Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-30
ONE MORE UNFORTUNATB|
Deliberately Planned and Exc
cuted Suicide of a Well
KnoWned Man.
Financial Troubles Cause M.
w. Wilson to Cross the
Mystic River.

ii. From Sundays Daily.
ed That curse to society, the gaming table
ne which has wrecked SO many lives .nt
blighted SO many households, is again re
~sponsible for tragedy so frightful in it,
ls- ghastliness that the very thought Off
makes the mind sick. But this will con
tinue so long as men allow their cupidity
or love for the excitement that gambling
~ affords to gain the better OF their good
O. sence and judgment.
10 Three years ago Marshall Wellington
" Wilson came to Butte to accept the posi-.
> ton OF local ticket agent of the Montana
Union, having been cent for by Major Daw-
d son., who was then superintendent OF the
road. he afterward left the services OF
2 that company to become cashier and local
8 : freight solicitor of the Northern Pacific, and
4 has continued in the employ of the com.
9 pany ever since. being a period of about
! ! two years. He WA very popular in bust.
: ness and social circles, and being a man of
t good habits was highly respected and con-
sidered q valuable member OF the
community. When he began to contract
the habits which caused him to
kill himsels yesterday, ia not known. al
though a number of persons have been
aware for months that he was addicted to |
tempted to induce him to stop il. He
promised them to do 30, and for a few weeks |
it seems kept that promise. The temptation !
to play, however, was too strong. and he 1
fell again; and when he did so plaved |
heavier and more recklessly than ever be-. |
fore. Mr.. McCaig, general agent OF the |
company, had no suspicion OF what Wilson |
confidence in him.
Yesterday morning a messenger from
Clark q Larabie's bank called at M.
McCaig's Office and informed him that M.
Johnston, cashier of Clark & Larabie's
bank, desired to see him. He vent tie the
bank as requested and it was only when
Mr.. Johnston told him that several Of
WILSON'S checks had been presented to the
bank by persons attached to Jack Dowd,s
ga mbling house, and the checks had hsan
rejected, that Mr.. McCaig suspected some.
thing was wrong. Mr.. McCaig at once re-
turned to the Office and asked Wilson II he
were in trouble. To this Wilson answered in ,
the negative, and Mr.. McCaig again asked
him ii he were not in financial trouble
Again Wilson returned a negative answar
Mr. McCaig then asked him for his remit.
nSe DooA Hho "iioou euOW6O MIN the 1
book and said that he was onlv two ~ I
three days behind. The agent then advised =
MN to go at once and buy ali
draft and forward it to st. Paul on the frat
train. Wilson said he would dc 80 and left I
the office: Mr.. McCaig also left the office and I
went to L.. p. Foster, Wilson's Roommate. =
and told him that Wilson was in troubje.
tnat ne nad Kept the money received from '
the sale OF ticke t. received for the last two t
three days. MIR. McCalg outlined a plan 70 I
Mr.. Foster by which the friends of Wilson i.
could raise the amount OF his shortaoe Q
about 5000, and send the money ON in U
time to save Wilson from serions troubia q
Mr.. Fo~ter acquiesced and told Mr.. McCaio O
that he knew some Of Wilson's friends who .
would endorse his note to Clark & Larabie II
and that they would raise the amonnt - fl
Wilson's deficiency. MIR. McCaig then vent
back to the bank and told the cashier that
Things had been arranged and that Wills, n y
would be saved. He the returned tn the W
Office and Wilson as still out. c. n. Lord 1
telegraph operator in the Office, told him +;
that Wilson had been in similar trouble :
about SIX weeks ago and had borro wed !"
enough money to make good the deiciencv &C
and that he had threatened to kill b;mss,i nj
then. This alarmed Mr.. McCaie and he i'm. y
medlately started out to look for M Eos. =
ter whom he found on the street. and told vi
nim TO Keep a lookout On Wilson, because
ne was liable to kill himself. He also asked U
Foster, in case he found Wilson. to TO
orlng him to the office so that he could sion W
'ne promlssory note VIII oh his friends had CO
agreed to endorse Tor him. TIL next tbina la
ne heard OF Wilson was when Robert Csr;s Gu
,old him that he killed himself. Afterwo ID ps
Boston Charley" appeared at Mr.. Nc. ge
jaig.s once with q number of checks lal
yhlch Wilson had made ont to JACK II
ovid and asked about the payment wi
them. Mr.: McCaig refused to have any. OF
hing to do with them. tiG
As soon as Mr.. McCale had Unmarried bic les
about Wilson to Mr.. Foster the Pc
after went to the room which he and vii. vii
occupied, which ia 10 the lodging honse vii
'ept by Mrs. j. A. Baker, on the Southeast DO
orner OF Granite and Wyoming streets. thi
found the door locked and began rat ros
ling the lock: As soon as he did 80 he to
caro- a shot inside, and surmising the aft
ause' mace no further effort to gain ad- sin
j tance, but Immediately ran in search nj the
doctor. He finally found DR.. Murray '
nd the two repaired to the room. Mr.. No
oster forced the door open and found cor
'ilson in bed with q tumbler in his left apl
and and a revolver in the right. The run
octor took the revolver and glass out of arr
9 hands n found about a couple of sen
OF ehloroform in the glass. Viii. bus
N was still breathing, but unconscious. Isla
I'd blood was pouring from two horrible tior
ounds in bis head. He had held the pistol and
'ainst his head, back OF the ear, and the tioI
lllet had emerged on the opposite side and Nor
'bedded itself in the pillow. He continued in
breath for about twenty minutes and 9TH
en- died. Robert erik, who was passing 60 Q
:, was called in by Mr.. Foster, and re-. In
aimed until Wilson expired, which was dert
out twenty minutes after 12 O'Clock. of I'll
An inquest was held at 4 O'Clock at ests
James McCaig, DR.. Murray, L. P. boa
ster. c. 8. Gilbert, Robert Grix and ing
aries Marion c'Boston Charley") were mea
amined. The testimony of Messrs. our
ster and McCaig was sub. Unio
,I.,aiIy az given above. The iug
It Friday evening himself, Wilson and tensi
eral Others had played cards at the Ange
saloon. After remaining IN the game fc &C
eral hours Wilson, who was very much Viz
Ter the influence of liquor, was taken said
by q friend and put to bed. Since tract
Il the witness had not seen deceased but
e, at about 10 O'Clock yesterday morn.
when he met him on the street and O..
k to buy a draft. -Opi
ailons evloencs was tnat wilson had this
aores ~ :, p'.y..g o. aooe0 al extern
onger cash his che, ks. He had nIayed drug
'oWd's house, where the witness was a acros
Ter, q lumber OF times and generally | cisl II
uespera1e game. Cne last time arrive
20: eu LAY peen Il tne mouse was ihurs. arrest
n - t y ao9uI - untI L O'Clock. are 81
and five minutes. As near as the wit to a,
could tell Dowd had checks oil de- worth
ed amounting to about $3.50.
;. Murray's evidence was as to the ma.
OF the wounds and the cause of death,
10 jury, composed of J. W. Cannon, C.I jon
Goodale, J.. F. Firch, e. V. Henderson, nects
!. Owen and c. a. Lord, returned arN.N-
let of suicide. wafer
the clothes of deceased we're found almos
in currency, SIS in gold, 1886 in a grea
and q draft in favor OF the Northern almos
&c Railrosd company for $196 IS,
BILE at st. Paul. In addition to this
pay checks, aggregating $66. were -
! in his possession. After the jury had o
ID the remains, the body was removed house
undertaking shop. where it terday
e kept until friends OF the deceased 49,: