Hide Article Text (OCR)
USED SHOTGUN AS DESTRUCTIVE MEANS, Family Found Him Near the Chicken House. Thought to be Brood ing Over Finances, Joseph Otis, 69, was found fatally wounded on his farm near Wesley yes terday morning between five-thirty and six by members of his family. He was shot in the chest by a shot gun at close range, and the charge Prising through the left lung and em erging from the back. It was thought at first that chicken thieves had shot him when he discovered them, but ac cording to Coroner Frank W. Zeiger of Garner, the wound was self-inflicted. None of the family heard the shot or knew when it happened but it was be lieved to have been about three o'clock in the morning. Coroner L. M. Merritt was called to bring the wounded man to the Koesuth hospital but his condition was such that he could not be moved and he died some time before one o'clock yes terday afternoon. He regained con sciousness before he died and recog nized his family but as far as can be found out, made no statement. It is understood that he was embar rassed financialily and he might have been brooding which caused him to take his own life. There is not much possibility of his not having shot him self as the shell was fired from his own gun end at close range. There was a large powder burn around the wound which indicates that it could not have been fired from a distance. Otis was found close to a chicken house in the backyard of the farm. The farm is just over the Hancock county line east of Wesley. The deceased was born 1873, in North. Vi * 4 married to ini ‘Torthi to Wesley in' 1919. . i. Besides the widow he is survived by t two sons, Raymond and Edmond and ‘four daughters, Gertrude, Margaret, Cecelia and Fidelis. Two sisters also survive, ‘They are Mrs. M. J. Hanlon of Cincinnati and Sister M. Charles of the Sisters of Charity convent in Cin jbiniati. Funeral services will be held Thursday morning at St. Joseph’s Ca tholic church in Wesley. “
Newspaper Details
Algona Upper Des Moines
Algona, Iowa, US
Wed, Jul 13, 1932
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 05 Jul 2026
Other Publications Near Algona, Iowa
Daily Upper Des Moines
Algona Courier
Algona Republican
Atlas of Kossuth County Iowa
Algona Upper Des Moines
