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 1863 - 1899 (36 years)
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| Name |
Daniel E Montgomery [1] |
| Birth |
1863 |
Sullivan, Missouri, USA  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Burial |
1899 |
Milan, Sullivan, Missouri, USA [1] |
- Montgomery Family Cemetery
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| Death |
21 Aug 1899 |
Sullivan, Missouri, USA [1] |
| Cause: Murder and Suicide |
| Notes |
- Milan Republican August 24, 1899 WORK OF AN INSANE MAN. D. E. Montgomery in a Fit of Insanity Kills Himself and Wife. A MOST SHOCKING TRAGEDY The Bloody Deed Committed with a Hammer and Razor - The Unfortunate Wife dies from seven Wounds in the Head - Man Cuts His Throat. News was phoned to Milan early Tuesday morning of the most terrible tragedy in the history of our county at the home of D. E. Montgomery's living about 14 miles northwest of Milan. The only thing learned was that Mr. Montgomery had killed himself and terribly wounded his wife, and calling on Coroner Rhea to come at once to the scene of the tragedy. He at once spread the news and in a short while Coroner Rhea, Squire R. H. McClanahan, N. J. Harty and the REPUBLICAN editor started for the scene. About ten o'clock we arrived at the home of the unfortunate man and wife and there beheld a scene so ghastly and so awful as to shock the stoutest heart. All reports were but faint, representations of the actual facts. There lying about ten feet from the south door of his dwelling was the ghastly form of the dead man with his throat severed from ear to ear, clear to the cervicle vertebrae, clad only in his night clothes and still clutching in his hand, now stiffened by death, a razor - the terrible instrument of his death. Just a few feet away in the bed room, surrounded by doctors and friends lay the bleeding form of his wife, her skull and face crushed by seven distinct blows from a heavy hammer. The harrowing sight once seen could never be forgotten. Ordered by the Coroner and the neighbors the body of the dead man was lifted from the place where it had fallen and tenderly prepared for burial. After recovering somewhat from the terrible shock we began to inquire of the cause of the awful tragedy and were informed substantially as follows: On the evening before, the man, his wife, a small son, eleven years of age, and young Stroud a hired hand, went to bed as usual about 9:30 o'clock. In the evening Mr. Montgomery had talked with his family as usual and his cousin, Alva Montgomery had spent the forepart of the evening with the family. Nothing unusual was noticed in the actions of the husband and no premonition of the awful deed soon to be committed came to his family. About 2 o'clock in the morning Nova, the eleven year old son, who was sleeping by himself in a room close by that occupied by the man and his wife, was awakened by a scream or wail in his parents' bed room, and listening a moment, heard his mother ask for a rag to wipe off the blood. Shortly after he heard his father come into his room and go to a mantle shelf and hunt for something. The room being dark he did not find what he wanted and went out of the room, lit a lamp and came back, went to the mantle shelf and got a razor. The boy became frightened and as his father was passing from the room raised up in bed. The father seeing him turned toward him and says, "I have killed your mother and am going to kill you and me." The boy cried; "o, no don't do that." "Yes I will," answered the father then went out of the room. As soon as his father left the room the terror stricken boy climbed out of bed went to the north door and with a presence of mind rarely seen took the spring from the screen door so as to prevent the door from making a noise and went out into the yard and hid in a turkey coop in the corner of the yard. His insane father went out at the south side and called him two or three times. The boy fearing that he would be discovered, climbed over the fence, crawled along the fence for a distance of a hundred yards and then ran to his uncle, Wm. Murdock's about a quarter of a mile and without hat or clothes, except his night shirt, told the awful story as we have detailed above. The neighbors were at once aroused and started for the scene. J. T. Watson accompanied by G. W. Riggen, of this city, and others made a search about the yard first, not knowing whether the man was dead or alive. They finally went into the house with a lantern and after searching the rooms finally came to the bed room where lying in her night clothes in her own life blood they discovered the form of Mrs. Montgomery, all bloody and almost unrecognizable. Dr. Bradley, of Judson, had arrived by this time and the wounded woman was lifted onto the bed and cared for, about this time some party going around the home saw the form of the man as described above, lying just as we first saw him. This is in short the story of the shocking tragedy known to our county. The woman lingered between life and death all day and finally death relieved her of her suffering Tuesday night, and she and her husband, both victims of an insane man, were buried in the Thomas Graveyard in the presence of the largest concourse of people ever seen at the funeral there. The cause of this awful deed is believed by everyone to be insanity. No trouble had come between man and wife. The man was the son of Judge Thomas Montgomery, deceased, and Mary A. Montgomery who still lives. The wife was the youngest daughter of Judge Watson, deceased, and was one of the best of wives and mothers and loved by all who knew her. They were both in the prime of life with good prospects of life and nothing but the frenzy which comes from a deceased brain, which the world knows as insanity, could cause Dan Montgomery to commit the awful deed.
