BICKNELL, Jacob
Jacob Bicknell
Source: Greencastle Banner & Times, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana 3 March 1892
The loud report of a gun drew parties in the immediate neighborhood to the shop of Jacob Bicknell last Friday shortly after the dinner hour. He was found on the floor of his carriage shop, unconscious, with a terrible wound in his abdomen. The shotgun which caused the wound lay on the floor near him. A few minutes previous to the accident Mr. Bicknell had visited Mr. Black’s stable next door remaining some time. Upon leaving he inquired the time of day and those were probably the last words he spoke to anyone. Deceased has taken his gun to the shop and was probably engaged in cleaning the same when it was discharged. The entire load entered his stomach near the navel and produced a terrible wound. He was tenderly carried to his residence on Jackson Street, a square north of his shop. Dr. Evans was hurriedly called, but at a glance his well trained eye told there was no hope for the sufferer. He lived but a short time and was not conscious after the shot and appeared to suffer but little. The accident occurred between one and two o’clock Friday afternoon. The widow and the near relatives have the sympathy of the community of their sudden calamity. On Saturday Coroner McNeff began his investigation of the death and on Monday returned his finding to the effect that “deceased came to his death from the accidental discharge of the right barrel of a double barreled shotgun which he had and held in his hands, which was found lying on the ground near his body in his own shop.” There were many rumors afloat on the streets that the death was intentional and that Mr. Bicknell carried a large insurance. The amount of insurance carried by the deceased was but $500 in the Equitable of NY.
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Source: Greencastle Star Press, 5 March 1892 p1
An account of the death of Mr. Jacob Bicknell will be found in another column. Coroner TW McNeff held an inquest, Saturday and Monday to determine the cause and manner of the death of Mr. Jacob Bicknell on Friday afternoon of last week. The testimony offered was as follows: Dr. Evans testified he had known deceased about 20 years; On Afternoon of Feb 26, 92 I found him in his shop on Jackson Street lying on his back, his head to the north; his breathing was slow and irregular, face pale and flesh cold, without motion; gunshot wound upward and to left of naval, 3” wound large; blood and gas escaping from the abdomen; shirt burned around the wound; he was dying from shock and internal hemorrhage; died from the effects of the wound, at his residence at 2 o’clock Friday; did not think the wound was inflicted with suicidal intent; believe it to be the result of accident.
Sarah Thompson: Was at the house of the deceased on Friday between 1 and 2 o’clock; Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Bicknell were there also; deceased was my uncle by marriage; deceased came in while we were all there, spoke to us all asusual, in reply to question said he was as well as usual, “All of us old people have to have pains,” he then said he believed he would take his old gun down and clean it as he was going hunting; said he was not going that evening, but he and his wife were going to papa’s on Sunday; took the gun and started out of doors. Mamma said, “Jake, be careful of that gun,” he replie dhe would; he was joking and good humored as usual; none of us sought to prevent his taking the gun out of the house, he said nothing about killing himself; never heard him say he would do so; deceased and his wife were pleasant to each other hwile I was there on Friday; he was sober; do not know the gun was broken when he took it away; I left the house about 10 minutes after he did and went to Mrs. Earhart’s and started to the store; as I passed the shop of deceased I heard some one groaning; the doors were closed: I asked Mr. Thos. Moore who was near by if he would not listen and see if some one was not groaning in the shop; he went to the south window and looked in and said some one was groaning; he called Officer Sam Stone and they went into the shop; Moore said Mr. Bicknell was shot; I went on to Earhart’s store and then back to residence of deceased; saw Mrs. Henton going up street about 70’ ahead of me; Mrs. Henton passed the shop about 5 minutes before I got there.
Mrs. Mary Henton testified: was acquainted with the deceased; I passed his shop on the afternoon of Feb 26, between 1 and 2 o’clock; heard a slight hammering noise as I passed; after I passed shop I met Mr. Thos. Moore on west side of square near Piercy’s Drug Store.
