from The Republican (Danville, Indiana)--issue of Thursday, July 31, 1930--page 1, column 1
ILL HEALTH BELIEVED CAUSE OF STRANGE TRAGEDY
Both Were From North Salem--No Word of Explanation--Double Funeral Tuesday
Dr. John Q. Davis, 5632 Winthrop Avenue, Indianapolis, and his father, Harvey W. Davis, living in the Rauh building, Indianapolis, ventured into the great unknown, Saturday, victims of a suicide pact, apparently. Their lifeless bodies were found in the office of Dr. Davis in the Rauh building. Two revolvers were found, a 38 caliber having been used by the father and a 38 automatic was found under the shoulder of the son, having fallen there after he had sent a bullet through his brain.
Two notes scrawled on pieces of paper were found. "I did mine," said the one left by the father. On the other piece of paper written by the son was "I did mine. Forgive me, Dode." Dode was the familiar name of the son's widow, Mrs. Maguire Davis.
Mrs. Davis had no explanation except that her hsuband had been in poor health. She said the father was also in poor health and had been living in her husband's office for a few days because he was not able to come to the house.
Dr. Davis had not been well since the influenze epidemic during the war. He was then very ill but he never fully recovered, sacrificing a considerable portion of his practice. He had left home at 10 Saturday morning and she never saw him again.
It is known that Dr. Davis entered his office building about ten that morning and called the custodian to let him in the office as he had many things to do before his patients began to arrive. He said he had forgotten his keys. The custodian admitted him. Some time later, two patients called the custodian and said that they had been waiting for quite a while to get into the office. The custodian admitted them and going into the room, found the two bodies lying side by side on the floor. The custodian notified the police. The coroner said the indications were that the son had probably died before the father who, after making sure that the son was dead, ended his own life.
Both men were born in North Salem where the father was a stock dealer. About ten years ago he came to Indianapolis and lived part of the time at his son's house and part at various rooming houses.
Dr. Davis graduated from the North Salem school and later attended Butler college and graduated from the Indiana medical college. After he received his medical degree he was a member of the lecture staff of the medical college and conducted lectures for nurses at the Deaconess hospital. He was also on the staff of the City hospital. He and Mrs. Davis, who came from Cleveland, were married in 1901.
The double funeral was Tuesday with burial in Crown Hill.