FIRES BULLET INTO BRAIN
Friday morning, a few minutes after five o'clock, Abraham H. Schreckengost, an aged and well-known as well as highly respected farmer residing near the Red Mills in Kittanning township, some five miles from Kittanning, fired a bullet into his head, the ball entering the center of his forehead, between the eyes and penetrating the brain. Mr. Schreckengost had been in ill health for several months and through his afflictions and suffering, it is believed he became somewhat mentally unbalanced. On Thursday he had loaded a short rifle for the purpose of shooting rats, it is said, and shortly after getting up Friday morning remarked he had not taken the load out of the gun. Picking up the weapon he started out. A moment later his wife, probably having a premonition, followed, just in time to hear the report of the rifle being discharged. He had walked only a few steps from the house and must have deliberately pointed or placed the muzzle of the gun at his forehead and fired it, being easily able, owing to the shortness of the weapon, to reach the trigger. When the wife reached him he was lying on the ground. The alarm was given, and a messenger hastened to the Rupp church and called up Doctor F. C. Monks, of this place, who called up Doctor Dent Allison and the two went out in the latter's auto. When they reached there they found the injured man lying in bed surrounded by his family and neighbors. He was in a comatose condition, breathing heavily, but when spoken to in a loud tone of voice evidently could hear the sound. There were no powder marks on the forehead, although the underside of the rim of his hat was scorched and powder stained. The ball penetrated the brain, taken a downward course, evidently having been deflected by coming in contact with the skull, and it was realized that it was only a matter of time until the end would come from the effects of the shot. From a friend of Mr. Schreckengost, one who had a long talk with him some days ago we learn that the latter stated that his sufferings from his ailments had been almost unbearable and that his head was constantly paining him. To this friend he said that the thoughts of losing his home, that he had worked so many years to make comfortable for himself and wife in their declining years, from the flooding of all that territory by the erection of the proposed water power dams on the Cowanshannock creek had been a great source of worry to him. To this friend he stated that he had but recently installed natural gas for heat and light in his house and also had put water in it and that when these dams would be built all that labor and comfort would be eliminated, and he did not know where he could go. It is evident that this so preyed upon his mind that he gradually grew partially mentally unsound, and that while laboring under an unusual attack of mental depression he had decided to end his earthly troubles, and so shot himself. Mr. Schreckengost was widely known, had a large family of children and a number of brothers and sisters, his children being as follows: Wood P. Schreckengost, of Neale; Mrs. Chad Rupp, of Rupp Church; Mrs. Moore, at home; Wagner, of Blanco; Mrs. Edward Waugaman and George Schreckengost, of Kittanning. His brothers and sisters were: David of Garrett's Run; Jonathan (dead) formerly of Kittanning; Alfred, of Echo; Mrs. Jacob Stivason, of Kittanning; Mrs. Fred Beck (dead) of Worthington; Mrs. Schreckengost, of near Blanco. Another brother, Peter, is also dead.
