John Robert Bonner (1875-1931) was the eldest son of
Joseph Y. Bonner who was the youngest son of Joseph Bonner (the builder of
the Bonner home). As an adult he made his living on the waters of Bath
Creek and the Pamlico River.
At 25, he had almost no property at all but because of his miserly ways, was able to obtain quite a bit of property by the time of his death. He married Nancy E. Windley of Bath on Dec. 26,
1906. He referred to her as Bessie. She was a very attractive 22 year old
with dark hair and a flawless complexion. He was very devoted to her and
spoiled her with any material item she desired despite his normally stingy
nature.
They lived in a house on Water Street in Bath (this house is still
standing) until 1923 at which time they moved into the Bonner house where
he stayed until his death.
Tragedy began to come into his life in 1908 when Bob & Bessie's only child died. On April 6, 1912 @ the age of 28, Bob's true love Bessie died. Bob continued to live in the Bonner home
possibly w/his sister Mamie and her retarded son, Jarvis until Jarvis was
institutionalized.
The room which is now the dining room was Bob's bedroom
during his residence there. In the 1910's & 1920's Bob accumulated a
considerable amount of wealth through lending activities as well as buying
and selling property. However, his principal source of income was a small
freight boat called Dependence which carried merchandise between Bath and
Washington since there were no paved roads between these two towns.
His compulsive stinginess showed in his activities on water as well as land.
He would habitually gather any errant merchandise and salvageable material
to later sell or simply hoard it. Large quantities of floating logs or
lumber were lashed to or pulled aboard his boat to be later dried on
Bonner's Point and sold. It is said that his casket was made from these
salvaged logs.
During his last years he grew unsettled in his mind.
Colorful eccentricities developed into serious neuroses then eventually
into mental derangement. He had a conceived fear that he would starve to
death and withdrew tightly to himself. Bonner instructed the local
carpenter Bob Davis to construct a casket of the salvaged wood. One day in
early March, 1931, when he was 56 years old, he carefully spread newspapers
on the floor of his room (the dining room), placed a pistol to his head and
took his life, leaving appoximately $25,625 in cash, real and personal
property. His death was reported by his sister Mamie. On his death
certificate it was recorded in semi-literate notation "Deth come by
one (sic) hand".
Some of the locals claim that there is a shadow of a hanging body on the
front porch of the Bonner house. This shadow can only be seen at night
when a certain light is shining towards the porch causing a shadow of a
support beam from the porch against the siding of the house, giving the
appearance of a hanging body.