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He Was a Justice of the Peace, Loved Whisky and Could Not Provide for His Family.
J. J. Pierce, justice of the peace in Fate, Rockwall county, held court in his breast, and after weighing his sins and sorrows against his desire to live and a gloomy future, he pronounced death sentence on himself and chose last night for the execution and launched his soul into a dark eternity. This morning at sunrise, he was found in his room at the Texas & Pacific boarding house, corner of Elm and Lamar streets, all but dead. Dr. Burton[?] was hastily summoned and responded in haste, but before he reached Pierce's bedside, his spirit had departed for the great beyond. Pierce came to Dallas three days ago and put up at the boarding house where he suicided. He was in depressed spirits and drank a great deal. To an old acquaintance, R. B. Willis, he threatened killing himself several times by going and jumping off the railroad bridge. He had a wife and child in Rockwall county whom he talked about continually and said he could not take decent care of them and desired to kill himself for that reason. Yesterday, after having spent all of his money for liquor, he borrowed $1 from Wills and invested part of it in morphine, which Wills took away from him. Last night, the two went up to their room and went to bed. They talked from their beds until Wills dropped off to sleep. During the night, Willis was awakened by a noise and found Pierce up, who said he was going to step out for a moment. Willis went to sleep again and when he woke this morning, found Pierce dying with signs of morphine plentiful. He summoned a physician with fruitless results, as stated above. Pierce was about 25 years old and a Mississippian by birth. He was born and raised on a farm which he left and came to Texas several years ago. It is said that he was a bright fellow, and when he could let whisky alone, was a fine business man and made money. His wife, at Fate, and a sister in Forney, will be notified of his suicide to-day. A royal good fellow with a bright mind, but couldn't stop drinking.
source: Dallas Daily Times Herald - April 23, 1891, p. 1, col. 4.
DIED OF MORPHINE.
The Sad End of a Justice of the Peace from Rockwall.
Yesterday morning, J. J. Pierce, a justice of the peace from Rockwall county, was found in a dying condition in the Texas and Pacific boarding-house, corner of Elm and Lamar. A physician was summoned, but Mr. Pearce expired before his arrival. The deceased came to Dallas last Monday and put up at the Texas and Pacific, where it was noticed that he was suffering from depressed spirits. To R. B. Willis, an acquaintance, he said that he proposed jumping off the railroad bridge in order to put an end to his existence. He spoke feelingly of his wife and child in Rockwall and seemed to be at outs with the world. Mr. Willis attempted to rouse him from his languor, but in vain. Last Wednesday evening, Pearce, who had got out of money, borrowed a dollar from Willis, with a part of which, he purchased morphine, which Willis took from him. Later on, Pearce managed to secure morphine. The men retired at the same time and during the night, Willis awoke to find Pearce up, but the latter told him that he was only going to stop out for a moment. Yesterday morning, when he awoke, he found Pearce dying. The deceased was only 25 years old and was a native of Mississippi. His wife was notified of his death.
source: Dallas Morning News - April 24, 1891, p. 8, col. 4.