The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-25

tHE stomach TEss ras&a him xaa-Hst aud
gloomy - tines. Mr.. Bells fs*her. W ~
Bell. died of softsnins 81 tne brain. and be
Krsssly fexress tss<s lie snssd STARE > Ike
fax. and the breoalag over tkgs subject.
together axfA kfs zesAai z1aiefsozs rsese
his afc a. rnsss raost miserable one.
Hg- sEzE wxs xSTHgssAsTtc
william n. CoGza1, nephew Of ne DE-
ceased and the gentleman whose essee
aas Iolnfiy occupied By Ms. Bell. uss rexs
scen- Mr. EDHm8u stated fkef Sc fsssk q
buggy ride with Hr. Bell o. Tzs<fav. NJ
BELL talked enthusiastically abort rase fs5tYr
story building ahfeA fse sssrsterzs 81 sssss
erecting On Frost street. next 10 thM belle
we hotel % q s5ss ~ eresez4f o<euased b.
serge H0e1en structure. Tie work of
hxfGg the site 70 whlefa fhe wooden build
isz IL 70 = moved sas already En- progre<z.
de seef1sG - be Ia unusually good Spirits
hfs rs1EarNEd BIS plans "a though be had
sssnfy-foas 5eers 20 lfve instead OF taen-
tJ-f0ur aoEys. TIE evening Mr.. Eel spTnt
af 1T. gosfnan's hcsse With relafives and
Though be ala aos have single
care on bis rnind Mr.. caFfnxn
s&ae that Mr.. Bell left bis house for bis
home ~ ? % osesoek ca Tuesday evening"
aud fhhs was the lsst BE saw Of liEn TIL he
saw hinn lying dead IN his Office. Mr.. Cofs
mao arrives ~ the sft.ee 81 about 20 yea
ferdzy morning. and AFTER remaining =
short time went out. NJ. Bell nuxt haze
come IN lew minutes after he left the
ofssce. but be did not ace nfrn- Mr. cSsf.
man went On 10 state that Mr. Bell hss
oeei. s,ssr lite better shsa an invalid for
some years past. lie suffered great ceaI
from Indigestion and Dyspepsia. which
made bis existence miserable one.
TaE LETTER AaAfs.
30 FAR as the contents Of the letter Jeff b.
n sd Il
Thought best TO make them public The
letter was pfiTsse one 70 hIE wlfs. fusi OF
endearmSnt and keen regret that iII-lseMIth
MADE y necessary for hiEa 20 end en ex-
istence when was Too fall ~ misery 70 ke
longer borne.
Dr.. Lewis K. Dawson was seen In relation
to the contents Of the letter and said IL
was tbs desire OF the family not 10 make
the contents public, a Il was simply q
private communication from q husband 10
wife aud contained an sfsecEl0nase fare
well and state f9enf that poor health
prompted the suicide.
VICTIM os acuTx BzIEsloa.
Coroner smart Is OF the opinion that aF
Bell was the victim OF acute deinss0n
when he shot himself. The letter, he
ssys. bears evidence Of this from the
erFafic way In which IL Was written.
Hon. A. A. Denny. who has heen &c.
auainted with the Bed family since 1saz
was next seen. lie stated that VIM, N.
Beis. the father Of Anstin A. Bell, came
frGEa Illinois 10 Oregon In ISL M Denny
also came from Illinois and they met In
Portland. 10 November, ISL, they came
20 che NouuG from Portland ca the
schooner Exact They travelled by water;
ns the road overland was miserable one.
The winter o: i-si-2 was spent 1t Atki.
Early In the spring 81 1872 Mr. Bell aud Ar
and took up donations land elaims- Mr.
william n. Eeli took i6o acres and his
wife sarah Aun Bell like amount wm
y. Bell had the west half and his wife the
east bali OF what has been known as Bell.
TOWN or North Seattle Mr. Denuy sui
wife took up q similar quantity Of land to
the south OF the Bell donation claira c.
ID. Bofen took np claim siso at the same
ume. These three we're the first settlers In
seattle.