36 The REPUBLICAN extends its sincere sympathy to all who are stricken by this awful sorrow. Below is the inquest. Coroners Inquest. State of Missouri, } County of Sullivan, } ss At an inquest held before the undersigned, a J.P., in Liberty township, in said county, (the coroner being unable to hold the same) on the 22nd day of Aug., 1890, at the farm residence of the deceased, in Liberty township over the dead body of Dan E. Montgomery, who was supposed to have come to his death by his own hands, the following testimony of witnesses was taken before the Justice and the jury, and was then and there reduced to writing and subscribed by the witnesses: W. M. Murdock, of lawful age being duly sworn, stated that: Of my own knowledge I don't know a thing, but the little boy, Dan's son, came to my house between one and two o'clock this morning, hollowed at the window hello. I asked him what was the matter, I knew his voice, and he said his pa had killed his ma. He said his pa came into the room where I slept with a light in one hand and a razor in the other, said he was going to kill me then himself. He got out of the room and hid in a turkey coop, or a box for covering up chickens. His pa was hunting for him at this time and when he had an opportunity he escaped. As he left the yard he heard his mother scream, and came up to my house and related just what I have told you. This same conversation has been repeated by him several times. The working may not be the same but the substance is precisely the same - Q. Was he in the little boy's room more than once? A. He did not say whether he was or not. Q. Did the little boy say whether he was awake when his father came into the room? A. He has made two statements about this very same thing. I thought the report of a gun awoke me and I heard by ma groaning as I left the room. Q. Did he come to your house with his clothes on? A. No, he just had on his night clothes and bare headed. John T. Watson, brother-in-law of the deceased testified as follows: I don't know very much about it. The first intimation I had about it Mr. Murdock came to my house a little before 3 o'clock, it struck three while he was there. He said that, Nova Montgomery had come to his place and said that Dan Montgomery, his father, had killed his mother and said he was going to kill him and then kill himself. Then I went to the telephone to tell everyone I could raise to come to my place and go with me down here to investigate. I came down here and found no light, I went to Mr. Murdock's for a lantern, there were several men with me. When I came back with the lantern we came to the house and called the deceased several times, hearing no reply I took the lantern and went to the north door of the west room and looked through the screen and saw no one, and came to the north door of the east room and we came in the house and looked into the south room and then we passed into the middle room, saw no one, and then went into the west room, saw no one there, and then we went to the southwest bed room, there we found Mrs. Montgomery lying on the floor between the bed and the door. We lifted her on the bed and Dr. U. S. Bradley examined her wounds. She appeared to be unconscious. As soon as we found her we researched the house and found no on. Some one called my attention and said: "here he is lying out here." I just merely went to him and saw that he was dead lying on his back with his throat cut. I then left and went up home after my wife. I Don't know that I noticed anything else. Nova E. Montgomery the eleven year-old son of the deceased, testified as follows: "I went to bed last night and pa seemed to be all right. I went to bed about 8 or 9 o'clock. I sleep in the northeast room. My father and mother slept in the southwest room of the house. I was awakened about five minutes before 2 o'clock by the screaming of my mother. My mother screamed and I heard her ask my father for a rag and my father did not answer her. There was no light burning. My pa came into my room where I was sleeping and hunted around on the mantle shelf for something I don't know what, and then went out into my mother's room. Then he lit a light and came in my room and got the razor off of the mantle. As