On the morning of May 15, at about 8:30 o'clock, the dead body of James Riley Dodson was found on the county road near the old Carnell place west of Bonne Terre. The discovery was made by Miss Eliza Crump who was on her way to a neighbor's home and she immediately reported the matter to other residents of the neighborhood. Dr. Evans, the Coroner, arrived shortly and held an inquest, after which the remains were conveyed to Benham's undertaking rooms in this city. In the meantime a messenger was sent to the home of William Henry Dodson of this place, a son of the deceased, to notify him of the find, but Mr. Dodson was absent after a load of wood on the Kerns Murphy place, and so Mrs. Dodson and son and daughter responded.
The facts in this case as ascertained by our reporter are as follows: Mr. Dodson ate breakfast as usual the morning of his death and made no complaint of being ill. Shortly after he started from his son's house, for the house of Tom Crump to see an old soldier friend, J. G. W. Armon, who was looking after a pension affair for him. The finding of the unfortunate man's body followed about an hour thereafter and it is supposed that he death was the result of heart failure.
Mr. Dodson was born in south Alabama, February 10, 1822, but his parents left Alabama when he was 7 years of age and located in Murray county, Tenn., where they remained for fifteen years. At the age of 22, he came with his parents to Jefferson County, Missouri, and engaged in farming. At the age of 25, he was married to Miss Mary E. M. Bevis, daughter of Thomas and Prudence Bevis of Hillsboro. To the union fifteen children were born, thirteen boys and two girls, and four sons and one daughter survive, as follows: William Henry and Presley Dodson and Mrs. Batlock of Bonne Terre; and Thomas R. Dodson of Vineland, Jefferson County, and L. G. Dodson of Cadet.
Deceased followed farming for many years but in 1849 made a trip to California and remained there two years. He was a veteran of the civil war having served for four years in the union army and escaped without injury. His wife preceded him to the grave about a year ago having been accidentally killed on the railroad. W. H. Dodson brought his father here on Sunday, May 10th, from Cadet where he had been visiting his son for the past four months. The Friday following his death [which] occurred as above stated, the funeral services were conducted at the home by Rev. A. J. May of the First M. E. Church, and the remains laid to rest in the Primrose cemetery.
Deceased was 81 years of age.
"Father, such a comrade, such a friend,
He did walk 'till journey's
end,
Through summer sunshine, winter rain,
And then? Farewell 'till we
meet again."
A FRIEND.