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The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, July 13, 1884 pg. 4 THE SUICIDE OF JOSEPH KOUNTZ About 5 o'clock Wednesday morning, those living in the vicinity of the Catholic church were startled by two pistol shots, and a female voice crying for help. A number of gentlemen were soon at the scene of the disturbance, which was at the small residence adjoining the Catholic church, occupied by Father Bufford. It was soon learned that a shoemaker, named Joseph Kountz, had come to the house and made a murderous assault upon his divorced wife, who was employed on the premises as cook. He shot at her twice, when she fell in a fainting fit, and supposing he had done his murderous work, started to leave the yard, when he was confronted by Father Bufford, who having been awakened by the shots, had hurried on his clothes to learn the cause of the disturbance. Kountz brought his pistol to bear on the Priest, but did not shoot, and passing him disappeared up the street. Mrs. Kountz's experience is best told in her own language, as given a Journal reporter. Wednesday morning I awoke at the usual hour, and looking out of the window saw my husband approaching from the direction of Rusk avenue. I remarked to Mrs. Bates who was sleeping with me, Here comes my husband, I wonder what he wants at this early hour of the morning. When he reached the gate he stopped for a moment, and commenced to fumble in his pockets. He then pushed the gate open, and passed in to the yard. I met him at the door, and he saluted me kindly, saying, "Good morning, I have come to see you for the last time on earth. This frightened me, and I was so faint for the moment that I could hardly stand on my feet, and I leaned against the door for support. My husband looked pale and haggared and when he spoke his lips quivered. He said to me, Where is our child? I replied, alright and sleeping. Mrs. Bates, who was standing in the room, then left me and stepped out on the porch, not wanting to listen, as she said, to the conversation. My husband then drew a pistol from his coat pocket, exclaiming, I am going to kill you, you must die with me. I ran out of the room, my husband following. On the porch, he fired the first shot, I then sprang from the porch to the yard and he caught me by the hair pulling me to the ground, he then fired a second shot, and that is the last I knew, as I swooned and became unconscious. A gentleman who witnessed the scene says, after firing the second shot Kountz placed the muzzle of the pistol to his own head and snapped it but the gun refused to fire. One shot fired at Mrs. Kountz passed through the fleshy part of the arm, and the other grazed her head. Though she suffered very much from fright, her wounds are not serious. From the Priest's residence Kountz went at once to his room, at the resident of Leo Trost, on Crawford street, where he got another pistol and shot himself in the temple, dying almost instantly. Mr. Trost testified as follows before the inquest: I knew deceased; his name is Joseph Kountz; he had been renting a room from me, he left this city on Sunday for Sherman; at about 5 o'clock this morning he came to my house; my wife remarked to me, "The shoemaker has come back;" I told him if he was tired, to go to the room and lay down; I gave him the key to the room, he went away again, but returned shortly after and went into the room occupied by a party who is barkeeper at Yeidel's and immediately after came out with something in his hand; he went into the other room, and I heard a pistol shot fired; I went into the room from where the pistol shot proceeded and found the room filled with smoke and the deceased lying on the floor in the room; I asked him what he had been doing; he did not answer and immediately after died; deceased had had some trouble with his wife; I understand they were divorced about six months ago; and seemed to be very much depressed on account of being depraived of his child. Kountz and his wife had formerly lived in Dallas, and had one child. Kountz neglected his family, and had abused his wife in a cruel manner on several occasions. Finally his treatment became unbearable, and she sued for and obtained a divorce, on the plea of abandonment. She then came to Denison and got employment, as above stated. Kountz visited her here in Denison several times and threatened her life and she finally applied to Esquire Cook to have him put under bond to keep the peace. Mr. Cook told her he didn't think that was the best course to pursue, that it might aggravate him and make matters worse, but that he would write him a note telling him he must let her alone, which he did. This note was found on his person after his death. The verdict of the Coroner's inquest was that Kountz came to his death by his own hand. Sufficient money was found on deceased to pay funeral expenses. His wife refused to attend the funeral. According to the Journal, Kountz was a native of Alsaac, Germany, was about 45 years of age and a shoemaker by trade. They were married in January 1880, and the divorce was granted last February. Kountz had been in the employ of Phil Beauford, in this city, several months, and he says he was a good workman.  SUICIDE Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |