BINGHAMTON PRESS, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 8,1929, Johnson City -

Lying beside the grave of his first wife in Floral Park Cemetery, Abner Conklin, 73, of 9 North Broad street , blew his head off with a stick of dynamite, at 5:45 o'clock yesterday morning.

His body, with the head severed and pieces of it blown nearly 200 feet away, was discovered at 9 o'clock yesterday morning by an unidentified woman, who notified the Johnson City police. An investigation, begun Immediately by Chief of Police Ralph E. VanDusen, and Coroner J. Edgar Polg, whom the police notified, disclosed that Conklin had been in poor health for several weeks.

Mr. Conklin is believed to have brooded over his condition and this was borne out when the authorities found the following note signed "Abner Conklin " in a tin can a few feet away from the body: "My heart is broken. "May God have mercy on my soul. "Certain that a quantity of explosive was used by Mr. Conklin, Chief VanDusen is now attempting to trace its source.

He said this morning that thus far his investigation had brought no results. A canvass of all the stores in the Triple Cities disclosed that no dynamite was sold by them. VanDusen said that he intends to question one man, whom he believes is the only person in this vicinity dealing in high explosives.

Mr. Conklin had evidently planned his act well, for on the reverse side of the note found by the police, was written "Notify 39 Baldwin street or 21 Avenue D; Mrs. Beatrice Pipher, a daughter, lives at 39 Baldwin street,- but was out of town.

Willard Conklin, a son who resides at 21 Avenue D, was notified by the police. Willard Conklin said that he saw his father Saturday night and that he appeared in good spirits at the time. He said that his father had suffered from partial loss of his sight about, three months ago and that he also had heart trouble.

The authorities learned that Mr. Conklin arose early Sunday morning and left the house hurriedly .

They were able to fix the probable time of death by the report of Deputy Sheriff Howard Thompson and others who said they heard an explosion at about 5:45 o'clock. The body was removed at the request of the family to the undertaking establishment at 150 Main street., where the funeral will be held at 1:30 o'clock, tomorrow afternoon and will be private.

Burial will be in Floral Park Cemetery.

Besides the son and daughter mentioned above, the survivors are his wife, Hannah; five daughters, Mrs. Harry (Blanche) Finn of Binghamton, Mrs. Martin Doherty of Scranton, Mrs. Thomas (Florence) Daggers of Gouldsboro Pa., Miss Nellie Conklin of Johnson City, and Miss Elva Conklin of Scranton, PA; four sons, Aden W. Conklin of Westover, Russell Conklin and Roscoe C. Conklin of Gouldsboro and Frealing Conklin, of Johnson City, and a brother, Roscoe Conklin, of Meadow Hill, Pa.