Stevens - Thomas
Source: Waveland Independent, August 1, 1913
Thomas Stevens, who has been very sick at his home on the old Mayes place, just east of Milligan, committed suicide on Monday morning by hanging himself to a peach tree in the yard. The news caused much surprise as Mr. Stevens was of a very cheerful disposition and the last one, it would have been thought to take his own life. However, he has been suffering intensely and it is possible that his mind was temporarily deranged. Remarks which were remembered afterwards show that he had been meditating the act. Mr. Stevens became ill in February with what seemed to be gastritis but rallied. A few weeks later there was a reoccurrence of the trouble, and for the past three months he has been getting weaker as his stomach rejected all nourishment. The pain, too, was intense, requiring the constant use of opiates. Physicians disagreed as to the cause of the trouble. An autopsy was much contracted, and the upper orifice nearly closed. On the morning in question, the watchers had gone home, and Mr. Stevens was alone with his wife. He asked her to go to the house of a neighbor, about a quarter of a mile away, and get him some warm milk, as he thought he could retain it. She went as quickly as possible. In that time, although very feeble, he managed to carry a chair into the yard. He returned to the kitchen and cut a piece about eight feet long from a coil of rope there. In doing so, he cut his finger slightly. This he washed at the sink and tied up. He then went to the yard; made a slip noose which he put around his neck; climbed on the chair and attached the rope to the tree and swung himself off. When Mrs. Stevens reached home she found the lifeless body. She immediately called Mr. Reiter and other neighbors, but her husband was beyond recall. The coroner was called from Mecca and held an inquest, giving a verdict in accordance with the facts given above. Funeral services were held at the home at two on Tuesday afternoon by Rev. F. B. Solin, of the Presbyterian Church. Waveland Lodge, I. O. O. F., of which the deceased was an earnest and valued member, had charge of the service at the grave in the Presbyterian Cemetery. The following obituary was read: “Thomas F. Stevens was born in Richmond, Ky., May 31, 1834, and died July 28 at the age of 59 years, 2 months and 3 days. In 1880 he was married to Nannie E. Etcheson of Putnam County, Indiana. To them was born two children; Charles W. and Ica May, both of whom have gone before. He became a member of the Christian Church in his boyhood days and has since held to that belief.” - kbz