he went out of the door I raised up and look out after him. He looked around and says I have killed your ma and I intend to kill you and me. I says Oh, Pa. Don't do that. He did not answer me but went on to my mother's room. I got up and opened the screen door and slipped down and hid in the turkey box in the corner of the yard. I thought that would not be a safe place. I thought he would find me there. I climbed over the fence and slipped up the road. I heard him say Oh Nove, or I heard my mother say Oh! I ran to Mr. Murdock's it was twenty minutes till 2 o'clock. I am the son of Dan E. Montgomery, the deceased and am 11 years old." Q. When you pa came in the room was he in his night clothes? A. Yes Sir. Q. Did you observe any blood on your father's clothing when he came into the room? A. No Sir, I did not. Q. Did your father seem to be excited when he came into the room? A. He seemed as calm as he always is. Q. Did you ever hear your pa make any threats about taking your ma's life? A. Not that I ever heard. Q. Nova did you notice anything wrong about your father. Did he seem to be melancholy or despondent? A. Not that I noticed. He did not seem to be as talkative as he used to, he has been feeling bad ever since harvest began, and been feeling dry. He was getting ready to leave for Lineville springs for his health. Geo. W. Riggen testified as follos: We came to the house this morning between four and five o'clock, and when we came into the house Mr. John Watson came in first and after he had discovered Mrs. Montgomery in her condition in the be room he called for Dr. Bradley, and then I followed right in the bed room with Dr. Bradley and after we had gotten her up off the floor and on the bed Mr. Roach opened the door and says to us; "Look out here, here he lies." And after we had got through washing the blood off of Mrs. Montgomery Dr. Bradley and I went out to where Dan E. Montgomery, the deceased lay and there we discovered that his throat was cut and his razor was still held in his right hand. We examined him and found that he was dead. Dr. Bradley examined the wound very closely. I am satisfied in my own mind that he made the wound on the neck with his own hands. I believe that wound in the neck caused his death. VERDICT OF THE JURY We, the undersigned jurors impaneled and sworn on the 22nd day of August, 1899, in the township of Liberty, counto of Sullivan, State of Missouri, by R. H. McClanahan, a Justice of the Peace, in and for said township of Polk, acting as Coroner, to diligently inquire and true presentment make how the deceased, Dan E. Montgomery, whose body was found at his farm residence in Liberty township, on the 22nd day of August, 1899, came to his death, having viewed the body and heard the evidence do find that the deceased came to his death by his own hand by cutting his throat with a razor, and which the jury do find caused the immediate death of said Dan E. Montgomery, whose body was found aforesaid.
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| Person ID |
I13011 |
MontyHistNotes_II |
| Last Modified |
16 Mar 2024 |
| Father |
Thomas J Montgomery, b. 13 Jul 1834, Wayne, Ohio, USA d. 15 Feb 1893, Sullivan, Missouri, USA (Age 58 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Mary Caroline Baldridge, b. 1842, Sullivan, Missouri, USA d. 12 Feb 1902, Sullivan, Missouri, USA (Age 60 years) |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Marriage |
30 Jun 1860 |
Sullivan, Missouri, USA |
| Family ID |
F5909 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Catherine Watson, b. 31 Jan 1864, Sullivan, Missouri, USA d. 23 Aug 1899, Sullivan, Missouri, USA (Age 35 years) |
| Marriage |
11 Sep 1887 |
| Children |
| + | 1. Nova Ellsworth Montgomery, b. 1 Jul 1888, Sullivan, Missouri, USA d. 17 Aug 1943, Sullivan, Missouri, USA (Age 55 years) [Father: natural] |
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| Family ID |
F5983 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
16 Mar 2024 |
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| Sources |
- [S2936] Montgomery Family Cemetery, Sullivan, MO, (Name: Findagrave; Location: Milan, Sullivan, Missouri, USA;).
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