, 1884-03-08
A SUICIDE
which Was n Result OF sheep In
sanity.

Coroner Chaffin returned yesterday
afternoon from North Bear Creek,
whittier he was summoned last Satur-
day evening to hold an inquest on the
body of q man named Charles Z.
Gambler, who as the dispatch stated,
had been shot. 1t wa not known at
that time whether he had committed
suicide or had been shot accidentally
or Intentionally by some other person.
Mr.. Chafin did not start until sun
day morning and no word was received
until his return yesterday afternoon.
The various rumors which have been
floating around the city about there
having been a foul and terrible murder
committed by some person unknown
had no foundation.
Gambler was q ranchman, engaged in
the sheep business, his ranch being sit
uated about three miles from the ranch
of G. w. Lucas, on North Bear, and
on Saturday morning Mr.. William Nc
Taggart, a gentleman who had been in
his employ about three months, came
home and found Gambler dead with an
ugly wound in his forehead.
1he following named gentlemen were
impanneled as a jury in the case by
Coroner Chaffin, to-wit: George W.
Snow, II. p. Kinds, james McGarsen,
Alva Thorpe, A. NJ. Clark and A. J..
Van Horn, the first Of the above named
acting as foreman.
There was but one witness examined,
William McTaggart, he being the one
who first found Gambler and who, as
before stated, was in the employ of the
deceased. The following Is q synopsis
Of his testimony:
l reside on North Bear creek and
was in the employ Of q. E. Gambler;
have known deceased since 1888;
brought some sheep back to the ranch
on Saturday, and noticed something
peculiar about the way they went into
the corral; they ran TO that portion Of
the corral where the sheep were kept
that Gambler herded; thought he was
close by, but did not find him in the
corral; L concluded the sheep Gambler
herded had got away and he had gone
to find them; went to the house and
opened the door and found Gambler lying
on the floor; 1 stopped over him and
said, "My God, Charlie, what's the
matterp" be did not reply and 1 saw
that be was dead; there was a terrible
wound in his head; went three miles to
the west of the ranch and gave the
alarm; he had no enemies that l know
of; when L zane back to the ranch,
after having given the alarm, 1 then
noticed that there was a string tied to
the trigger Of the shotgun and had been
so arranged that he could with his foot
fire off the shotgun which was lying
beside him.
The following is the verdict of the
jury:
1--WE, the jury, find that the deceased,
Charles E. Gambler, came to his death
from the effects of a shotgun wound,
the same being inflicted by his own
hand"
The deceased was about 80 years of
age, a native of England, and was in
good circumstances at the time of his
death, being worth probably about
$4,000. There seems to be no ques-
tion but what he WAS insane at the
time he thus took his W life, and,
from all that can be learned, it is quite
certain that he became insane for the
same unknown reason that 80 many
sheep herders have become thus unfor-
tunate. The only thing, however, that
had been noticed peculiar of late about
his conduct was his frequent absence OF
mind.
His body was brought to Cheyenne
last evening and will be to-day inferred
in the cemetery here.