Henry Dresser's bones rest most likely somewhere in the Chariton Cemetery, but there's no telling where. He reportedly was broke with a wife and children to support when he killed himself on New Years Eve 1869, wishing them a "happy new year" in the note he left behind --- so no one was likely to invest in a tombstone. The earliest records of the cemetery have been lost.
The Chariton Democrat, reporting his death in its January 4, 1870, edition, refers to Henry as an "old man." He may have seemed old to editor John Faith, but actually in his early 50s and with wife, Samantha, still had children under 18 to support.
Henry was a Massachusetts native who married Samantha during November of 1841 in Miller County, south central Missouri. They had moved north to Iowa by 1850 and were living near Chariton with six children when the 1856 state census was taken. Henry was a farmer by trade, but traded his land for a flouring mill, an operation he did not understand, and that led to financial disaster. By 1869, he was "teaming" to support his family --- using his team and wagon to haul goods as needed in and near Chariton.
Here's how The Democrat reported Henry's death:
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On Saturday morning, our community was shocked by the announcement that Henry Dresser, an old man living in the west edge of town, had committed suicide the night before, by hanging himself in his stable, and on making inquiry the report was found to be too true. It was stated that family misfortunes and poverty had been preying upon his mind to such a degree to drive him almost to distraction, and that only the day before his team, his only means of support, had been levied upon to pay a trifling debt. These are the statements that were current, but do not pretend to say how far they are true. He had not, however, ,given any intimation of his intention to take his own life.
On Friday evening about nine o'clock he went out, leaving Mrs. Dresser sitting in the room, who, thinking he would soon return, retired and went to sleep. She did not awake until four o'clock next morning when, becoming alarmed at the continued absence of her husband, she arose and called one or two of her neighbors, and after a short time he was found in the stable, hanging by the neck, dead and cold. He had used a strap or rope and for purpose of making the "drop" effective, he stood upon a box and kicked it from under him.
On Monday, after writing the above, we learned that a note was found in the dead man's pocket, addressed to his family, saying that he had "run the establishment as long as he could, and they might try it awhile," and after wishing them all a "happy new year," and saying "Good-bye," he stopped off the box.
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The Chariton Patriot of Jan. 5, also reported the suicide, but copies of that edition do not survive. The Patriot story was, however, picked up and republished on Jan. 14 in the Clarke County Sentinel at Osceola and this report provides a little more information:
In the early part of the evening he told his wife he had some business on the square, and started saying he would not be absent long. The wife waited his return until a late hour and then retired, supposing that he had visited the depot as he had been teaming for the lumber yard near there.
The deceased at one time was in good circumstances, but trading a farm for a flouring mill, and not understanding the business, he disposed of it at ruinous figures, and moved into town, and for some time had been engaged in teaming.
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Samantha continued to live in Chariton through 1880, when she was enumerated in the census of that year as living with her youngest son, Winfield S., then 18.
Her eldest daughter, Nancy, married had William Artrup and they relocated during 1884 to the vicinity of Ellinwood in Barton County, central Kansas.
Samantha joined them and died there on June 11, 1897, and was buried in the Larkin Comanche Cemetery at Ellinwood. She was survived by four daughters and her son, Winfield.
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