The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-05-27

in this city, especially in the gamb'
ling halls, last fall and winter. He
was a fine looking, intelligent man,
of about Is years of age, and de-
cidedly "fast" in his habits. In fact,
his chief ambition was to be regarded
as imam of the town." His beset-
ting sin was gaming; all that he
could make or borrow was quickly
wagered on the green cloth. Faro
was his tavorite game. but he was
ever on the watch to take hand in
any stud-horse-poker game.
THE SUICIDES HISTORY.
Shaw was born near Richmond.
Indiana. His parents, both dead,
were honest farmers in comfortable
circumstances. Some five years ago
he tired of the quiet and monotonous
life on farm and came West. For
four years he was a resident OF Col
orado, drifting from camp to camp,
and picking up a precarious living as
waiter and "capper' for sure thing
gambling games His soubriYuet in
Colorado was "Windy Shaw" In
the spring of 1884 he came to Mon
tana, and for some months was a
waiter IN the McBurney house, at
Deer Lodge. While there he met
his fate, In the person OF an exceed
ingly handsome young woman, en-
plOyed as a chambermaid in the
same caravansary. Early in August
last he came to Butte. He worked
for about month as waiter at the
St. Nicholas Hotel, and then for al
most the same period in the Eureka
Chop House. Then, in company
with Fred Wey, the present worthy
prophet sr of the Eureka Chop House,
be established the Little Bon Ton
restaurant, at 412 Main street. The
place had a good patronage, but
Shaw gambled away all the profits,
and inside of a month Wey discreetly
Withdrew from the firm. Shaw con-
tinued the concern on his own hook
for few weeks, when he was forced
to put up the'shutters and skip the
camp. leaving behind him debts to
.9he s,im total of over $500. After
brief and inglorious career at Helena,
he drifted West, to meet death aJ his
own hands in Washington Territory.
THE WOMAN IN THE CASE.
Shaw killed himself because his
girl had "gone back" on him. AS
stated. he met the girl at Deer
Lodge. She was then about eighteen
years old and a pronounced brunette
of comely shape and beautiful face.
She was the daughter of Mormon,
a well-to-do merchant residing at
Provo, Utah, and had ran away
from home to escape the harshnesses
of several step-mothels. Shortly
after Shaw came to Butte, the girl
followed him. The two lived together
and each one so;emnly declared that
they were lawfully married. 1t is
generally believed, however, that
their union had never been sanctioned
by priest or jusge. For quite
time she was night cashier at Fisk's
German Coffee House, on Park street,
and when Shaw ran the Ben-Yon
restaurant, she was his cash girl.
When Shaw left Butte she went
with him.
sHAW's INFAMOUS CONDUCT.
OF the career of Shaw and the
woman in Spokane Falls, the follow
ing extracts from letter received
yesterday by q gentleman IN this
city give full picture:
"When the two came to Spokane
Falls, they took rooms at private
boarding house, registering as
brother and sister. In a very short
time. however, Shaw forced the
woman to enter a house OF i'll fame,
much against her will. He loitered
about the gambling dens, living on
the wages OF her shame. They had
frequent quarrels, and finally the
woman went back on him. He
that perhaps she had
thrown him overheard for some
more favored individual, and
became morose and savage. He
went to her house, one night, in a
fierce passion and terribly abused
her: he tore from her person her dress
and her shoes and threw them into
the fire, and then beat her unmerci-
fully. She had him arrested, and he
was fined and ordered to leave the
town inside of twenty-four hours.
Shaw swore vengeance and threat
ened to kill the woman on sight.
The next day he saw her in a buggy,
in company with another soiled
dove. and attempted to carry out his
threat, but was prevented by y'French
Kid" a resident of Butte, who
CHANGED TO be in Spokane Falls. That
night he went to the house to kill
her. but found the premises closely
guarded. Then he returned to his
hotel, bent on self-destructi0n.
POISON, AND THEN THE PISTOL.
The unfortunate man quietly re-
paired to his room, at the Northern
Pacific hotel. Early the next morn
ing one of the servant girls heard a
pistol shot, and informed the pro-
prietor, who forced in the door of
Shaw's room, where the suicide was
found lying on the bed, with an ugly
wound in the forehead, just over the
left eye, ranging downward. He
had taken morphine, but not sutfi-
cient to kill him, and then he re-
sorted to the pistol. By his side
was 44-calibers bulldog pistol, with
one empty barrel. Physicians were
promptly called, but the poor fellow
was beyond human aid. He lived
for twelve hours, in an unconscious
state. He left behind him the fol-
lowing letter to the public;