Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-16
A SAD SUICIDE.
Orlando Lard alias Frank Bell Blows
His Brains Out With a Pistol
While Drinking.

btIttt "tft StdItIfu ONei lbc itBOf
of a pistol shot and 1t was soon
learned that Frank Bell alias Orlan-
do Lard had shot himself in "a room
at a fancy house Oh Liberty street.
Bell arrived here last June and is
a painter by trade, but as he did not
find work Immediately he went to
leading a riotous life. IL seems that
Bell was formerly of San Jose, CAL,
where he was raised with Violet
Aldrich, who when about Is years
old was led from the virtuous path
of life by Bell and to hide her shame
from her well-to-do parents she fled
from her home with Bell and as he
was worried over the circumstance
he went to drinking and failed to
support the girl who had been the
victim of his passions. They came
to Oregon and the girl was so
wretched over her condition she
decided t. lead fast life which she
did, supporting herself and Bell
most of the time. Bell short time
ago became jealous over the girl and
threatened frequently to kill her.
AS soon as the shooting occurred the
unfortunate victims parents was
telegraphed to and an answer was
received that the heart-brOken
mother was coming to attend to the
matter. A sad meeting it will be.
Yesterday morning SheritfCroisan
telegraphed to the coroner at Wood
burn who after consideral delay
arrived about 4 o'clock and held an
inquest over the body. The follow
ing is the testimony taken before
the inquest which explains the kill
ing.
CORONER's INQUEST.
J. G. Dickey, Ed. McAffee, r.. b.
Brown, ID. Griffith, Fl. p. Rankin
and ID J. Holmes. The jury
summoned repaired to the
Room in which the deceased was
laying and examined the body. 1t
was shown that the ball had entered
the right temple and passed over
the forehead and was stopped on
the left side, after it had chrushed
the skull bone.
The first witness examined was
James FIennell, who testified that he
was twenty years old, and that he
had been stopping in Salem for the
past five weeks; occupation, machin-
ist; formed his acquaintance while
in the city; knew him as Frank Bell.
met him yesterday at
about l:30; afterward met him at
Eckerln's saloon and had drink
with him; he said he was coming
down to the house, and asked me to
go with him. We started, and
when we reached the White corner
we met Mr.. ID. Davidson, when Bell
asked us to 20 and take drink
with him. We went, and when
drinking, "Bell said it would be the
last drink we would ever take to-
gether," and said, Lets go down
to Minnie's." | told him | would
go with him Ii he would 60 to the
depot with me. "He said he was
going down to kill the girl" | told
him he didn't want to do anything
like that" but he said he was going
to do 1t. When he got to the house
he told the girls and myself that he
was going to kill her. wanted him
to give me the pistol but he refused;
we were In the front room at the
time and he then walked into the
bed room adjoining the front room
on the southeast side, and sat down
on the bed and took of his shoes.
| was sitting beside him, and he re-
marked that he was going to lie
down and take rest. | reached
my arm around him and put my
hand In his pocket and asked him
for the pistol. He said he would
give il To me il would take my
hand out of his pocket. Miss Davis
was standing at the door and re-
marked, "He will give il to you, Jim
mie, and he down and 20 to sleep"
When | let go the hand he had the
pistol in, he raised IL to the side of
his head and said: ~ am going To
shoot myself! Get up! | sprang
up, and he shot himself instantly. |
l do not not know any reason why |
he wanted TO kill the girl; the shoot
ing took place between five and six
o'clock, saturday evening. Heheld
the revolver In his right hand. As
soon rs he shot himself he fell back
on tine bed easily, there WAS no
other persons In the room but my
self aud Miss Davis aud the deceased.
| thought he meant 10 kill Violet,
for l have heard him talk about her
before, and have seen him ON the
streets with her; do not know of
,ux nthar r,aasnn xvhi.h la.l M. A.,