Jackson's Hole Courier
Thursday, June 8, 1939
Page 1
John Quincy Francis Fatality Accidental, Coroner's Jury Finds
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of accidental death late Thursday in the death of J. Q. Francis, 49, Jackson barber, who was found dead at the front of his home here Monday night, shortly after having returned home from a walk up town.
Rumors of self-destruction were advanced. These rumors were not borne out by the three-day investigations of the acting coroner, William DeLoney. It is thought that tripping over a loose board on the porch accidentally discharged the .25-.35 caliber rifle when the deceased stepped onto the porch to fire in the air and frighten away stock in the yard. It was brought out that Francis had been complaining of the loose stock damaging his lawns and garden and had been in the habit of running the stock off by shooting in the air. Jim Boyle, a member of the coroner's jury and long time acquaintance, told a Courier reporter that "Quincy" was the most careless person with a gun he ever saw."
Mrs. Francis was at home at the time and it was she who found her husband. Sheriff Jim Francis, a brother, reported hearing the shot and did not investigate, but was called immediately by Mrs. Francis. He said that he was under the impression his brother was shooting to scare off stock in the yard.
A full report of the coroner's jury, returned late today, (this section was torn).
Verdict of Jury
We, the jury duly empanelled and sworn in the above entitled matter, having inspected the body and made all needful inquiries, hereby make in writing our return to the coroner, and state that the name of the decedent is John Q. Francis, well and personally known to us for many years and whose address has for many years been at Jackson, Wyoming, where he resided with his wife, Beth Francis, and where he was engaged in the barber trade; that he was in his late forties, nearing fifty years of age; that he came to his death on Monday, June 5, 1939, at approximately 9:20 o'clock p. m., accidentally by means of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while engaged in driving loose horses away from his dooryard at his home in Jackson, Teton county, Wyoming, where he kept a small garden.
Our inquiries have revealed that it was not unusual for the decedent to fire his gun in the air for the purpose of frightening away livestock often running loose about the town when they came near his yard and it is our united opinion, after considering all of the facts before us, that the decedent accidentally bumped the stock of his gun in getting off his front porch, thereby discharging the same accidentally. In this connection we wish to call attention of the coroner to the cracked and loosened board at the end of the porch nearest the body of the decedent and the the fresh crack or break in the same, and also to the small shrub that decedent may have fallen over in slipping on the loose board, bearing in mind that it was after dark at the time.
We desire also to state to the coroner that we have considered the possibility of the deceased having deliberately committed self-destruction, but we do not find this theory tenable in the light of the facts revealed to us.
Respectly submitted this 8th day of June, A. D. 1939.
James Boyle,
Lars Swanson,
Arthur H. Brown,
Coroner's Jury.
A military funeral was held Thursday afternoon in charge of Jackson Hole post of the American Legion. Interment was in the Jackson cemetery.
John Quincy Francis enlisted in the United States Army Dec. 14, 1917, at Fort Douglas, Utah, and was honorably discharged Dec. 3, 1919. He was born Dec., 1889, near Pocatello, Ida., and came to Jackson in 1919. He engaged in ranching with his brother Billy and later disposed of his interests to leave the valley for a few years. On his return he operated a barber shop.
He was married to Beth Hoffman at Pocatello, Idaho, Nov. 28, 1935. He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers.
Survivors are his widow, two sisters, Mrs. Fannie Richardson, and Ella Francis; four brothers, Jim, Fred, Warren and Henry. In addition there are a number of nieces and nephews.
Thursday, June 8, 1939
Page 1
John Quincy Francis Fatality Accidental, Coroner's Jury Finds
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of accidental death late Thursday in the death of J. Q. Francis, 49, Jackson barber, who was found dead at the front of his home here Monday night, shortly after having returned home from a walk up town.
Rumors of self-destruction were advanced. These rumors were not borne out by the three-day investigations of the acting coroner, William DeLoney. It is thought that tripping over a loose board on the porch accidentally discharged the .25-.35 caliber rifle when the deceased stepped onto the porch to fire in the air and frighten away stock in the yard. It was brought out that Francis had been complaining of the loose stock damaging his lawns and garden and had been in the habit of running the stock off by shooting in the air. Jim Boyle, a member of the coroner's jury and long time acquaintance, told a Courier reporter that "Quincy" was the most careless person with a gun he ever saw."
Mrs. Francis was at home at the time and it was she who found her husband. Sheriff Jim Francis, a brother, reported hearing the shot and did not investigate, but was called immediately by Mrs. Francis. He said that he was under the impression his brother was shooting to scare off stock in the yard.
A full report of the coroner's jury, returned late today, (this section was torn).
