The Evening News, Lincoln, NE
20 May 1896
Dismisses his own case
John Carberry commits suicide to avoid trial for cattle rustling

A telegram from O'Neill says that John Carberry of Stuart committed suicide yesterday morning by shooting himself with a 38-calibre revolver, killing himself instantly.

Carberry was arrested a week ago, charged with complicity in stealing the Cross cattle last December. He was brought to this city last Tuesday, waived preliminary examination and was bound over to the district court in the sum of $500.00.

His bondsmen became uneasy and came to this city and asked to be released, and Sheriff Hamilton went up there Monday night to get him. The sheriff went to Carberry's in the morning and told him that he would have to go with him. Carberry said he would go, but not to O'Neill.

He then went into the house, got a revolver and started for the barn, and on the way there he shot once, but missed. He then placed the gun to his temple and shot himself before the sheriff could reach him. An inquest was held, but no verdict was rendered.
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Atkinson Graphic
May 21,1896
CARBERRY SUICIDES
By the Aim of a Pistol His Weary Spirit Wings its Flight to That Unexplored Land

Last Tuesday morning about 9 o'clock John Carberry, a resident of Stuart, but a former resident of Atkinson, having come through here twenty years ago, walked through his house from the front to the back porch, saw the sheriff coming, placed a revolver to the right side of his head, back of the ear, and fired with deadly effects. Thus ends the life of an old man whose cup of bitterness was filled to the brim.

The causes which led up to this tragic event are about as follows: he was arrested May 12, taken to O'Neill and placed under $800 bonds for being implicated with his son Thomas, John Fanton and Oliver Holmquest in the stealing of Timothy Cross' cattle. Thomas was convicted about two months ago, but was out on $800 bonds pending a motion for a new trial. He was to have had his hearing last Sat before Judge Kinkaid, but after his father was arrested left for parts unknown, forfeiting his bonds. After he left John Carberry's bondsmen became alarmed, fearing he might also skip, and withdrew from the bond. The sheriff came up from O'Neil to take him in charge, pending the furnishing of a new bond, and was on the way to the house to take him to the train when the shooting occurred.

As to his guilt or innocence, a charitable people will give him the benefit of a doubt. That his mind was unbalanced, there can be no question, as he has been acting queerly for some time. His wife and children have the sympathy of their old neighbors and friends in this hour of affliction.
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Excerpt from "FAMILY DATA, PERSONALITIES, IMPRESSIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS" by Edward Carberry Francis Caddy written in April 1991

One afternoon in 1896 some men came by the farm with some horses and said they were friends of Uncle Tom's. They asked grandfather if they could put them in his pasture over night and he agreed. They left and didn't come back. The next day the Sheriff came by and said the horses were stolen and accused grandfather of being in cahoots with the thieves. The men and Uncle Tom skipped out and left grandfather to face the law. He was the leading citizen in the area but as I mentioned before he had created some bad feelings because of his loan business. Also he had brought in some German Catholics and there was no love lost between the Germans and the Irish as I found out much later when I started to the Sisters Parochial school there as a small boy. In any event there was a lot of talk and grandfather's pride was hurt. One night when head sat at the kitchen table a long time brooding and drinking, he got up and went out to the barn and shot himself. They said grandmother almost went insane with grief. She was tearing her hair out by the handfuls and they had to hold her to stop her. Uncle Tom didn't know anything about it until some months later. He was contrite and forgiven by the family but undoubtedly there was a flaw in his character. The family moved to Deadwood, South Dakota except for Aunt Maggie and her family. Grandmother moved back to Stuart some years later. Uncle Frank Bigelow bought the farm and house at a tax sale and later built grandmother a small cottage next door where she remained the rest of her life. My sister Helen lived there with grandmother, went to school and was married there. I also lived with her for a few months when I started to school. I have newspaper accounts of grandfather's tragic death, copies of which are attached to this section.