A Suicide or a Murder?

The death certificate of my great grandfather YATES A. ADAMS shows the kind of information I wish I didn't have to read or believe. The fact that I have read the word "suicide" many times over the past 11 years doesn't help ease the pain and wondering. He has been a mystery to me, because I have no family records, photos or stories about him. I have always liked his name, Yates, I think it is unique (imagine if it was John Adams). My soon to be grandfather, Clarence F. Poole, was the informant and that is why there was so little personal information (he was dating my grandmother, and they married a year later).


At the time of his death, Yates was living and working in St. Louis, Missouri. His wife and daughter were living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The death certificate stated he was "out of employment."


His only child, Marjorie Anderson Adams was about 26. Yates had two sisters for whom I have little information, and a brother, John Anderson Adams, for whom I have a wealth of information and a good story for the future. Yates was born August 1860 possibly at Batavia, Genesee Co., New York. A little more on Yates, he married Sarah Belle Farmer on October 20, 1887 in Battle Creek, Michigan at the home of her father. Per the 1910 census, Yates, his wife and daughter were living in Detroit, Michigan.

Now, I am pondering the newspaper article sent to me several years ago. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the paper (but it was probably from Battle Creek, Michigan) nor do I know the date. And even worse, several words are missing on the Xeroxed page. Why didn't I notice that years ago? Maybe I could have gotten a better copy.


On the newspaper, somebody hand wrote a date of Mar 10, 1917 and circled the word Funeral. If this is a fact, then the funeral was on that date, as his body was removed from St. Louis, Missouri (death place) to Battle Creek, Michigan on March 7th for burial.


The newspaper article, written a few days after the death certificate preparation, had differing bits of information.


1. Instead of a suicide, the paper states, "His Death Remains a Deep Mystery" not just a plain mystery, but a deep one.


2. Yates "was found in the basement of the L. M. Rumsey Manufacturing company, by whom he was employed." The death certificate stated he was unemployed. Late at night, at his company of employment, he was writing letters, "in a happy frame of mine" and was planning on meeting somebody in New York City. Yates apparently was asked to resign, but he was still at the company.  If he was writing personal letters and was happy, why would he shoot himself?


According to the newspaper writer, "the  supposition is" Yates was shot by a thief. That is what I want to believe. What are the facts?  There must be more.


Unfortunately, the newspaper article is missing some information on the right side. Since I don't know the title, I will have to spend time on getting a full copy. Also research further to see if there is a conclusion. Was the thief ever caught? I am hoping I can follow-up this article on a future "Looking Back" post. Any suggestions as to where I can get this information or hire an inexpensive researcher or a qualified volunteer whom I would pay to do this for me?


Follow-up:  On Friday, January 15th I was able to get a copy of a St. Louis newspaper article pertaining to the death from John Newmarch.  More to follow.