Verdict of Jury
We, the jury duly empanelled and sworn in the above entitled matter, having inspected the body and made all needful inquiries, hereby make in writing our return to the coroner, and state that the name of the decedent is John Q. Francis, well and personally known to us for many years and whose address has for many years been at Jackson, Wyoming, where he resided with his wife, Beth Francis, and where he was engaged in the barber trade; that he was in his late forties, nearing fifty years of age; that he came to his death on Monday, June 5, 1939, at approximately 9:20 o'clock p. m., accidentally by means of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while engaged in driving loose horses away from his dooryard at his home in Jackson, Teton county, Wyoming, where he kept a small garden.
Our inquiries have revealed that it was not unusual for the decedent to fire his gun in the air for the purpose of frightening away livestock often running loose about the town when they came near his yard and it is our united opinion, after considering all of the facts before us, that the decedent accidentally bumped the stock of his gun in getting off his front porch, thereby discharging the same accidentally. In this connection we wish to call attention of the coroner to the cracked and loosened board at the end of the porch nearest the body of the decedent and the the fresh crack or break in the same, and also to the small shrub that decedent may have fallen over in slipping on the loose board, bearing in mind that it was after dark at the time.
We desire also to state to the coroner that we have considered the possibility of the deceased having deliberately committed self-destruction, but we do not find this theory tenable in the light of the facts revealed to us.
Respectly submitted this 8th day of June, A. D. 1939.
James Boyle,
Lars Swanson,
Arthur H. Brown,
Coroner's Jury.
A military funeral was held Thursday afternoon in charge of Jackson Hole post of the American Legion. Interment was in the Jackson cemetery.
John Quincy Francis enlisted in the United States Army Dec. 14, 1917, at Fort Douglas, Utah, and was honorably discharged Dec. 3, 1919. He was born Dec., 1889, near Pocatello, Ida., and came to Jackson in 1919. He engaged in ranching with his brother Billy and later disposed of his interests to leave the valley for a few years. On his return he operated a barber shop.
He was married to Beth Hoffman at Pocatello, Idaho, Nov. 28, 1935. He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers.
Survivors are his widow, two sisters, Mrs. Fannie Richardson, and Ella Francis; four brothers, Jim, Fred, Warren and Henry. In addition there are a number of nieces and nephews.
Jackson's Hole Courier
Thursday, June 8, 1939
Page 1
John Quincy Francis Fatality Accidental, Coroner's Jury Finds
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of accidental death late Thursday in the death of J. Q. Francis, 49, Jackson barber, who was found dead at the front of his home here Monday night, shortly after having returned home from a walk up town.
Rumors of self-destruction were advanced. These rumors were not borne out by the three-day investigations of the acting coroner, William DeLoney. It is thought that tripping over a loose board on the porch accidentally discharged the .25-.35 caliber rifle when the deceased stepped onto the porch to fire in the air and frighten away stock in the yard. It was brought out that Francis had been complaining of the loose stock damaging his lawns and garden and had been in the habit of running the stock off by shooting in the air. Jim Boyle, a member of the coroner's jury and long time acquaintance, told a Courier reporter that "Quincy" was the most careless person with a gun he ever saw."
Mrs. Francis was at home at the time and it was she who found her husband. Sheriff Jim Francis, a brother, reported hearing the shot and did not investigate, but was called immediately by Mrs. Francis. He said that he was under the impression his brother was shooting to scare off stock in the yard.
A full report of the coroner's jury, returned late today, (this section was torn).
Verdict of Jury
We, the jury duly empanelled and sworn in the above entitled matter, having inspected the body and made all needful inquiries, hereby make in writing our return to the coroner, and state that the name of the decedent is John Q. Francis, well and personally known to us for many years and whose address has for many years been at Jackson, Wyoming, where he resided with his wife, Beth Francis, and where he was engaged in the barber trade; that he was in his late forties, nearing fifty years of age; that he came to his death on Monday, June 5, 1939, at approximately 9:20 o'clock p. m., accidentally by means of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while engaged in driving loose horses away from his dooryard at his home in Jackson, Teton county, Wyoming, where he kept a small garden.
Our inquiries have revealed that it was not unusual for the decedent to fire his gun in the air for the purpose of frightening away livestock often running loose about the town when they came near his yard and it is our united opinion, after considering all of the facts before us, that the decedent accidentally bumped the stock of his gun in getting off his front porch, thereby discharging the same accidentally. In this connection we wish to call attention of the coroner to the cracked and loosened board at the end of the porch nearest the body of the decedent and the the fresh crack or break in the same, and also to the small shrub that decedent may have fallen over in slipping on the loose board, bearing in mind that it was after dark at the time.