From: The Simpson's Leader-Times, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, on Friday May 16, 1913, Page 1 and 8
Friday morning, a few minutes after five o'clock, Abraham H. Schreckengost, an aged and well-known as well as highly respected farmer residing near the Red Mills in Kittanning township, some five miles from Kittanning, fired a bullet into his head, the ball entering the center of his forehead, between the eyes and penetrating the brain. Mr. Schreckengost had been in ill health for several months and through his afflictions and suffering, it is believed he became somewhat mentally unbalanced. On Thursday he had loaded a short rifle for the purpose of shooting rats, it is said, and shortly after getting up Friday morning remarked he had not taken the load out of the gun. Picking up the weapon he started out. A moment later his wife, probably having a premonition, followed, just in time to hear the report of the rifle being discharged. He had walked only a few steps from the house and must have deliberately pointed or placed the muzzle of the gun at his forehead and fired it, being easily able, owing to the shortness of the weapon, to reach the trigger. When the wife reached him he was lying on the ground. The alarm was given, and a messenger hastened to the Rupp church and called up Doctor F. C. Monks, of this place, who called up Doctor Dent Allison and the two went out in the latter's auto. When they reached there they found the injured man lying in bed surrounded by his family and neighbors. He was in a comatose condition, breathing heavily, but when spoken to in a loud tone of voice evidently could hear the sound. There were no powder marks on the forehead, although the underside of the rim of his hat was scorched and powder stained. The ball penetrated the brain, taken a downward course, evidently having been deflected by coming in contact with the skull, and it was realized that it was only a matter of time until the end would come from the effects of the shot. From a friend of Mr. Schreckengost, one who had a long talk with him some days ago we learn that the latter stated that his sufferings from his ailments had been almost unbearable and that his head was constantly paining him. To this friend he said that the thoughts of losing his home, that he had worked so many years to make comfortable for himself and wife in their declining years, from the flooding of all that territory by the erection of the proposed water power dams on the Cowanshannock creek had been a great source of worry to him. To this friend he stated that he had but recently installed natural gas for heat and light in his house and also had put water in it and that when these dams would be built all that labor and comfort would be eliminated, and he did not know where he could go. It is evident that this so preyed upon his mind that he gradually grew partially mentally unsound, and that while laboring under an unusual attack of mental depression he had decided to end his earthly troubles, and so shot himself. Mr. Schreckengost was widely known, had a large family of children and a number of brothers and sisters, his children being as follows: Wood P. Schreckengost, of Neale; Mrs. Chad Rupp, of Rupp Church; Mrs. Moore, at home; Wagner, of Blanco; Mrs. Edward Waugaman and George Schreckengost, of Kittanning. His brothers and sisters were: David of Garrett's Run; Jonathan (dead) formerly of Kittanning; Alfred, of Echo; Mrs. Jacob Stivason, of Kittanning; Mrs. Fred Beck (dead) of Worthington; Mrs. Schreckengost, of near Blanco. Another brother, Peter, is also dead.
From: The Simpson's Leader-Times, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, on Friday May 16, 1913, Page 1 and 8
FIRES BULLET INTO BRAIN
Friday morning, a few minutes after five o'clock, Abraham H. Schreckengost, an aged and well-known as well as highly respected farmer residing near the Red Mills in Kittanning township, some five miles from Kittanning, fired a bullet into his head, the ball entering the center of his forehead, between the eyes and penetrating the brain. Mr. Schreckengost had been in ill health for several months and through his afflictions and suffering, it is believed he became somewhat mentally unbalanced. On Thursday he had loaded a short rifle for the purpose of shooting rats, it is said, and shortly after getting up Friday morning remarked he had not taken the load out of the gun. Picking up the weapon he started out. A moment later his wife, probably having a premonition, followed, just in time to hear the report of the rifle being discharged. He had walked only a few steps from the house and must have deliberately pointed or placed the muzzle of the gun at his forehead and fired it, being easily able, owing to the shortness of the weapon, to reach the trigger. When the wife reached him he was lying on the ground. The alarm was given, and a messenger hastened to the Rupp church and called up Doctor F. C. Monks, of this place, who called up Doctor Dent Allison and the two went out in the latter's auto. When they reached there they found the injured man lying in bed surrounded by his family and neighbors. He was in a comatose condition, breathing heavily, but when spoken to in a loud tone of voice evidently could hear the sound. There were no powder marks on the forehead, although the underside of the rim of his hat was scorched and powder stained. The ball penetrated the brain, taken a downward course, evidently having been deflected by coming in contact with the skull, and it was realized that it was only a matter of time until the end would come from the effects of the shot. From a friend of Mr. Schreckengost, one who had a long talk with him some days ago we learn that the latter stated that his sufferings from his ailments had been almost unbearable and that his head was constantly paining him. To this friend he said that the thoughts of losing his home, that he had worked so many years to make comfortable for himself and wife in their declining years, from the flooding of all that territory by the erection of the proposed water power dams on the Cowanshannock creek had been a great source of worry to him. To this friend he stated that he had but recently installed natural gas for heat and light in his house and also had put water in it and that when these dams would be built all that labor and comfort would be eliminated, and he did not know where he could go. It is evident that this so preyed upon his mind that he gradually grew partially mentally unsound, and that while laboring under an unusual attack of mental depression he had decided to end his earthly troubles, and so shot himself. Mr. Schreckengost was widely known, had a large family of children and a number of brothers and sisters, his children being as follows: Wood P. Schreckengost, of Neale; Mrs. Chad Rupp, of Rupp Church; Mrs. Moore, at home; Wagner, of Blanco; Mrs. Edward Waugaman and George Schreckengost, of Kittanning. His brothers and sisters were: David of Garrett's Run; Jonathan (dead) formerly of Kittanning; Alfred, of Echo; Mrs. Jacob Stivason, of Kittanning; Mrs. Fred Beck (dead) of Worthington; Mrs. Schreckengost, of near Blanco. Another brother, Peter, is also dead.
