Charles Powelson, Suicide, newspr story
MILFORD TIMES
08,JAN, 1898
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Headline: BY HIS OWN HAND
Subhead: Charles Powelson Ends His Life While Home From Pontiac Asylum
On Sunday morning the report became current that Charles Powelson had attempted suicide by shooting himself at his home on C. E. Lovejoy's farm 5 miles north of this village. The report was only too true and the unfortunate man died from the effects of his wounds at nine o'clock Monday night. The story of the occurrence is as follows:
Last August Mr. Powelson was adjudged insane and taken for treatment to the asylum at Pontiac. He had never been violent and was not considered specially dangerous by his family. Of late his general health was improved and apparently he was better mentally. Hw was brought from the asylum on Friday to spend New Year's at home. He spent Friday night at the ome of A. Eckler where he seemed in excellent spirits, played games durring the evening, and apparently slept soundly during the night. Reaching home on Saturday, he worked about the place with his father-in-law [Albert Bently Teeples] and brother-in-law, expressed pleasure at seeing his stock in good condition, and seemed quite rational. Some time on Saturday however, he secure his gun from where it had been hidden away from him and secreted it in the "hop house" [I have no idea what a hop houe is] near the road. The family soon afet missed the gun and from that began to watch him more closely, remaining up all night to do so. About seven o'clock Sunday morning while the other men had gone to the barn he elluded his wife and ran to the hop house, placed the muzzle of the gun against his left breast and fired. He then, although frightfully wounded, carefully secrected the gun and went to the house, where he fell into the kitchen door in a paroxysm of insanity. The report [sound of the blast] of the gun and the screams of Mrs. Powelson brought the family of A.J. McCall from across the street and the men from the barn. Other neighbors soon arrived and it required the combined efforts of several men before the victum could be overpowered.
What appeared to be mental improvement in Powelson proved to have been only the cunning of an insane mind assumed for the purpose of disarming suspicion so the opportunity for self destruction could be obtained. He affirmed, in conversation on Sunday afternoon, that the idea of his insanity had been growing upon him for for five years and that he had been getting steadily worst all the time. When visited at the asylum by member of his family at Christmas time, he said to had in his possesion a peice of tin with one edge sharpened and was evidently only awaiting a favorabe opportunity to take his life. No reason can be found in his family or business affairs that would tend to augment his insanity. For a young farmer with the start he had, he was doing well financially. It was doubltlss a case of the outcropping of a hereditary tendency.
The funeral services were conducted by Rev. L.C. Lawrence at the residence on Thursday, and the remains were interred in Oak Grove.
Mr. Powelson leaves a young wife, formerly Miss Lottie Teeples, and four small children [Enno b 1892, Alford b 1893, Mrytie b 1895, Luella, b 1896]