Austin A. Bell was born In the old Bell
homestead house. wkicn wss located In
front OF where the BELIEF house now
stands. Mr.. Denny thinks. In the fall of
1883. This would make him 70 years OF age.
Mr.. Denny said his boy. Orion Denny, was
the first white child born IN seattle. and
Austin A. Bell was the second. Mr.. Denny
further stated that Austin was never very
rugsed boy. He learned the job printing
business and worked at IL for several years
In san Frsnetsco aud other places in Cali
fornia- Along in is1e he came 20 Seattle
and worked at the business here. aud Mr.
Denny said he acted IN an editorial sspa-
city and was associated with others ln The
publication OF the Seattle freasag Dispatch
Mr.. Denny was fully conyersant with
the physicist and mental characteristics of
Vim. n. Bell. father OF the decreased. who
died year and a bali since OF softening
of the brain. Mr. Bell. ST.. was an invalid
for Ave oar six YEARS before he died. aud
was subiect 10 cpl optic nus. His condition
gradually becasre worse, aud during the
period toward the last became totally de.
Inenled. He felt satisfied that the premon-
iIory symptoms which characterized the
beginning ef his fathers mental disease
had manifested themselves some time
since in Austin Bell. This the deceased
fully recognized himself. ana the fact SO
preyed on his mind that he hnally killed
himself
ssHe was In nay house." said Mr.. Denny,
day befor~ yesterday. sud appeared 10 be
IS cheerful rs usual lie asked ny advice
about some business ventures he proposed
em barking into and | was very much sur
prised 10 das when learned OF his death.
Poor fellow. feel sorry for him.
THE ONLY sos.
Austin A. Bell wss the only son OF VIM
" and Sarah ANA Bell. Some six wears
sinee he married Miss Eva Davis. Of vaca-
willie. Cal, aud they have lived happliv 10
gethef ever since. though NO children we're
born 10 them. by the death of bis father.
ia september. ISL, he inherited
ans'io9,th OF an estate ,ss. ooo which s
consisting OF realty in North seattle.
The other heirs we're Mrs. Ge rye w.
! Hall, ~ present in Los Angeles. Mrs- j. A.
stewart OF San Francisco, and Mr.. L X
1ofsnau. siuce dead. since that time the
property has much more than doubled in
value aad Mr.. Belfs share is now worth
over t2e0 ooa Many value IL az quarter
OF million. Had be not committed the
rash act the $4,000 brick building next 10
the Bellevue hotel would have beed added
10 the numerous structures which he
already owned IN North seattle.
An IsyAup FoR WEARS.
Although deceased learned aud worked
al the printing business Tor several years
be has aene nothing at II. hts friends say.
for about ten years past He has been Ill
more or less during all that time aud has
been valuly endeayoring u repair his
shattered heath.
Deceased MAS at one time member of
seattle lodge Ne. I. |. o, q. +. and 10 that
organization he conveyed odd Fellows
halt
SINGULAR DEED.
The suicide altogether Is most peculiar
one. That man situated Is Mr. Bell W as
shcald commit suicide seems singular
He was comparatively Young, wss wealthy
beyond the average. had ar accomplished.
handsome sud agfeetioaate wife, pleas
ant home. WAS surrounded BY relatives
who sefc also wealthy aud sson paniouanle
aud who feYeged him, ives respected for
his many good qualities by those who have
Known htm since hnyhood Ia this comm
nisv. Ia short be had sli the attributes
which uen consider 60 toward making up
9happiayss ia the hFesthsng werlsi. Yet all
SEEMED talnsicks 10 "a beside the Que
boon he efasett most and soarbt after and
needed most hsslth--was dsnisd 10
him and be was SO pesey. indeed. that he
preferred RIlnx a s0leids's grave ~ living
on ia misery, though u WAS riited with
the gold 81 neerly quarter Of = million
daisarS ia addition 10 ais SEXUAL Ills the
eTia seesser ss fathers Insanity aud IFS
possible Inheritance sas h=asisie him At
svery feast and Travelled tn him through
the falrc>t countries on bis toav and
anslsy srsasliy erased him asd made him
a suicide
BREsIrtEs.
The grand hail nf The library association
: -. x.a.E-s