Thos. T. Moore testified: Met Mrs. Sarah Thompson on Jackson Street on afternoon Feb 26 near the shop of the deceased; she asked me to listen and see if I could not hear some one groaning in the shop; I stepped to the shop window and saw a man lying on his back with smoke issuing from his clothing; I opened the door and saw Mr. Bicknell on the floor, lying on his back; he was graoning and breathed with difficulty – apparently dying; a shotgun was on the floor a little southwest of him about 3 or 4’ away; breech of gun was toward the anvil block and the muzzle towards the north; the breech end of the guard over the triggers was loose or broken; the clothing of the deceased was on fire; Policeman Stone was near by and I called him, informing him that Mr. Bicknell was shot; he came and looked at Mr. Bicknell and then said he would go for the Coroner; I asked him to put some water on the burning clothing; I reported the shooting to Mr. Bicknell.
Officer Stone testified: I saw the deceased lying on the floor in his shop about 20 minutes to 2, on Feb 26; his arms were extended from his body; a wound in the pit of his stomach; clothing around the wound was burning; Mr Moore suggested I had better go for some one and I went for the Coroner; before going I took some water and quenched the burning clothing; a double barreled shot gun was upon the floor with the muzzle pointing north about 4’ from the deceased; I was there but a few moments; he appeared to be dying; Jas. Owens Jr came in before I left.
GA Fuqua testified: Knew the deceased; went to his shop on afternoon of Feb 26; 6 or 8 persons there; deceased lay on his back and was still breathing, but appeared to be dying; gun lay on floor with muzzle pointed towards him some 3-4’ away; trigger guard was broken loose at the breech end and sprung up an inch or two and a little to one side; I went to house with Mr. Bicknell returned to shop in about 10 minutes; gun was then in window and the guard was broken entirely off; a pot of water was on the forge fire and his wiping slick with tow on it was on the forge; also a bunch of tow lay near.
JH Owens testified: About 1:30 p.m. I saw deceased in GW Black’s sale stable; he remained there a few minutes and asked what we were paying for hay; he then went to the office door and asked what time it was; he was in habit of looking at office clock 4 or 5 times a day; walked out toward the shop; he had not left the stable more than 10 minutes before I heard he was shot; I had stood in the door all the time after he left until I heard he was shot; did not hear the report of the gun; it is about 40’ from stable door to where he was shot; deceased seemed to be in good humor – talkative and sober when he was in the stable; when I went into the shop Officer Stone was there; deceased lay on his back, arms extended, gasping for breath; he was shot in the abdomen; gun lay on floor about 4’ from him, muzzle pointing north; trigger guard was broken loose at breech end.
SA Harris testified: knew deceased; he was my uncle by marriage; had known the shotgun owned by him; have seen it since his death and the trigger guard is broken off; the ramrod of the gun had a screw on the end and a cap to fit over the screw; have seen the cap since Mr. Bicknell’s death; I searched for it and found it on the desk in the shop of the deceased on Saturday morning Feb 27; Capt. Sunley was with me at the time; I have been at the house of the deceased every few days for the past five years; deceased and his wife always got along well together; never heard deceased talk of committing suicide.
Wm. Elliott testified: Was acquainted with the deceased; had known him since 1889; have worked for him; never heard him threaten to take his life; the week I quit working for him he said he wished he was not in it; when he made the remark he was talking to me about the business of the shop, and trade being dull; deceased seemed to be low spirited because business was dull; saw him last on Wednesday evening and asked him if he could not pay off a small note; he replied that he could not and that he had dunned and dunned until he was ashamed and that he could not tell what a day would bring forth.
Robt. Williams testified: had known the deceased about 12 years; had seen him nearly eery day for the past 3 months; he had seemed somewhat downhearted; I was in his shop from 10 a.m. until noon on Feb 26; he told me he had several little jobs for me and asked how soon I could do them; he seemed to be sober and more pleasant than usual.
The above is very full and complete synopsis of the testimony as noted in the official records and the verdict rendered by Coroner Neff is fully in accord with the evidence: Verdict is as follows: The undersigned, Coroner of Putnam County having held an inquest on the body of Jacob Bicknell, deceased said Bicknell having come to his death by a shot gun wound on the 26th day of February 1892, state that after a careful examination of the body, and having heard the evidence, I found that the deceased came to his death by the accidental discharge of the right hand barrel of a double barreled shotgun, found lying near where the deceased was found in his own shop; that said deceased in some manner accidentally discharged the same. This 29 February 1892 TW McNEFF, Coroner of Putnam County.