The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-17
THROUGH HIS HEAD.
The Sad Suicide of Lawrence w.
Groo Yesterday.
FINANCIAL TROUBLES THE CAUSE.
The Story Of the Suicide rs Told by the Young
Mans Partner-The Evidence
of the Physician.
TROUBLES THE CAUSE.

SnOrGly atEef III O'CLOCK yesterday morn |
ing a number of persons in the vicinity of |
Ellerbeck s. Groo's blacksmith shop at No.
55 Commercial street, were startled by |
hearing the report of pistol shot, and on
rushing to the door of the shop they saw
Lawrence w. