Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-10
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
A YOUNG OHIO NAN SHOOTS HIMSELF
THROUGH THE ARM
At the St James Hotel Yesterday AfsrnoOn-Th
Wound Not at all Serious
The Cause.

About twenty minutes to foul O'Clock
yesterday afternoon the loungers
in the office of the st.
James Hotel, on Water street, were
startled by the sharp crack Of a small re-
volver, coming from the apartment used
as a writing room, and a second later
there was the sound of some one falling to
the floor. Those within hearing rushed
into the room, where, about the center OF
the floor, a young man was found lying,
while a nickel-plated revolver lay upon
the carpet not far off. The police were at
once telephoned for while the PROSTATE
man, who seemed to be badly wounded,
was lifted upon a sofa near by, and his
clothing removed from the upper portion
of his body. 1t was then found that the
bullet had missed the body entirely, but
had passed through the left arm, quite
close to the shoulder, the result being a
wound quite painful for the time-beiDg,
but not at all dangerous.
Chief of Police Smith and officer Ben
Dunlap arrived at the hotel a few minutes
after the shooting, and took charge of the
case, pending the arrival ola physician,
who had been promptly sent for by MIR.
Norton. A REGISTER reporter spoke to the
wounded man as he lay upon the sofa,
surrounded by a crowd which nearly filled
the apartment, and learned from him that
his name was Edward w. Beall, of Ashta-
bula, o., and that he had shot himself
with the intention of committing suicide.
He said:
81 intended this to be q 90, but some
how it didn't work. | was a little shaky,
and the gun didn't hold right. tried to
do it last night, at the Henrietta
House, in Moundsville, but my handker-
chief saved me. Family trouble was the
cause. I've hada good deal of trouble"
Beall, at this point, gave up his pistol, a
small % calibre, seven shot revolver, to
Captain Smith, who put it in his pocket.
In a short time DR.. Dickcy arrived, and
Beall was removed to his room, where his
wound was dressed, and last night he was
resting very quietly, having eaten a hearty
supper.
There was no one in the writing room
at the time Beall made the attempt upon
his life, but several people were just out
side the door, in the office. MIR. Hiram
Aldridge, who had just left the room when
the shot was fired, said to a REGISTER re-
porter:
II was in the writing room, lying upon
a sofa, when the young man first came in.
Ho sat down at u writing desk, next to
the Water street window, and | paid no
especial attention to him, being in n sort
ola doze. After q time | got up and
walked to the window, behind Beall, and
stood looking out at the moving ice in the
river. Beall got up and went out into the
office, coming back with several sheets of
paper. As he sat down to the desk again,
! caught a glimpse of his face, and ! re-
member thinking he must be suffering
pain, as his face was drawn and distorted.
| then crossed the room and walked out
into the office, and when | had about
reached the front of the clerks desk
heard the shot. at first thought some of
the boys at the news counter had fired a
fire.cracker, but when | heard the fall |
ran into the writing room, and found
Beall lying on the floor near the stove. He
had evidently got up from his chair and
followed me across the room as far as the
stove, when ne fired the shot"
Mr.. Hiram Beall, the father of the
wounded man was in Moundsyiile yester-
day afternoon, but was at once notified,
and came up to this city last evening. He
said to a REGIsTER reporter:
"My boy had no family trouble OF any
sort. lie has been drinking for some time,
and | ascribe the shooting TO that fact, and
to the further cause that he has been
subject to fits Of dependency for some
time back, resulting from laughing gas
given him some time ago to allay the pain
of a surgical operation. He has been with
me in Moundsyille for two weeks past, and
| have been watching him as closely as l
could. He is the agent for a patent lamp,
and has been doing well, but
always seemed to be dissatisfied
and discouraged. Yesterday he
got away from me and came up to Bel
laire, but l found him and took him back
to Moundsyille last evening, when he en-
deavored to shoot himself. This morning
I sent him out to make q collection, when
he strayed off and came up here to Wheel
ing. The boy is all right when he is sober,
but he has given me a good deal Of treu-
ble.n
The wounded man is about % years OF
age and is unmarried. He Is about 5 feet
10 inches in height, Of slender frame, and
looks as if he were notin the best Of health.
The family is known to a number Of peo-
pie here in Wheeling.
DoS'T fail to hear the great v~ocalists