in water (there were no marks of violence on the body)
and which the jury do find caused the death of said person, whose body
was found as aforesaid. And we, the jury, do find that said Wm. Hensler
came to his death by falling or jumping into the creek. [The words "by
falling or jumping into (the) creek were added to the verdict by (the)
coroner after the inquest with the (consent) of three of the jury.] -
Ed." Jury members: A.P. Gooch, G.W. Brown, Q.E. Brown, C.H. Atterbury,
Rob't. Roberson, J.M. Noel.





"Mr. Hensler had met with (business) reverses and traded off his (pack)
of groceries while yet owing (the) wholesale men for a large part
(unknown). The latter were here as soon (as they) heard of the trade
and it is (thought) that his inability to meet (his) obligations to them
without (unknown) himself and family in desperate circumstances caused
his (unknown) to become unbalanced with (the) result that he threw
himself (into) the creek. He satisfied his creditors, however, by
giving them a mortgage on the town property which he took in as part pay
for his (pack) of goods. His little farm of (unknown) acres is covered
by a deed of trust for ($350), which was placed (upon) it at the time he
started into business here some eight months (ago). Mr. Hensler was
considered (an honest) man - had this reputation (among) his old
neighbors while (on the) farm and the business men (with which) he had
dealings. He had had no business experience and was, we understand,
advised by some of our best citizens to give up the idea of going into
business here in the way that he did. He leaves a wife and three
daughters who deserve the sympathy of the entire community. The
deceased remarked to Geo. Hall, a neighbor, the evening before the
morning he left home, that nobody (was) to be trusted and that an honest
man might as well be dead."



Copyright notice: All transcriptions in this email are copyrighted by
their creator. They may not be reproduced on another site or on any
printed or recorded media, CD, etc. without specific written permission
from Kathleen Wilham. Although public information is not in and of
itself copyrightable, the format in which it is presented,
transcriptions, notes & comments, etc. is. It is however, quite
permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for
personal use only. Permission is granted to public libraries, and
genealogical and historical societies to print and bind for the use of
their patrons.



Kathleen Wilham

2 Sharon Drive

Shelbina, MO. 63468-1562

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