Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-12-29
FOUND DEAD,
J It. Bliss. Our Leading Hardware Mer-
chant, Near the Point Of Rocks.

chant, Near the Point Of Rocks.
Our citizens were startled Thursday
by the announcement that j. L. Bliss,
the pioneer hardware merchant Of Gus
ter had been found dead about 800
yards from Jack SINNERS house, at the
| the deceased was brought in by Messrs.
Bourn and Skinner about o'clock
Thursday and an interview with the
former, who was the one to discover the
body elected the following information:
Mr.. Bonrn with companion we're
on Wednesday night, on their way from
his ranch, situated about miles south
west of Skinner's, To the latter place and
when about 500 yards from the house
discovered the body lying beside the
road Mr.. Bourn turned the body over
and failing to recognized il sent his
| companion For Mr. Skinner, who imme.
diately came and recognized it as the
body Of Mr.. Bliss, whom he and his
wife had been expecting 70 end Christ
mas with them, as has been his habit
ever since their residence at that place.
The body was removed to SINNERS
house and was brought to town the next
day rs stated above.
In an interview with J. 2. Thompson,
the deceased most intimate friend, and
who was with him till or 10 O'Clock
q l.x. e. 4
that he seemed to be in the pest of
health and spirits and at that time told
Mr.. Thompson that the next morning
he wou!d take hi, gun and walk down
to Mr., SINNERS, where he proposed
spending Christmas and Of which fact
he had informed them. The next morn.
ing Mr.. Thompson saw him start taking
as his route the one between the Sidney
road and the one which leads from
Reder's sawlnill and connects with the
Former near the Point Of Rocks. He
did TINS IN order TO encounter game.
The next heard Of him he had lost his
way and coming to Mr. Bourn's home,
ut least l6 miles from Custer and about
/ miles out Of his road, about o'clock
Monday afternoon where he inquired
the way and was given the necessary
directions by the men employed there,
and started on the back tract and was
within sight Of his destination and the
hospital roof Of Mr. and Mrs. Skinner.
when he dropped in his tracks and
where the body must have lain for Is
hours.
TUE THEORY.
During his acquaintance with Mr..
Thompson the deceased had often stat
I'd the he was subject to heart disease
.Ed the supposiiion is that over exer-
iion consequent from a walk, and that
too without food, of between go and %
miles, and the su llcn reaction which !
must have taken pace when the deceas-
ed, sup2oSiny himself lost, came in sight
of the familiar house Of his friends and |
saw the lights in the windows which !
guaranteed him good cheer and hearty |
welcome, was too much for the diseased |
heart, which, while experiencing the |
ecstatic JOY consequent, suddenly ceased |
10 pulsate and in an instant the soul |
was released from all earthly joys and
cares.
The above is probably the correct
theory as when found, one leg was
drawn up as though the foot had been
lifted to take step and finger of the
left band was found incircled in his vest
chain, as if the deceased had been toy- |
ing with it, as he was wont to do when |
anything seemed to move him, and the
right held his gun in the usual position
over that shoulder.
THE DECEASED
was between 80 and 6O years old and
leaves wife and one son in England, of |
which country he was a native, and two |
sons i'll this country, one Of the later
living in ST. Louis Or Omaha and the !
other in Portland or San Francisco, both |
of whom were telegraphed to. He came
to Custer i'm 10 and has been identified |
and one Of our leading citi-
zens. He was we'll known throughout |
the Hills as an honest, Conscientious
BUSINESS man and by his intimate ac- |
quaintances as sincere friend whom it |
was always pleasure to meet, and his |
death is regretted by al
lie was moderately we'll off and had |
considerable town property whirh he
had intended to sell as soon as possible
and in the spring retire from merchan
tile pursuits and spend the remainder Of
his life in California.
At the inquest held yesterday Flick
made an a'tcpsy which developed the
fact that death was caused by the rup-
tnre Of the main artery leading from the
heart.