BEAN, T.H. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

T. H. BEAN, one of Parke county’s most honored citizens, dropped dead Sunday evening with heart disease at his home one mile west of Fairview. About 7:30 in the evening, his family went to church and insisted on him going along, knowing his serious condition but he resisted, saying he was alright and for them to go ahead. They did so and when they returned home about 9:30 the old gentlemen could not be found.  The family was horrified and after looking every place they thought he could possibly get to they gave the alarm and soon a number of neighbors joined in the search for the missing man.   Presently one of them thought to go up a hog lane leading east from the house and there the body found lying close to the fence and cold in death. Dr. Cuthbert of this city and county coroner Peare were called and soon on the scene.  In the meantime, the distressed family had carried the lifeless body of their loved one into the house and awaited the arrival of the coroner.  Upon examination by the physician and coroner a verdict that death was caused by heart disease was rendered. In the lane where the body was found there were about 40 hogs and had they not been sleeping at the far end of the lane the body would have no doubt been eat up.  Prior to his going to the hog lot it seems that Mr. Bean had been preparing for bed as the bed was fixed and at one side rested his cane which he very rarely left when going away from the house.   His hat was also left in the house and it is thought that in all probabilities he was startled by some noise among the hogs and in hurrying to see what was the matter, had forgotten his cane and hat, and the excitement had caused his heart to fail.  He was no doubt conscious at the time for he had gone through and closed the gate to keep the hogs in. Deceased was a man about 63 years old and leaves a wife, one daughter aged 17, a son aged 12 besides many other relatives and friends to mourn his loss. – S