Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-15


binary Despondent Nature-The Evi
dence at the Inquest Makes Him Out Il
Being Very Tired of Life-Possessed o
Considerable Money.
Last JanusryI. E iward Shepherd, adrug
gist, arrived here from Wheatland, OAK. AND
Immediately secured employmen with Fer
dInand Sands, the East Park street drug
gist. and continued in his employ until Sat
urday night.
Sunday morning Mr.. Sands went to bis
store at q quarter to 10 O'Clock and found
the door locked and the gas burning. This
surprised him somewhat, and be entered
the store and walked to the bedroom in the
rear Of the store and found Shepherd lying
In bed with his shirt and cravat IN, uncon-
scious. He felt for his pulse, but failed to
discover any, and at once summoned DR..
Leavitt, who responded Immediately, aud
upon his arrival, pronounced Shepherd
dead, although the body was still warm.
Coroner Howard was notified and he'd an
inquest at noon ~summoning l. w. StoDer,
Barney Si,anehan, Frank Charroin, +. w.
Holmes, e. A. Show and w. McMullen as
jurors.
Mr.. Sands was the principal witness ex-
amined, and testified that Shepherd had
been in his employ since January 16, OF
this year, at a salary OF 500 per month.
He said that he last saw Diet eas alive at
II o'clock Saturday night, and he seemed
to be 10 pain. Witness wat preparing to go
home, and advised deceased to take some
quinine. To this Shepherd replied, If /
take anything it will be morphine" Con-
tinuing his testimony, witness said thatde-
ceased had seemtd to be in poor health for
some time, but witness did not think that
had been in the habit of taking
morphine or cocaine, although deceased
told aim once hat he had taken six
grains OF cocaine some years before, and
that he would have taken more il it had
been in the store. Deceased seemed OF a
nature at times, and then
again would appear quite cheerful. Satur-
day night, however, he appeared more than
Respondent. |
DIR. Schultz was examined next, and tes-
tilted hat he had treated deceased for
of the eyes, and had noticed the
testified to by Sands, and
hat Shepherd seemed more Respondent
week than ever. Witness was satisfied
hat deceased had not been in the habit of
morphine or ~cocoaine.
j. N. Dow, u clerk in DiAcheal's drug
tore, deposed that he had often heard
hepberd complain OF the long hours he
as compelled to work, saying that he be-
an work ut z in the morning and con-
until IL o'clock at night. From
hat deceased had said witness was IN
ined to believe that Shepherd was lead
g more of a prison life than anything
j. w. Custer, clerk in Shultz's drug store, I
stified to deceased's fits OF dependency :
erraticalness of disposition, saying
lat he was never alike two days. 1helast
witness saw deceased alive was Satur- !
evening at 6 O'Clock, when he was sit. {
ng in a chair and asked him what the l
after was. Shepherd replied: "I'm tired {
working eighteen hours a day, and I'll
ike morphine tonight To this witness
lid nothing and walked away. Is
Or. Leavitt was also examined, but his {
1idence was OF no Importance.
The jury returned a verdict that de-
,ased had come to his death by an over
ose Of morphine administered by his own
and.
Shepherd was about 81 years old, and
is home was at Castine, Maine, where his
lther, |. l.. Shepherd, resides. He was a
ian o! more than ordinarily steady hab (
8, frugal and Industrious, and decidedly
economical. Upon his person was found a
ank account with Clark & Larabie, with
1000 to his credit. besides $500 in
Ioney, a gold watch and other jewelry.
\ addition Sands owes him $130 salary.
telegram was sent to his father, who di- {
that the body be embalmed and for {
arded east. Accordingly Undertaken
prepared the remains for ship. I
ent, and they will be sent east this {
orning. II