John was born in Fairfield Tenn. Family moved to Austin when he was two. John at age 20 joined the Frontier Forces on 6th September 1870 as a Private. Because of health issues he was discharged after six months. John was a painter like his father and owned Sharp Painting and Paper Hangers in Austin. John married Mary Metz in 1876. They had four children three of them died very young,only Laura lived to age 25. Mary Metz died in 1892 and five years latter John married Rosana Deison in 1897. John was a volunteer fireman and a Woodmen of the World member. John worked on the Capital building as a stone cutter in 1886. John had cancer and ended his life with a old 45 caliber pistol in 1908 on his front porch in North Austin on San Gabriel St. THE AUSTIN DAILY STATESMAN, Friday, May 29,1908. BLOWS OFF TOP OF HEAD. John E. Sharp, a contracting painter and paper hanger,takes his life in a dramatic manner. SEATED ON GALLERY. Deed is committed in full view of men working in front of house,One shot being fired in the air. John E. Sharp, a contracting painter and paperhanger, about 55 years of age, suffered death from shooting at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. An inquest was held by Justice of the Peace M. M. Johnson who found that the deceased had died by his own hand. The tragedy took place at the home of the deceased, corner San Gabriel and Thirty-first street, and was witnessed by a number of men employed on the street gang who were working in front of the house, Sharp first placed a chair on the gallery and after seating himself in it fired one shot in the air, attracting attention his way, before he placed the pistol to his temple and blew off the top of his head. Jim Bond, more familliarly known as "Big Red" was one of the witnesses. He said that a little while before he had gone to the house to ask for a drink of water and Sharp had given him not only water, but a mug of beer and a chew of tobacco as well, and afterwards asked that some dirt be placed by the street gang on his walk to fill some holes. Bond had done as he requested; Sharp waching the while, after which the former continued with his work and the latter returned to his house, A few moments later he brought a chair out on the gallery and seated hinself in it. Bond went on with his work until the sound of a pistol shot attracted his attention and he turned in time to see some twigs fall out of a tree above Sharp's head, he having evidently fired in the air. He then saw Sharp place the pistol to the right side of his temple, holding it with both hands, and pull the trigger. It was done so quickly that Bond had no time to cry out or to interfere. The weapon used was an old style 45-caliber and the force of the shot blew off the top of the man's head. He continued to sit upright in the chair, the pistol falling to the floor and his arms hanging at his side.The police station was at once notified and Officer Mayfield was soon at the scene, followed closely by City Physician J.M. Loving and Justice of the Peace M. M. Johnson. It was found that death had been instantaneous and as soon as the inquest had been held the remains were turned over to Undertaker Rosengren to prepare for burial. Officer mayfield stated that the force of the explosion appeared to have lifted off the top of the man's skull, one eye was shot out,but the other was open and unhurt. The brains had fallen out and were lying on the floor in one mass; a piece of the skull without a trace of blood on it was lying about twenty feet away and another piece, badly powder burnt, about ten feet away. Blotches of blood, flesh and hair were seen on one of the gallery posts and the wall of the house. No reason is assigned for the deed except that work had been slack and Sharp was despondent. A short tine before he had been out to purchase a pitcher of beer and a plug of tobacco and when talking with Bond he appered interested in life. He had a good business and was regarded in fairly prosperous circumstances. Surriving him are his widow, who was away from the house visiting a friend at the tine of the tragedy; a married daughter and several brothers and sisters.--- FUNERAL NOTICE ---- John Eli Sharp died about 5 o'clock Thursday afternoon, May 28, aged 57 years. The funeral will be conducted at 10 O'clock tomorrow (saturday) morning from the family residence, 3006 San Gabriel street. Charles Martin Sharp said John E. Sharp had cancer, John had seen his father die of stomach cancer and did not want to go thru that.
John was born in Fairfield Tenn. Family moved to Austin when he was two. John at age 20 joined the Frontier Forces on 6th September 1870 as a Private. Because of health issues he was discharged after six months. John was a painter like his father and owned Sharp Painting and Paper Hangers in Austin. John married Mary Metz in 1876. They had four children three of them died very young,only Laura lived to age 25. Mary Metz died in 1892 and five years latter John married Rosana Deison in 1897. John was a volunteer fireman and a Woodmen of the World member. John worked on the Capital building as a stone cutter in 1886. John had cancer and ended his life with a old 45 caliber pistol in 1908 on his front porch in North Austin on San Gabriel St. THE AUSTIN DAILY STATESMAN, Friday, May 29,1908. BLOWS OFF TOP OF HEAD. John E. Sharp, a contracting painter and paper hanger,takes his life in a dramatic manner. SEATED ON GALLERY. Deed is committed in full view of men working in front of house,One shot being fired in the air. John E. Sharp, a contracting painter and paperhanger, about 55 years of age, suffered death from shooting at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. An inquest was held by Justice of the Peace M. M. Johnson who found that the deceased had died by his own hand. The tragedy took place at the home of the deceased, corner San Gabriel and Thirty-first street, and was witnessed by a number of men employed on the street gang who were working in front of the house, Sharp first placed a chair on the gallery and after seating himself in it fired one shot in the air, attracting attention his way, before he placed the pistol to his temple and blew off the top of his head. Jim Bond, more familliarly known as "Big Red" was one of the witnesses. He said that a little while before he had gone to the house to ask for a drink of water and Sharp had given him not only water, but a mug of beer and a chew of tobacco as well, and afterwards asked that some dirt be placed by the street gang on his walk to fill some holes. Bond had done as he requested; Sharp waching the while, after which the former continued with his work and the latter returned to his house, A few moments later he brought a chair out on the gallery and seated hinself in it. Bond went on with his work until the sound of a pistol shot attracted his attention and he turned in time to see some twigs fall out of a tree above Sharp's head, he having evidently fired in the air. He then saw Sharp place the pistol to the right side of his temple, holding it with both hands, and pull the trigger. It was done so quickly that Bond had no time to cry out or to interfere. The weapon used was an old style 45-caliber and the force of the shot blew off the top of the man's head. He continued to sit upright in the chair, the pistol falling to the floor and his arms hanging at his side.The police station was at once notified and Officer Mayfield was soon at the scene, followed closely by City Physician J.M. Loving and Justice of the Peace M. M. Johnson. It was found that death had been instantaneous and as soon as the inquest had been held the remains were turned over to Undertaker Rosengren to prepare for burial. Officer mayfield stated that the force of the explosion appeared to have lifted off the top of the man's skull, one eye was shot out,but the other was open and unhurt. The brains had fallen out and were lying on the floor in one mass; a piece of the skull without a trace of blood on it was lying about twenty feet away and another piece, badly powder burnt, about ten feet away. Blotches of blood, flesh and hair were seen on one of the gallery posts and the wall of the house. No reason is assigned for the deed except that work had been slack and Sharp was despondent. A short tine before he had been out to purchase a pitcher of beer and a plug of tobacco and when talking with Bond he appered interested in life. He had a good business and was regarded in fairly prosperous circumstances. Surriving him are his widow, who was away from the house visiting a friend at the tine of the tragedy; a married daughter and several brothers and sisters.--- FUNERAL NOTICE ---- John Eli Sharp died about 5 o'clock Thursday afternoon, May 28, aged 57 years. The funeral will be conducted at 10 O'clock tomorrow (saturday) morning from the family residence, 3006 San Gabriel street. Charles Martin Sharp said John E. Sharp had cancer, John had seen his father die of stomach cancer and did not want to go thru that.
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