Stone, Peter – d. 1900

STONE

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 1/19/2025 at 13:42:52

Peter Stone Suicided
His Remains Found in McIlhon’s Field Last Sunday
Peter Stone, a Swede, for years past employed in coal mines hereabouts, disappeared from the house of his employer, John Heselius, near Oswalt, where he had been boarding, on the morning of the 15th of April last, after having expressed himself in a manner that convinced all within hearing that he desired to be understood as intent upon self destruction. He was over 46 years of age, and, although strongly addicted to the use of intoxicants, was without an enemy. After leaving home he is believed to have proceeded almost directly to the McIlhon field a mile and a half northwest, a lonely spot, and there in a clump of underbrush, to have cut his throat. When found last Sunday by John Pearson and two other lads who were out rabbit hunting, the remains consisted of a pile of greasy, foul-smelling bones, do disposed as to show that the dead man had fallen on his face. His skull was detached from the other bones and, with his hat, lay four feet distant. His clothing, except his hat and shoes, was rotted away, but his watch and chain and snuff-box discovered among the ghastly pile of bones; served to establish his identity beyond question, while the razor found open near the hat suggested the almost certain means of his death.
Coroner Jacobs was notified the same afternoon, but did not come over till noon Monday. D. L. Ellsworth, Edward Hodgson and John Harris were selected as a jury and had little trouble in arriving at a conclusion as to the identity of the remains and the means of his death, they consequently rendered a verdict of suicide. The remains were then brought to Colfax. Coffined and placed on exhibition at red Men’s hall, whence, on Tuesday afternoon the funeral was conducted by Rev. Stahl, the remains being accompanied to their last resting place by the local orders of Red Men and Odd Fellows, who had charge of the interment, headed by the Red Men’s band.
Stone was unmarried. He has a half-brother and half-sister in Des Moines, and another half-brother was killed on a railroad in Montana last May or June. His disappearance created quite a sensation at the time, and several parties of miners searched the woods near where he was finally found, but never went quite so far north, believing that he would be found in the shaft of one of the deserted mines in that neighborhood
Source: The Colfax (IA) Clipper; Friday, December 7, 1900, page 1, col. 5