Talbot - Courtney - Capt - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Death of Capt. Courtney Talbot. Capt. Courtney Talbot, of this vicinity, had been badly afflicted with epilepsy for some two years past, and last Friday night, while laboring under partial insanity, left his residence, unknown by the family, and threw himself head foremost into an old well in an adjoining field, in which his remains were found the next morning.  The deceased was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, on the 3d day of September, 1804, and was consequently in the 63d year of his age at the time of his decease. From Bourbon county he removed, soon after his marriage, to Fayette county, where he resided until the spring of 1863, when he removed to the place, near this city, where he died.  In many respects he was a most remarkable man, both mentally and physically, possessing great muscular power and endurance, and a mind far above mediocrity. Although a plain farmer, without ambition, he spent most of his leisure time in storing his mind with useful knowledge from books and papers, and few men were better informed. He especially delighted to study our country, its history, and the lives of its prominent men. He placed Mr. Webster above all the rest of our leading characters. He read and reread his principal speeches and orations and nothing seemed to afford him more pleasure than to repeat over to his friends the finer passages of those productions, most of which he knew by heart.  His patriotism took the form of enthusiastic devotion, and at the beginning of the late war, he was one of the first to volunteer in defense of the Union. He was, however, rejected on account of his ago, but never ceased to work in some manner for the cause of the country.  In his business transactions' he was strictly honest, and always punctual. He was in active business for thirty odd years and never contracted a debt that he did not pay when due or before, and his family and intimate friends know of no instance in which he ever made a promise, even in regard to the most trivial matter, that he did not fully and punctually comply with, unless prevented by actual necessity. He was ardently attached to his family, his friends and to the Masonic Order, of which he was, for almost thirty years, a leading member. He was not connected with any church, but had strong faith in God, and had a high respect for ministers of the Gospel, of all denominations, when he believed them sincere, but his contemplations of Deity could not be bounded by any creed. He believed that true religion consisted in acting, not professing, and that a man's faith could not be wrong if his life "was in the right.' It always, however, seemed to afford him pleasure for bis friends to become professors of religion when they felt it to be their duty to do so. He has left a large family and a widely extended circle of friends to mourn his melancholy death.

CORONER'S INQUEST. We the undersigned, jurors empanneled and sworn on the 12th day of October, 1867, at the township of Union, in the county of Montgomery, by Uriah M. Scott, Coroner of said county, to inquire and true presentment make, in what manner and by whom Courtney Talbot, whose body was found in a well on his premises on the 12th day of October, 1867, came to his death—after having heard the evidence and examined the body, wo do find that the deceased came to his death by his own voluntary act, throwing himself into a well, on his premises, with the intent of committing suicide.