COONS, Thomas T.

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Suicide at Edinburg.

T. T. Coons, druggist at Edinburg, aged thirty-two years, committed sui­cide Monday afternoon at his place of business by taking prussic acid. He lived but about twenty minutes after taking the fatal drug.

The Call says: “Monday afternoon he kissed his wife and baby goodbye and left for the store. He arrived there about 10 minutes after 2 o’clock and going behind the prescription case, took a dose of prussic acid. He then told the clerk, Mayhur Rubush, to go and tell his wife he had taken poison through a mistake. Mayhur did as he was told and when he returned called Dr. Myers. When they arrived at the store, Mr. Coons was lying on the floor. Medicine was administered to counter act the ef­fects of the poison but all to no avail.”

Coroner Jones, of this city, was notified and went to Edinburg on the evening train Tuesday. His verdict will be found elsewhere in this issue.

It is said by some the cause of the suicidal act was domestic trouble. Sometime ago deceased drank quite a good deal but lately, it is claimed, he had abstained from the use of in­toxicants altogether. Others claim that financial trouble was the cause of the suicide.

Deceased was a son of O. M. Coons, and was born southeast of this city. He graduated from the Edinburg high school in 1883 and afterwards taught school for two years in Shelby county. He attended the College of Pharmacy at Louisville and, after graduating there and spending a year or two in a drug store, went into business for himself at Edinburg in 1890. In 1892 he married Miss Imogene McEwen, daughter of Mrs. H. E. McEwen. The wife and one child, a little girl, survive.

Mr. Coons was a member of the Christian church and of the Masonic lodge. Funeral services were held Wed­nesday afternoon at the residence, conducted by Elder Earl Wilfley.

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The Franklin Democrat, Friday, April 10, 1896,
Volume XXXVI Number 39, page 3 column 6

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CORONER’S VERDICT

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The undersigned coroner of Johnson county, Indiana, did on the 6th day of April, 1896, hold an inquest on the body of Thomas T. Coons, late of said county, found dead at Edinburg, Johnson county, Indiana, on the 6th day of April, 1896.

Having viewed the body and heard the testimony of witnesses, find that the deceased came to his death by reason of some poison (supposed to be prussic acid) self-administered with suicidal in­tent.

Deceased was 31 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches high, fair complexion, dark hair; dressed in dark coat, vest and pants. On the body was found one gold watch and chain, one pen knife and some business letters and papers, all of which I delivered to the widow of the deceased on the 6th day of April, 1896.

J. T. JONES, 
Coroner Johnson County 

Franklin, Ind., April 6, 1896.

Link to Thomas T. Coons’ grave

Submitted by Mark McCrady and Cathea Curry