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Shoaf - Shirley


Source: Crawfordsville Journal & Review, Dec 12, 1931

 
Believed to have been despondent over financial reverses,  Shirley SHOAF, 29, committed suicide by taking poison at his  home, 807 E. Wabash Avenue, shortly before noon Saturday. Shoaf,  who was married to Icie RILEY only 7 weeks ago, was said to have  threatened suicide two or three weeks ago. He was questioned by  officers Friday in connection with a check bearing his signature  which was said to have been returned by the bank. He was not  arrested, however and the check was said to have been made good  Friday night. The suicide victim left a note to his wife but the  message failed to state why he had taken his life. Shoaf merely  told his wife that he "still loved her" and asked her to place a  picture of herself in his casket when he was buried. He had the  picture in his pocket. Cedric Louks, of Kokomo, who was visiting  at the Shoaf home discovered the body. He saw Shoaf lying in the  back yard of the home, suffering from convulsions. Death came in  a few minutes and before help could arrive. A small empty  envelope bearing the inscription "Strychnine" was found in one of  Shoaf's pockets by Coroner AN Loop. It was believed that the man  had taken the contents. It was said that Shoaf had purchased a  similar package of poison several weeks ago but it was believed  he burned that strychnine. Mrs. Shoaf was almost overcome with  grief over her husband's death. She was unable to give any  reasons why her husband had taken his life. Her marriage to Shoaf  took place last Oct. 26. Coroner Loop who was called to  investigate the death indicated that he would file a verdict of  suicide by means of strychnine poisoning. The poison used was the  same which caused the death of the two Simmons children at  Lebanon last summer in a case which attracted nationwide  attention. The same poison also was used in the murder-suicide  plot of Clyde SMITH at Attica last weekend. Smith administered  the poison to Mrs. Dorothy Haniford WOODS and then taken some of  the substance himself. Both died of the effects. - typed by kbz
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