Mills - Thomas Jefferson
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana June 13, 1904 p 5
Jeff Mills, a prominent and here-to-fore highly respected and wealthy farmer living north of Waynetown committed suicide late Saturday evening. The facts ascertained from Coroner Keegan are as follows: after supper he took a Remington rifle, saying he was going to the orchard to kill some birds which were destroying the cherries. Nothing ws thought of this for some time as there was not the slightest suspicion of suicide. His son heard a shot a short time after his father had gone to the orchard. Finally becoming alarmed his son Fred started out to see why his father did not return to the house. While searching for him he stumbled upon the lifeless body of his father half secreted in the long grass of the orchard. He made a hasty examination and being sure that life was extinct summoned the housekeeper and neighbors. His body was found about 30' from the intersection of the east and north fence of the orchard. He had laid the butt end of the gun upon the top rail of the fence, placing the muzzle exactly over the heart. The bullet had passed through the heart and body. The shirt and flesh near where the missle had entered the body was badly burned showing the suicide had risked no failure. The gun when freed from his grasp had dropped on the other side of the fence. Although the shot was certainly fatal the energy of the suicide had sustained him until he had turned about and walked some 30' where he dropped over and expired. Mr. Mills was one of the prominent farmers of Wayne Township owning a farm of about 200 acres. The evidence before the coroner developed the fact that his relations with the housekeeper, a woman named Nolan from Kingman were questionable. His son gave this as the probable cause of his father's unfortunate suicide. His wife has been dead for about two years and the Nolan woman has been his housekeeper for some time. He had made no declaration of his intention or threats of any kind and the son did not suspect any such rash act. He was 50 years of age and still strong and vigorous. The funeral will occur at Waynetown Tuesday.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal June 13, 1904
Waynetown -- The funeral service of TJ Mills was the most largely attended of any here for a number of years, nearly 200 rigs formed the procession as they left the late residence Monday afternoon for the Masonic Cemetery. The funeral discourse was preached by Elder J.P. Henson of Covington, former pastor of the Baptist Church here. Mr. Mills was a member of the Waynetown Lodge, Knights of Pythias and the ritualistic work of the lodge was used for the burial. Thomas J. Mills was born in Blackford County, Indiana near Hartford City in the year 1848 coming to Wayne Township in 1875. Abuot 25 years ago he married Miss Lizzie Pierce who is the mother of their only child, Frederick, aged 20 a student in a commercial school in Indianpaolis at which place he was notified of his father's death. Financially, Mr. Mills was quite successful, by the aid of his wife he had accumulated about 200 acres of good land upon which they erected a palatial residence that was completed only a short time before the death of Mrs. Mills about 18 months ago.
Source: Waynetown Despatch Friday, June 17, 1904
Waynetown and vicinity was never
more startled or shocked than on last Saturday evening when about six o’clock,
a telephone message from the home of Jeff
Mills made the gruesome announcement that he had committed self-destruction
by shooting himself. Dr. Hurt and John W. Shuler were called at once and going
to the scene found the report only too true. For several days, it seems, he had
been morbid and apparently worried and on Saturday in particular, he had been
in a restless state of mind all day. During the afternoon he and his
housekeeper, Miss Nellie Nolan, had been picking strawberries, Mr. Mills taking
his 22-calibre Remington rifle with him. After a short time Miss Nolan went to
the house leaving him in the orchard, south of the house. Not long after going
to the house, she heard a shot but paid no attention to it. Finally she called
for him and receiving no answer went to look for him, finding him dead in the
southeast corner of the orchard. Investigation and examination showed that he
had so placed the rifle on the fence that the ball entered the heart passing
entirely through the body. His son, Fred, who was attending Indianapolis Business
College Blackford County ,
near Hartford City Masonic
Cemetery