We desire also to state to the coroner that we have considered the possibility of the deceased having deliberately committed self-destruction, but we do not find this theory tenable in the light of the facts revealed to us.
Respectly submitted this 8th day of June, A. D. 1939.
James Boyle,
Lars Swanson,
Arthur H. Brown,
Coroner's Jury.
A military funeral was held Thursday afternoon in charge of Jackson Hole post of the American Legion. Interment was in the Jackson cemetery.
John Quincy Francis enlisted in the United States Army Dec. 14, 1917, at Fort Douglas, Utah, and was honorably discharged Dec. 3, 1919. He was born Dec., 1889, near Pocatello, Ida., and came to Jackson in 1919. He engaged in ranching with his brother Billy and later disposed of his interests to leave the valley for a few years. On his return he operated a barber shop.
He was married to Beth Hoffman at Pocatello, Idaho, Nov. 28, 1935. He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers.
Survivors are his widow, two sisters, Mrs. Fannie Richardson, and Ella Francis; four brothers, Jim, Fred, Warren and Henry. In addition there are a number of nieces and nephews.
Thursday, June 8, 1939
Page 1
John Quincy Francis Fatality Accidental, Coroner's Jury Finds
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of accidental death late Thursday in the death of J. Q. Francis, 49, Jackson barber, who was found dead at the front of his home here Monday night, shortly after having returned home from a walk up town.
Rumors of self-destruction were advanced. These rumors were not borne out by the three-day investigations of the acting coroner, William DeLoney. It is thought that tripping over a loose board on the porch accidentally discharged the .25-.35 caliber rifle when the deceased stepped onto the porch to fire in the air and frighten away stock in the yard. It was brought out that Francis had been complaining of the loose stock damaging his lawns and garden and had been in the habit of running the stock off by shooting in the air. Jim Boyle, a member of the coroner's jury and long time acquaintance, told a Courier reporter that "Quincy" was the most careless person with a gun he ever saw."
Mrs. Francis was at home at the time and it was she who found her husband. Sheriff Jim Francis, a brother, reported hearing the shot and did not investigate, but was called immediately by Mrs. Francis. He said that he was under the impression his brother was shooting to scare off stock in the yard.
A full report of the coroner's jury, returned late today, (this section was torn).
Verdict of Jury
We, the jury duly empanelled and sworn in the above entitled matter, having inspected the body and made all needful inquiries, hereby make in writing our return to the coroner, and state that the name of the decedent is John Q. Francis, well and personally known to us for many years and whose address has for many years been at Jackson, Wyoming, where he resided with his wife, Beth Francis, and where he was engaged in the barber trade; that he was in his late forties, nearing fifty years of age; that he came to his death on Monday, June 5, 1939, at approximately 9:20 o'clock p. m., accidentally by means of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while engaged in driving loose horses away from his dooryard at his home in Jackson, Teton county, Wyoming, where he kept a small garden.
Our inquiries have revealed that it was not unusual for the decedent to fire his gun in the air for the purpose of frightening away livestock often running loose about the town when they came near his yard and it is our united opinion, after considering all of the facts before us, that the decedent accidentally bumped the stock of his gun in getting off his front porch, thereby discharging the same accidentally. In this connection we wish to call attention of the coroner to the cracked and loosened board at the end of the porch nearest the body of the decedent and the the fresh crack or break in the same, and also to the small shrub that decedent may have fallen over in slipping on the loose board, bearing in mind that it was after dark at the time.
We desire also to state to the coroner that we have considered the possibility of the deceased having deliberately committed self-destruction, but we do not find this theory tenable in the light of the facts revealed to us.
Respectly submitted this 8th day of June, A. D. 1939.
James Boyle,
Lars Swanson,
Arthur H. Brown,
Coroner's Jury.
A military funeral was held Thursday afternoon in charge of Jackson Hole post of the American Legion. Interment was in the Jackson cemetery.
John Quincy Francis enlisted in the United States Army Dec. 14, 1917, at Fort Douglas, Utah, and was honorably discharged Dec. 3, 1919. He was born Dec., 1889, near Pocatello, Ida., and came to Jackson in 1919. He engaged in ranching with his brother Billy and later disposed of his interests to leave the valley for a few years. On his return he operated a barber shop.
He was married to Beth Hoffman at Pocatello, Idaho, Nov. 28, 1935. He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers.
Survivors are his widow, two sisters, Mrs. Fannie Richardson, and Ella Francis; four brothers, Jim, Fred, Warren and Henry. In addition there are a number of nieces and nephews.
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