From: The Simpson's Leader-Times, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, on Friday May 16, 1913, Page 1 and 8
Friday morning, a few minutes after five o'clock, Abraham H. Schreckengost, an aged and well-known as well as highly respected farmer residing near the Red Mills in Kittanning township, some five miles from Kittanning, fired a bullet into his head, the ball entering the center of his forehead, between the eyes and penetrating the brain. Mr. Schreckengost had been in ill health for several months and through his afflictions and suffering, it is believed he became somewhat mentally unbalanced. On Thursday he had loaded a short rifle for the purpose of shooting rats, it is said, and shortly after getting up Friday morning remarked he had not taken the load out of the gun. Picking up the weapon he started out. A moment later his wife, probably having a premonition, followed, just in time to hear the report of the rifle being discharged. He had walked only a few steps from the house and must have deliberately pointed or placed the muzzle of the gun at his forehead and fired it, being easily able, owing to the shortness of the weapon, to reach the trigger. When the wife reached him he was lying on the ground. The alarm was given, and a messenger hastened to the Rupp church and called up Doctor F. C. Monks, of this place, who called up Doctor Dent Allison and the two went out in the latter's auto. When they reached there they found the injured man lying in bed surrounded by his family and neighbors. He was in a comatose condition, breathing heavily, but when spoken to in a loud tone of voice evidently could hear the sound. There were no powder marks on the forehead, although the underside of the rim of his hat was scorched and powder stained. The ball penetrated the brain, taken a downward course, evidently having been deflected by coming in contact with the skull, and it was realized that it was only a matter of time until the end would come from the effects of the shot. From a friend of Mr. Schreckengost, one who had a long talk with him some days ago we learn that the latter stated that his sufferings from his ailments had been almost unbearable and that his head was constantly paining him. To this friend he said that the thoughts of losing his home, that he had worked so many years to make comfortable for himself and wife in their declining years, from the flooding of all that territory by the erection of the proposed water power dams on the Cowanshannock creek had been a great source of worry to him. To this friend he stated that he had but recently installed natural gas for heat and light in his house and also had put water in it and that when these dams would be built all that labor and comfort would be eliminated, and he did not know where he could go. It is evident that this so preyed upon his mind that he gradually grew partially mentally unsound, and that while laboring under an unusual attack of mental depression he had decided to end his earthly troubles, and so shot himself. Mr. Schreckengost was widely known, had a large family of children and a number of brothers and sisters, his children being as follows: Wood P. Schreckengost, of Neale; Mrs. Chad Rupp, of Rupp Church; Mrs. Moore, at home; Wagner, of Blanco; Mrs. Edward Waugaman and George Schreckengost, of Kittanning. His brothers and sisters were: David of Garrett's Run; Jonathan (dead) formerly of Kittanning; Alfred, of Echo; Mrs. Jacob Stivason, of Kittanning; Mrs. Fred Beck (dead) of Worthington; Mrs. Schreckengost, of near Blanco. Another brother, Peter, is also dead.
From: The Simpson's Leader-Times, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, on Friday May 16, 1913, Page 1 and 8
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