Adams Co Historical Museum Scrapbook 1943B
Wednesday, April 14, 1943
Infirmary Inmate Commits Suicide; John Durbin Takes Life By Hanging
The fear of moving to a strange home is blamed for the suicide early this morning of John T. Durbin, 81, blind resident of the county infirmary.
The lifeless body was found hanging from a rope thrown over a radiator pipe in his single room at the former country club building at 5:20 am by Sam Reinhart, Infirmary Superintendent.
A few hours later, Durbin and the other inmates were to be moved to their new $100,000 home, recently completed to replace the old infirmary destroyed by fire in August, 1941.
Superintendent Reinhart and other inmates told coroner Robert J. Zwick, who investigated, that Durbin had often said he would take his own life rather than move from the familiar surroundings of the country club building, which has been serving as an infirmary. Before he retired last night, Durbin reiterated his statement and asserted that "this is the last time you'll talk to me."
Coroner Zwick placed the time of death about 2:30 or 3 o'clock. Durbin, despite his total blindness, had managed in some manner to smuggle a rope into his room. He threw the rope over the radiator pipe, tied a loop around his neck and stepped off the bed. His feet were touching the floor when he was found. Death was caused by strangulation.
Durbin had been confined in the infirmary since becoming blind about two years ago. He was born in Monroe Township on May 20, 1861 and was never married. He was the last of his family and was a member of the Pleasant Valley Friends Church.
Only near survivors are two nieces, Mrs. Ora Mitchell and Mrs. Henry Cook of Decatur, and a nephew, O. H. Durbin of Watervliet, Mich.
The body will be removed to the Mitchell residence from the Zwick Funeral Home Thursday evening and may be viewed there until time for the services.
**
John T Durbin
in the Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
Name: John T Durbin
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 82
Marital status: Single
Birth Date: 15 May 1850
Birth Place: Monroe Twp Adams Co Ind
Death Date: 13 Apr 1943; suicide by hanging at Adams County Infirmary
Death Place: Rural, Adams, Indiana , USA
Father: Uhriah Durbin
Mother: Jane Smith
Informant: Mr. Ira Mitchell; Decatur, Ind.
Burial: April 16, 1943; Decatur Cem., Decatur, Ind.
Contributor: Karin King (47469179) •
**
1860 Indiana, Adams County, Monroe; enumerated August 4, 1860
Durbin, Uriah; 25 or 35; farm labor; 300/100 assets; b. OH
, Martha E. J.; 25; housework; OH
, George; 3; IN
, Robert E.; 2; IN
, John T.; 1/12; IN
**
Thank you to Barbara Baker Anderson (46887839) for the following message. She is correct that 1860 would be John's birth and I have changed it in his memorial.
• [email protected], has sent you the following message about a memorial you manage for John Durbin (39525679).
Message: I was researching this branch of my ancestry and I came across John's Findagrave memorial that you created. Every source I have found for John indicates his year of birth is actually 1860. His mother would have only been 16 when he was born, which I know is possible, but not probable in this situation. All census dates state or indicate birth year as 1860. Just some information I came across. Also, I found another son for Uriah and Jane, Alexander, who incidentally, was also a patient at the Infirmary. He was in in 1940 Census, but I couldn't find Thomas there in 1940, he was at his niece's (Ona Mitchell) house. I am unable to find death/burial information on him, perhaps also Decatur Cemetery...
Wednesday, April 14, 1943
Infirmary Inmate Commits Suicide; John Durbin Takes Life By Hanging
The fear of moving to a strange home is blamed for the suicide early this morning of John T. Durbin, 81, blind resident of the county infirmary.
The lifeless body was found hanging from a rope thrown over a radiator pipe in his single room at the former country club building at 5:20 am by Sam Reinhart, Infirmary Superintendent.
A few hours later, Durbin and the other inmates were to be moved to their new $100,000 home, recently completed to replace the old infirmary destroyed by fire in August, 1941.
Superintendent Reinhart and other inmates told coroner Robert J. Zwick, who investigated, that Durbin had often said he would take his own life rather than move from the familiar surroundings of the country club building, which has been serving as an infirmary. Before he retired last night, Durbin reiterated his statement and asserted that "this is the last time you'll talk to me."
Coroner Zwick placed the time of death about 2:30 or 3 o'clock. Durbin, despite his total blindness, had managed in some manner to smuggle a rope into his room. He threw the rope over the radiator pipe, tied a loop around his neck and stepped off the bed. His feet were touching the floor when he was found. Death was caused by strangulation.
