His death certificate is recorded twice in the County Clerk's office, once on page 9, and again on page 20, both times in Death Record Book 1. The following news stories are from the sources indicated:

PROBABLE PATRICIDE
Jacksonville Journal, Tuesday, May 21, 1878

A Young Man Shoots His Father

The startling news reached this city last night that Mr. Richard Mathews, residing in the neighborhood of Orleans, had been shot by his son, Samuel Mathews, at about five o'clock in the evening, and so badly wounded that his recovery was thought doubtful.

As told to us by a gentleman residing near where the occurrence took place, it seems that young Mathews came home in a state of intoxication and was putting his horse away in the barn when his father approached and they began quarreling about some trivial matter. One word brought on another, and both parties are said to have become quite abusive, when the young man drew his revolver, and its contents were discharged at his father, making a bad wound and lodging in the lower part of his bowels. Young Mathews, soon after the shooting, seemed to fully realize the horribleness of the deed he had committed, and became so delirious with grief that persons present had to take his weapon from him to prevent his committing self-destruction. Whether he shot his father intentionally or whether while he was flourishing it around to frighten the "old gentleman", the revolver was accidentally discharged with the result stated, is not fully known, as both sides of the question are discussed, as the cause of the much regretted affair. Whiskey was no doubt at the bottom of the whole of it, and had the young man been sober, the chances are nothing of the kind would ever have occurred. Dr. Prince went out last night to dress the wound, but fears are entertained that the man is too badly injured to be benefitted by a physician.