Printed in the Thursday, July 11, 1895 Pilot

B.F. WARNER SUICIDES

A feeling of horror mingled with curiosity permeated the community early Sunday morning, when it was reported that B. F. Warner, a well-known citizen of Blair had deliberately cut his own throat with a razor and was dead. The report was all too true.

Warner has had more or less family troubles for some years, and on Saturday evening, after having some sort of a round up or a quarrel with them, he coolly bid them all good bye, declaring that they would never see him again—in substance that he would take his own life. His wife fearing the consequences, caught hold of him and tried to prevent his departure, but he tore loose from her and skipped out into the darkness. This was at or near nine o’clock Saturday evening. His son, Henry, and son-in-law W.M. Swartz arrived at the house soon after Warner’s departure and at once instituted a search for him which was kept up most of the night. At daybreak Sunday morning or about 3:30 A.M. Swartz accompanied by his wife and still searching, found Warner’s body in a patch of weeds near the road just north of the Acme Mill, close to Dexter’s hog lot fence and but a short distance from his residence which was just across the road and east of the bend where the road turns west.

In the absence of Coroner Pierce, Sheriff Mencke was notified and in a few minutes took charge of the body. The razor with which the deed was done lay near by as it had fallen from his hand after the cutting. He lay on his face with the right hand caught under his face as he fell, and then neck was cut nearly half off by an apparent clear single cut. He had died apparently instantly as there was no sign of a struggle or kick even, and the blood was al in one pool or spot immediately beneath the gap in the throat.

The body was taken to Pierce’s morgue where an inquest was held by the Sheriff and a jury consisting of W.G. Harrison, M.H.B. Rosenbalm, Niles E. Noyes, Geo. A. Snowden, J.M. Smith and C. Schmachtenberg found that “B.F. Warner came to his death by cutting his throat with a razor by his own hands.”

B.F. Warner was in his 49th year. He had lived in Blair a dozen years or more, was a member of Knights of Pythias, Grand Army of the Republic, Blair Fire Department and the Modern Woodmen of America. In the latter organization he had a $3,000 life policy which will no doubt be paid to his family.

He was buried at 4 P.M. on Sunday under the auspices of the G.A.R., the Woodmen and firemen also turning out in considerable numbers. He leaves a family consisting of two grown up sons, one married daughter, the widow, and five children at home under the age of sixteen years. The immediate motive which impelled Frank Warner to thus summarily end his own existence though pretty generally understood in Blair, yet out of regard for his stricken family should be passed lightly by and blotted from the memory as quickly as possible. He has rendered the atonement; let him rest in peace.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~