Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal, November 22, 1891, p. 5.
STRANGLED HIMSELF
Gervais Hoessle, a German, aged 80 years, committed suicide yesterday by
hanging. He lived on the road between Charlestown and Lexington, Ind.,
three miles from Charlestown. He left no word as to why he had killed
himself. For some time the old man had been threatening to commit suicide
and for that reason a close watch had been kept on him. Yesterday morning
he started for the barn saying that he was going after some corn. As he did
not return, the family became anxious, and his two daughters went to the
barn to find him.
Climbing into the hayloft they were horrified to find the old man hanging
from a rafter, the body still warm and swaying from the struggles that had
but just ceased. The body was cut down and removed to the house. Coroner
Roos of Jeffersonville was summoned and returned a verdict of suicide.