Julius Edgar Gedney died Friday June 26, 1914 of carbolic acid poisoning at the Union train station in Wichita Kansas. He was born January 30, 1849 on a farm north of Wever in Lee County Iowa to Joseph B. and Sarah (Linch) Gedney. He was the oldest of 10 children. His family moved to a farm south of Centerville in Pleasant Township in Appanoose County in 1853. When he was 13 years old, his father left home to serve as a Captain in the Union Army from September, 1862 to August, 1865; part of that time as a POW at Camp Ford near Tyler Texas.
He married Charlotte Ann Adamson on September 3, 1869 in Appanoose County Iowa. They had eight children. Alice, Joseph, and Mary died in infancy. Della Lynn, Ida Jones, Martha Donohue, Benjamin, and Edgar as well as his wife were living at the time of his death.
Census records and newspaper articles showing his location and occupation:
1870 Census, Farmer near to father-in-law's farm in Appanoose County.
1880 Census, Farmer near Strawberry in Washington County Kansas. Shows Dell 4 and Joseph 2 both born in Missouri.
1882 Ida born in Brookfield, Linn County, MO
1885 Census for Kansas, Nothing listed for employment. Family living with widowed mother-in-law in Luka Township, Pratt County, Kansas.
1887 September note in Centerville newspaper of coming back from Lineville, Iowa.
1888 Ben born in Lineville, Wayne Co Iowa
1893 Edgar born in Appanoose County.
1895 Census for Iowa, Carpenter in Appanoose County Iowa.
1898 January note in the Unionville newspaper about living in West Liberty, Missouri near Unionville.
1900 Census, Weigh Boss in Lincoln Twp, Putnam County Missouri. Shows Martha 15 born in Kansas and Benjamin 10 and Edgar 7 both born in Iowa.
1901 listed as a Postmaster in Putnam County. Resigned Aug 1902.
1910 Census, Bridgeman living in Parsons, Kansas.
1911 City directory listed as a laborer in Parsons KS.
1914 City directory listed as a lamp man in Parson KS.

The following account of Mr. Gedney's mental health issues leading up to his death is from the July 28, 1914 Centerville Semi-Weekly Iowegian newspaper.

JULIUS E. GEDNEY DISCOURAGED IN KANSAS HARVEST WENT TO DEPOT TO LEAVE FOR HOME AND WAS FOUND A SHORT TIME AFTERWARDS
The following account of the death of Julius E. Gedney is from the Wichita, Kansas Deacon, of June 27. He was a former resident of this county, the oldest son of Capt. J. B. Gedney. The clipping was sent in a letter from Jas. R. Frost of Carrier, Oklahoma to Moses Linch of Independence township. Following the Wichita Beacon article is the letter accompanying it written by Mr. Frost telling of visit of Mr. Gedney to his place shortly before his death.
Account from the Beacon
"You're too old to work in the harvest field," a harvest hand scout from Western Kansas told J. E. Gedney, 60 years old, of Parsons Kansas, yesterday when he asked for work.
Three hours later the man was found dead In the Union Station smoking room. An empty bottle labeled "Carbolic Acid" and burned lips told how the oId man had died.
Mr. Gedney came to Wichita several days ago to join the harvest hand army. Relatives tried to dissuade him. They told him he was too old. He laughed at them and said he could still do a man's work. He made frequent applications for work but because of his age and inability to compete with younger men he could not secure a position.
Union Station employees paid special attention to him and dually secured a meeting between him and a labor scout. When told that he was too old to work, the old man dejectedly walked from the station. He returned later to the smoking room. While away he purchased the carbolic acid.
The man had been, dead a half hour when found yesterday afternoon by a porter. He was half reclining on a bench and was thought to be asleep. A short time before his death he told Officer Eagle that he was worried because a Larned friend to whom he had lent five dollars had not paid it back. The same man is said to have fleeced other hands. The old man had pawned his watch. Thirty-seven cents was found in his pockets.
He is survived by a widow and two children. Stingley & Ayers were notified today by the police department of Parsons to hold the body until relatives arrived.
Letter From Mr. Frost
The following is the letter from Mr. Frost to Mr. Linch dated July 5:
"Julius came here about five or six weeks ago to harvest. He went to our son Clyde's after staying here three or four days, helped Clyde some in alfalfa haying and chored a little. Tried to shock wheat, gave out first day, came back to our house and stayed several days. I tried to get him to go home, told him not to try to harvest. He said he could get $1.25 a day at home, easy work, lighting lamps in switch yard. He seemed to want to stay. Said he could pitch bundles to machine or stack. He plowed 20 acres of kaffir corn for me, and shocked a little wheat. I might say he and I visited and shocked wheat. He hired to a man to pitch bundles to machine, but did not go, then agreed to help a man at stacking, but did not seem to want to wait for the job. Then said he would go home, which I advised him to do. We had a very pleasant visit. I took him to the depot. Seemed all the time in good spirits. Had good enough clothes, quite a grip full of them. Did not talk much about his family- at one time spoke of family troubles and went back of the barn and cried like his heart would break. We talked a great deal about church and Christianity. He said at different times he was ready to go at any time.
Wheat has been making 25 to 33 bushels. We are all well as usual. I read the Centerville Iowegian. June was a dry month here. Had a rain Friday night, needed it bad. Wife made cheese all spring till got so warm, got 20 to 23 cents per pound, made 7 to 9 pounds a day.