The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-22
From the Dailp Of Tuesday,
THE FATAL
John F. harper Leaves the World
by the Strychnine Route.
How Sheriff Irwin Lost a Prisoner.

by the Strychnine Route.
| How Sheriff Irwin Lost a Prisoner.
john F. Harper mas been a
miner in the camp for about
two years, during which time he has
worked for all the principal mining
companies. When sober he is said
to have been steady and industrious
and kind to his family, but when
drunk entirely fAithless to his domes-
tic duties and a very demon at his
home, failing to provide the neces-
saries of life for his wife and three
little ones, and beating them in the
most brutal manner. Last winter he
was arrested on a charge Of beating
his wife, but ~woman-like, she refused
to prosecute him and he was released.
Within a week he was again arrest
ed on a similar charge, but upon his
agreeing to leave the country, and
giving bonds to preserve the peace to-
ward his wife he was discharged from
custody. He went to Idaho, and
nothing further was heard from him
until last Sunday, when he made his
appearance at the cabin in Meader-
vile, where during his absence his
faithful wife had supported her babes
by washing for the miners. The
demon of drink had full possession of
him, and after a few words with his
wife he struck her a terrible blow on
the face which felled her to the floor,
and vas following it up by further
violence when the neighbors inter-
tered and took him away. Mrs.
Harper swore out a warrant for his
arrest, which Sheriff Irwin went to
Meaderville yesterday morning to
serve. He learned there that Harper
had sent word to his wife that he
wanted to see her and the children
at Smith & Kessler's arastra in
Yankee Doodle gulch, and that she
had gone there to meet him. Fear
ing that this was a ruse to entice the
women and children into the secluded
gulch for the purpose of doing them
bodily harm and possibly numbering
them, the Sheriff hurried on to the
aras "a. Arrived there he found the
object of his search and Immediately
arrested him. After a little talk Har-
per asked permission to get a drink of
water at a brook which was near at
hand. It was noticed that at the
brook he stopped and picked up
from the grass, but his
back being turned toward Sheriff IT.
win and Mrs. Harper they could not
see what it was or what he did with
it. He dipped some water into the
tin cup which he had carried to the
brook, and drank a copious drsught.
Turning about he bid his wife and
children goodbye and told the Sheriff
he was re:.dy. Sheriff Irwin searched
him for weapons and finding none,
babe him enter the carriage, which
be did, saying at the same time to his
wife, "YOu will never see me alive
again, I will never pass Meaderville.'
The Sheriff drove rapidly off and
thinks, not more than ten minutes
had passed, when. at a point between
Garden and Meaderville Har-
per had several spasms and being
questioned declared he had taken
and handed the Sheriff a vial
half full of chrastalized strychnine.
The spasms btcame more frequent
md the mans frame was soon con-
vulsed in parexs isms of pain,
his features became
ivld, with here and there
he blue blotches which always indi- |
cate the presence of the fatal drug.
The sheriff drove rapidly to Meader-
Vile where he left the dying man, |
md hurried on in search of a phys
clan. but before his return Harper
was dead, having breathed his last
twenty minutes after taking
he fatal draught. Coroner Sarchet
was notified and an inquest was held
It which a verdict was found in &C.
,ordance with the facts. Mrs. Har.
ger testified at tue inquest that she
Jaw the bottle Of strychnine on Sun
Law but did not know what it was,
md that it was at that time full,
moving that the man had taken
bout half of the entire contents.
True to her womanly instinct the
wife appeared deeply affected by her
death, and insisted upon
him decent burial from her
'wn lowly cottage, to which the body
vas borne after the inquest. "Speak
veil of the dead' is a humane pre-
ept, but among the hardy miners
Who gathered ABOUT the form of the
uicide not one expressed a word of
ympathy for the dead wife-beater,
nd probably in the whole world, his
wife is the only one that will
he'd a silent tear upon the suicides
rave.
Bullion Product.