Marion Jefferson Blackwell (1847 - 1914)

Born 10 Apr 1847 in Georgia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Nancy Anna (Mayes) Blackwell — married 1866 in Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Oct 1914 at age 67 in Carson City, Ormsby, Nevada, United States

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Biography

Marion was born in 1847. He passed away in 1914.

From the Carson City Daily Appeal, Oct. 13, 1914

At His Ranch, North of Town, M. J. Blackwell Ends Life

The suicide Sunday afternoon, between 12 and 1 o'clock, of Marvin J. Blackwell, has added another link to the mysterious chain of deaths which have taken place in the vicinity of this city within the past few months and which has had to do with occultism, anonymous letters and incendiary fires.

First came the sudden and never explained death of Mrs Abbie Cowing, the incendiary fire at the Robinson ranch, and then the suicide of young Heidenreich, the cause of those tragic endings has never been cleared up, and as a finality the suicide of Blackwell, which followed the supposed incendiary fire last Friday night at his ranch, a mile and a half northwest of town.

On Sunday morning Blackwell was in town, but in talking with friends at diverse places he gave no intimation of the despondent frame of mind he was undoubtedly in or that he contemplated the violent act he was about to commit. Shortly before 12 o'clock he was seen returning to his ranch.

Nothing further was seen or known of him ill his housekeeper, Mrs. Spooner, returned to the ranch from town, where she had been attending church, and not finding him in the house, she began a search for him. On entering the barn she found his body on the ground. Several letters lay close to the body and on one of them was written the figures 12:40, indicating without question the hour Blackwell took his life. These letters were gathered by the officers and after being inspected by the jury, which met later in the day, were turned over to District Attorney Chartz, who refuses at the present time to divulge their contents.

Blackwell had been a resident of Carson for 25 or 30 years and had raised a family of several children. His wife died about a year ago.

The surviving children are Mrs. Frank Simpson, of Lyon Co., W. I J. Blackwell, of Lyon Co., Harry J. Blackwell, of Rocklin, CA, and two other boys whose residence is unknown.

The first two sons mentioned arrived in Carson this morning and will remain till after the funeral, the time for which will be set this afternoon.

On Sunday afternoon a coroner's jury was called to inquire into Blackwell's death and after viewing the body and premises and investigating as far as they could they returned a verdict of suicide. The jury was composed of George Montrose, Matt Farrell, George Anderson, J. P. Donnelley, John Kick and Joe Smyth.

Marion Jefferson Blackwell was 66 years of age and born in Georgia. He married Nancy Anna Mayes about 1866 in Georgia. They had eight children together before her death in 1889 in California. He then married Mattie Willis Aug. 29, 1899 in Yerington, Nevada.

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29682815/marion-jefferson-blackwell: accessed 15 June 2023), memorial page for Marion Jefferson Blackwell (10 Apr 1847–11 Oct 1914), Find a Grave Memorial ID 29682815, citing Lone Mountain Cemetery, Carson City, Carson City, Nevada, USA; Maintained by Kimmie Kitchens/Courtney Gilstrap and Families (contributor 49958349).