Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-26
fHB PEACE OF DEATH.
John L. Billings Seeks 1t Rather
Than Longer Fight Lies
Battles.
dependency Caused By FL
nancial Troubles the
Probable Cause.
nm Wednesday Daily.

From Wednesday Daily.
The truthfulness OF the saying that one
half OF the world knows nothing about the
other hall, was never more fully proven
than by an event which occurred In this
city, yesterday. Little did the many who
we're Won't to meet and associate with John
1, Billings dream that the ioviality and
GOOD nature which always characterized
him we're only assumed, and that while
anpearing free from care and trouble there
vas that underneath all which made him
one OF the unhappiest Of men and caused
him to brood and worry until life itself be-
anne unbsarable and death was sought as
q welcome means Of escape, and as a source
Of rest and peace which he thought the
world denied him. Yet such Was the case,
and when it became known yesterday after
noon that he had taken a dose OF poison
with suicidal intent, and was even then
diving, the establishments which the an
pouncement caused was OF the greatest
There were those who refused to believe it.
and as q reason for their disbelief gave
the answer that he, above all men, would
be the last one to commit such a
dead as this very nature and disposition
would revolt against. But for all this the
story was only too true. At 3 o'clock the
troubled soul OF John 8. Billings took it's
fight to that mysterious land Of which
nothing is absolutely known and the belief
in the Joys and sorrows of which is only
founded upon O faith the result OF early
training and the inculcations OF youth.
Only the ~lifeless form OF one who a well
known and respected lay stretched upon
the bed to which he had retired but a few
hours before and calmly lying down
awaited the end. The end came, and with
it came also the last peace and rest so
often sought by souls warped and minds
diseased, who having tired OF all that the
world can give, care nothing for the future
pleasures that it may hold out to them,
and careless OF the suffering and pain their
act may cause to others, think only OF
their own sorrows and the knowledge that
the struggle will be q brief and perhaps
painless one nerves them on to the horrible
deed. 1t lie we'll that q charitable world
ovsrlooks the faults and shortcomings OF
the dead and kindly draws the veil over all
that they may have been in life, and speaks
only OF their virtues, for by so doing hearts
already wrung with pain will be kept from
bleeding anew, and souls already burdened
with grief will be spared the additional suf-
fering thatunkind words would infict. John
L. Billings was only mortal and like all
young men removed from the influence OF
home and parents, had his faults. But OF
these it is not the province OF the world to
now Judge. He is no longer OF earth, n
when his spirit left it's home OF clay it
winged it's fight into the presence OF the
great Judge above who is supposed to sit in
Judgment OF all. The thought OF the old
gray haired father who even now ia racked
and torn with pain, and the moaning
mother shedding tears over the memory OF
her erring son should stay all tongues from
u~ttering an unkind word, and il regard Tor
the dead should not hush gossiping tongues,
consideration for the living should act as
the seal and keep back the utterances that
"Reminiscences might impel.
The story OF the circumstances which
led up to the horrible deed ia briefly told.
Billings was OF an agreeable and compan-
ionable nature; free hearted and generous,
his VIA, sought by kindred spir-
it's. Money he b Id in light esteem, and
valued it only as u vehicle with which to
procure the things that made life pleasure
able, and it a the lack OF this and the
knowledge that to secure more OF it had
about become an impossibility which
prompted him to end his life. About two
wears ago he came to Butte at the request
OF Major Hornbrook, who had known him
for several years in Colorado, and the two
became associated in the business OF buy
inc ore for the Pueblo Smelling works.
Several months ago they dissolved, and
since then he has done nothing. Since then
he was observed by his more intimate as
sociates to be Respondent and moody at
times, and il is known that to one OF them
at least, he said he would kill himself, but
only little heed was paid to such state.
ments. the person to whom they were adj
dressed looking upon them as the remarks
of one made temporarily morbid and dis
satisfied because OF troubles to which he
was uuaccustomed. Still, when informed
Of the fact that Billings had taken poison
the recollection of The threats was re-
viyed. and the belief that the deed was pre-.
meditated became fixed and firm.
At about half past eight yesterday
morning Billings vent to the drug store
kent nv ]. &, Singer on North Main street,
and asked ]. ID. Thoroughman, one OF the
clerks, whom he knew well. to give or sell
him some morphine, saying he ad been up
ali night and could not sleep. Mr..
T~borouphman told him he could not get
any of the drug without q prescription
from a physician. Billings again told him
that he could not sleep and asked the clerk
to give him something that would cause
sleep. Mr.. T~horoughman then went oehind
the prescription case and mixed q dose OF
bromide and ~celerine which ne gave 20
Billings. the latter standing by his side
While he was preparing the medicine.
Billings tool the package. paid for it and
left the store, At about 8 o'clock he re-
turned to the store and met Thoroughman,
who was going to breakfast. at the door
and asked him to 60 into Lynch's saloon
and take a drink. They went in and as
thew cams out Billings walked with
Thorouebman as far az the drug store
stepped into the door, telling !horougn'
man he would wait there until his return.
As soon as Thorouehman was gone Billings
entered the store and walked penlno .he
moments and then started to walk out. As
he was leaving the place he asked Mr.
Martin. another clerk, when Thoroughman
vouId RET urn, and that he would see MIN
later After breakfast Thoroughman re-
tnrnad 20 the store and the first thing he
vas called unon to do was to fill aprescrip-
ton. one OF the compounds OF which was
morphine. The bottle IN wnicn neurus"
Kent. was an ounce phial and contained
about 10 grains Of the poison. This was
zone and at oncs T~horoughman suspected
that Billings had taken it, having been In
formed chat Billings had been behind the
prescription case. Thoroughman began to
look Tor Billings but could ind no trace OF
him until some time afterward when ne
was odd by Major Hornbrook that BIZ
lings was dying in a room on upper MAIN
street. - pr
After securing the poison, it seems bll'
linRs went directly to the residence OF Mrs:
Fredrika Boyce, opposite the Clear Grit
mine, where ne ior merly roomed. he was
met by Mrs. Boyce and her daughter ano
the former asked him il he had not been u,
ali night and drinking. He said be had
and told her that he wanted to go to oeo
and sIeep. His trunk and other effects
were stili in the room he formerly occupied
and Mrs. Boyce told him to take the room
across the hall and opposite to that IN
which he used to sleep. He wat asked TO
take a Gun of coffee, but refused, saying ne
didn't care for any and went to the room
assigned to him. Nothing more was seen
OF min until about o quarter to Twelve
,,Ihkop want nm RtAlFe