Durbin had been confined in the infirmary since becoming blind about two years ago. He was born in Monroe Township on May 20, 1861 and was never married. He was the last of his family and was a member of the Pleasant Valley Friends Church.
Only near survivors are two nieces, Mrs. Ora Mitchell and Mrs. Henry Cook of Decatur, and a nephew, O. H. Durbin of Watervliet, Mich.
The body will be removed to the Mitchell residence from the Zwick Funeral Home Thursday evening and may be viewed there until time for the services.
**
John T Durbin
in the Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
Name: John T Durbin
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 82
Marital status: Single
Birth Date: 15 May 1850
Birth Place: Monroe Twp Adams Co Ind
Death Date: 13 Apr 1943; suicide by hanging at Adams County Infirmary
Death Place: Rural, Adams, Indiana , USA
Father: Uhriah Durbin
Mother: Jane Smith
Informant: Mr. Ira Mitchell; Decatur, Ind.
Burial: April 16, 1943; Decatur Cem., Decatur, Ind.
Contributor: Karin King (47469179) •
**
1860 Indiana, Adams County, Monroe; enumerated August 4, 1860
Durbin, Uriah; 25 or 35; farm labor; 300/100 assets; b. OH
, Martha E. J.; 25; housework; OH
, George; 3; IN
, Robert E.; 2; IN
, John T.; 1/12; IN
**
Thank you to Barbara Baker Anderson (46887839) for the following message. She is correct that 1860 would be John's birth and I have changed it in his memorial.
• [email protected], has sent you the following message about a memorial you manage for John Durbin (39525679).
Message: I was researching this branch of my ancestry and I came across John's Findagrave memorial that you created. Every source I have found for John indicates his year of birth is actually 1860. His mother would have only been 16 when he was born, which I know is possible, but not probable in this situation. All census dates state or indicate birth year as 1860. Just some information I came across. Also, I found another son for Uriah and Jane, Alexander, who incidentally, was also a patient at the Infirmary. He was in in 1940 Census, but I couldn't find Thomas there in 1940, he was at his niece's (Ona Mitchell) house. I am unable to find death/burial information on him, perhaps also Decatur Cemetery...
Adams Co Historical Museum Scrapbook 1943B
Wednesday, April 14, 1943
Infirmary Inmate Commits Suicide; John Durbin Takes Life By Hanging
The fear of moving to a strange home is blamed for the suicide early this morning of John T. Durbin, 81, blind resident of the county infirmary.
The lifeless body was found hanging from a rope thrown over a radiator pipe in his single room at the former country club building at 5:20 am by Sam Reinhart, Infirmary Superintendent.
A few hours later, Durbin and the other inmates were to be moved to their new $100,000 home, recently completed to replace the old infirmary destroyed by fire in August, 1941.
Superintendent Reinhart and other inmates told coroner Robert J. Zwick, who investigated, that Durbin had often said he would take his own life rather than move from the familiar surroundings of the country club building, which has been serving as an infirmary. Before he retired last night, Durbin reiterated his statement and asserted that "this is the last time you'll talk to me."
Coroner Zwick placed the time of death about 2:30 or 3 o'clock. Durbin, despite his total blindness, had managed in some manner to smuggle a rope into his room. He threw the rope over the radiator pipe, tied a loop around his neck and stepped off the bed. His feet were touching the floor when he was found. Death was caused by strangulation.
Durbin had been confined in the infirmary since becoming blind about two years ago. He was born in Monroe Township on May 20, 1861 and was never married. He was the last of his family and was a member of the Pleasant Valley Friends Church.
Only near survivors are two nieces, Mrs. Ora Mitchell and Mrs. Henry Cook of Decatur, and a nephew, O. H. Durbin of Watervliet, Mich.
The body will be removed to the Mitchell residence from the Zwick Funeral Home Thursday evening and may be viewed there until time for the services.
**
John T Durbin
in the Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
Name: John T Durbin
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 82
Marital status: Single
Birth Date: 15 May 1850
Birth Place: Monroe Twp Adams Co Ind
Death Date: 13 Apr 1943; suicide by hanging at Adams County Infirmary
Death Place: Rural, Adams, Indiana , USA
Father: Uhriah Durbin
Mother: Jane Smith
Informant: Mr. Ira Mitchell; Decatur, Ind.
Burial: April 16, 1943; Decatur Cem., Decatur, Ind.
