Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-03-03
A DREADFUL TRAGEDY.
q. J.. LANSING, ESQ, SHOOTS AND
KILLS HIS WIFE.
The Scene of the HOsr ibIe Affair
An Interview with Lansing mt the
PrisOn-PrObabIe Causes that Led

10 tne Nftnne.
All Eureka was in horror and dismay
last night over the news that G. J. Lam
sing, Esq, had killed his wife. When
first told the story was not believed. II
seemed incredible. On the moment it was
thought to be impossible. Kit Lansing
could not be guilty of such a foul and
monstrous deed. The lawyer of such
splendid talent ; the man Of such culture (;
the gentleman Of such dignity and refine
ment could not fall SO low. This was the
first impression, a flush Of sentiment that
distressed and COMPOUNDED the minds Of
his %neighbors as they heard the startling
exclamation pass from one to another's
lips: Lansing has murdered his wife "
A moment later, when the stunned facul-
ties recovered their use, and the awful
thing was found TO be true, his friends
land Lansing has no enemies) were glad
to remember that he is weak, that he is a
man with one grievous fault. In the sick
ening horror they experienced, they felt a
mournful joy that Lansing has spells
when he is not himself. They recoiled
from their dismay at once sufficiently to
say "He was crazy when he did it,"
Under the influence of strong drink he
became temporarily vida maniac.
When interviewed by a SENTINEL reporter
last night he remarked, in a frenzied way,
that plainly indicated his delirious condi-
ton Eyes, l know what I've done but
all you can say is that Kit was drunk.
GIVE KILLED MY WIFE"
At half-past Z o'clock Mr.. Lansing came
down to the Sheriff's Office and said to
Officer William Long, who was on duty
there, 1--WE killed my wife, and 1 want
you TO lock me up" Mr.. Long did not
know what to think; he was stunned by
the announcement. He could not believe
the story, and thought that Mr.. Lansing
was out Of his mind, because he knew that
he had been on a desperate spree for the
last ten days. He went out and called
Mr.. Fitzmorris, the Jailer. To this gen.
tleman Mr.. Lansing told the same story.
Mr.. Fitzmorris judged from the nervous
twitching of the muscles of his face that
he was in delirium tremens, and that he
had become deranged with this horrid
fancy in his mind. But this delusion was
dispelled when Mr.. Lansing told him to
go to
hOboE aND DEE EOh hihoLLfp
And gave him directions how to get in.
He told the jailer that he had no key to
the house; that he might get in from the
front, but, if he could not, to go around
by the back way and kick in the door.
Thereupon the officers locked up their
prisoner and repaired with all haste to the
unfortunate lawyers residence. They
could not get i'll through the front door.
They went then around to the back door,
which they found locked by a spring lateh.
Peering under the curtain, raised a few
inches, they could discover the outlines Of
a body lying OF the floor. It was the
kitchen they looked into, which was but
dimly lighted by the rays from a lamp in
the sitting-room with which there was
communication by an open door. Not be-
ing able to enter otherwise, they kicked
the door in as directed. They brought the
lamp in from the sitting-room, and then
saw in horrid plainness
AN AWFUL, CHASTITY SPECTACLE.
Mrs. Lansing lay on he kitchen floor
with her eyes closed, blood on her face, a
hole evidently made by a bullet in her
head, and her hair clotted with blood and
spread disheveled on the floor. She was
breathing heavily and slowly. II was evil
dent that she was mortally stricken and
could not survive many minutes. DR..
Bishop, who had been summoned by the
officers on their way to the house, and who
arrived Immediately after them, said that
it would be useless to make any effort to
resuscitate her; that the ball, which he
could tell by using his little finger as a
probe, had penetrated the base OF the brain.
Dr.. Owen came In shortly afterwards and
with DR.. Bishop. The patient
did not open her eyes or utter a word. AT
s O'Clock she tool her last breath.
II was a pitiful sight. There she lay,
pale and bloody, with only her night
clothes on. A number OF men came to
visit the scene Of the tragedy, but as soon
as 1t could be arranged Sheriff Kyle Sc
the services of ONE good ladies to
take charge Of and care for the dead woman.
SPECULATION AS TO THE CAUSE.
What led to the catastrophe can only be
Mr.. Lansing has several
times been known to drink until he became
beside himself and insane. The house
was found in disorder. as though no care
full housewives hand had been at work in
the rooms, there is no telling how long.
The bed which WAS occupied by Mr.. and
Mrs. Lansing was out Of condition., and
had not been made up yesterday, at least.
1t seems from the condition in which the
wounded woman was found that she had
not dressed during the day; that possibly
she had been i~ndisposed and confined to
her room. Her own fondness for drink
may account for much hat happened.
1t is as we'll, probably, not to speculate on
this point, as all that can be definitely
known will be brought ont in the Coro-
ner's inquest, which will be held without
delay. When examined at the Jail, Mr..
4 anasnO haI M rtata1 ahnnt him and
though diligent search was made by the
officers for the weapon with which he is
presumed to have shot his wife. 1t could
not be found.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PRISONER.
A SENTINEL reporter interviewed the pris-
oner at 8 O'Clock last night, but found thai
he was not himself-not able TO utter
three consecutive sentences c~oherently.
He received our representative with the
dignity and politeness which have always
characterized him, and invited him to a
seat with him on the bed in his cell. IL
am sorry you find me here" he said;
" aren't they going to let me go home?
Are they going to keep me here and not
give me anything to drink / wonder II
they AVE taken that from mep OH II /
could only kill myself" BY "that" he
meant a dose OF poison which he felt in his
pocket for. but could not find. A little
package marked poison had been taken
from his pocket. Mr.. Stowell, the drug
gist, says that he sold him some poison
also, which Mr.. Lansing said he wanted to
kill rata with; but the package which the
officers found, he says, he did not sell the
prisoner. This and other disjointed scraps
OF talk are the best index to the sad state Of
mind that he was in, at least to those who
know with what strength and precision he
usually converses.
SYMPATHY FoR THE DAUGHTER.
The sentiment of the community in this
affair is one OF universal horror and regret.
Great svmpathy ia entertained for Miss