J. T. "Tom" Hunnicutt
1877 - 1939
Willa True Hunnicutt
1884 - 1965
Dallas
Morning News
September
19, 1939
MAN
IS FOUND HANGED NEAR DENISON HIGHWAY
Special
to The News
DENISON,
Texas, Sept. 18 - The body of J.T. Hunnicutt,
61, was found hanging by
a rope tied to a tree near the Bells-Denison
Highway on the J.L. Lynch
farm Monday morning. Mrs. W. T. Clayton, wife
of an M.-K.-T. engineer,
who was driving past the farm, discovered the
body.
E.
A.
Wright, coroner, rendered a verdict of
suicide. A pillow slip
was drawn over Hunnitcutt's head and in front
of him waving from a
fence, was a large white rag. Survivors
include his wife; four sons,
Chris Hunnicutt, Sherman; Phillip Hunnicutt,
Celina; Lewallen
Hunnicutt, Channing; and Emil Hunnicutt,
Amarillo; a daughter, Mrs. Jim
Bray, Caddo, Okla.; four sisters, Mrs. Allie
Cotton, Bartlesville,
Okla.; Mrs. Daisy Batte, Dallas; Mrs. Frank
Savage, Van Alstyne; Mrs.
Susie Ward, Ardmore, Okla.
Funeral Rites
Here for Tom
Found
Dead Monday At Cherry Mound Home
The
body of J. Tom Hunnicutt, 61-year-old farmer,
formerly of Van
Alstyne, was found hanging from a tree near
his home in the Cherry
Mound community, southeast of Denison, Monday
morning at 10 o'clock.
Justice of Peace E.A.Wright, who conducted the
inquest, said his
verdict would be that death
was self-inflicted.
When
found the body had a pillow case over the head
and the hands and
feet were bound with wire. A white flag had
been left on a fence near
the road which Judge Wright believed was
intended as a signal.
The
body was discovered by Mrs. W.T.Clayton, who
resides near Denison
on the East Texas street road. She had gone to
the Hunnicutt farm after
eggs. Mrs. Hunnicutt was in Sherman when the
tragedy was discovered.
Funeral
services were held at the Van Alstyne Baptist
church at 8 p.m.
Wednesday with the Rev. Frank Johnston,
pastor, the Rev. Chester Moss
of Denison, and Rev. Mr. Skeller of
Greenville, Officiating. Burial was
in the Van Alstyne cemetery with Short-Murray
of Denison in charge.
Pallbearers
were Morris Lewallen, Clyde Phillips, Newt
Hunnicutt, Lee
Gathwright, Vernie Henderson and Clarence
Hunnicutt.
Judge
Wright said the evidence indicated Mr.
Hunnicutt had climbed into
the small tree on the J. L. Lynch farm near
his home and fastened the
cotton rope to two limbs and prepared himself
for the fatal drop. He
had been dead a short time when found.
A
life-long resident of Grayson County, Mr.
Hunnicutt has resided in
the Cherry Mound area about a year. He was
born at Van Alstyne, Nov.
10, 1877, where he received his schooling and
was married Jan. 4, 1901,
to Miss Willie Lewallen, sister of Gus and Jim
Lewallen of Van Alstyne.
Mr.
Hunnicutt was a successful farmer in the Van
Alstyne area for a
number of years before going to Gunter where
the family resided until
they moved to Cherry Mound. H was a member of
the Baptist church.
Surviving
are his widow; four sons, Chris Hunnicutt,
Sherman; Phillip
Hunnicutt, Celina; Lewallen Hunnicutt,
Channing, and Euil Hunnicutt,
Amarillo; one daughter, Mrs. Jim Bray, Caddo,
Okla.; four sisters, Mrs.
Allie Cotton, Bartlesville, Okla.; Mrs. Daisy
Batte, Dallas; Mrs. Frank
Savage, Van Alstyne; Mrs. Susie Ward, Ardmore,
Okla.