Contributor: Karin King (47469179) •
**
1860 Indiana, Adams County, Monroe; enumerated August 4, 1860
Durbin, Uriah; 25 or 35; farm labor; 300/100 assets; b. OH
, Martha E. J.; 25; housework; OH
, George; 3; IN
, Robert E.; 2; IN
, John T.; 1/12; IN
**
Thank you to Barbara Baker Anderson (46887839) for the following message. She is correct that 1860 would be John's birth and I have changed it in his memorial.
• [email protected], has sent you the following message about a memorial you manage for John Durbin (39525679).
Message: I was researching this branch of my ancestry and I came across John's Findagrave memorial that you created. Every source I have found for John indicates his year of birth is actually 1860. His mother would have only been 16 when he was born, which I know is possible, but not probable in this situation. All census dates state or indicate birth year as 1860. Just some information I came across. Also, I found another son for Uriah and Jane, Alexander, who incidentally, was also a patient at the Infirmary. He was in in 1940 Census, but I couldn't find Thomas there in 1940, he was at his niece's (Ona Mitchell) house. I am unable to find death/burial information on him, perhaps also Decatur Cemetery...
Wednesday, April 14, 1943
Infirmary Inmate Commits Suicide; John Durbin Takes Life By Hanging
The fear of moving to a strange home is blamed for the suicide early this morning of John T. Durbin, 81, blind resident of the county infirmary.
The lifeless body was found hanging from a rope thrown over a radiator pipe in his single room at the former country club building at 5:20 am by Sam Reinhart, Infirmary Superintendent.
A few hours later, Durbin and the other inmates were to be moved to their new $100,000 home, recently completed to replace the old infirmary destroyed by fire in August, 1941.
Superintendent Reinhart and other inmates told coroner Robert J. Zwick, who investigated, that Durbin had often said he would take his own life rather than move from the familiar surroundings of the country club building, which has been serving as an infirmary. Before he retired last night, Durbin reiterated his statement and asserted that "this is the last time you'll talk to me."
Coroner Zwick placed the time of death about 2:30 or 3 o'clock. Durbin, despite his total blindness, had managed in some manner to smuggle a rope into his room. He threw the rope over the radiator pipe, tied a loop around his neck and stepped off the bed. His feet were touching the floor when he was found. Death was caused by strangulation.
Durbin had been confined in the infirmary since becoming blind about two years ago. He was born in Monroe Township on May 20, 1861 and was never married. He was the last of his family and was a member of the Pleasant Valley Friends Church.
Only near survivors are two nieces, Mrs. Ora Mitchell and Mrs. Henry Cook of Decatur, and a nephew, O. H. Durbin of Watervliet, Mich.
The body will be removed to the Mitchell residence from the Zwick Funeral Home Thursday evening and may be viewed there until time for the services.
**
John T Durbin
in the Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
Name: John T Durbin
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 82
Marital status: Single
Birth Date: 15 May 1850
Birth Place: Monroe Twp Adams Co Ind
Death Date: 13 Apr 1943; suicide by hanging at Adams County Infirmary
Death Place: Rural, Adams, Indiana , USA
Father: Uhriah Durbin
Mother: Jane Smith
Informant: Mr. Ira Mitchell; Decatur, Ind.
Burial: April 16, 1943; Decatur Cem., Decatur, Ind.
Contributor: Karin King (47469179) •
**
1860 Indiana, Adams County, Monroe; enumerated August 4, 1860
Durbin, Uriah; 25 or 35; farm labor; 300/100 assets; b. OH
, Martha E. J.; 25; housework; OH
, George; 3; IN
, Robert E.; 2; IN
, John T.; 1/12; IN
**
Thank you to Barbara Baker Anderson (46887839) for the following message. She is correct that 1860 would be John's birth and I have changed it in his memorial.
• [email protected], has sent you the following message about a memorial you manage for John Durbin (39525679).
Message: I was researching this branch of my ancestry and I came across John's Findagrave memorial that you created. Every source I have found for John indicates his year of birth is actually 1860. His mother would have only been 16 when he was born, which I know is possible, but not probable in this situation. All census dates state or indicate birth year as 1860. Just some information I came across. Also, I found another son for Uriah and Jane, Alexander, who incidentally, was also a patient at the Infirmary. He was in in 1940 Census, but I couldn't find Thomas there in 1940, he was at his niece's (Ona Mitchell) house. I am unable to find death/burial information on him, perhaps also Decatur Cemetery...
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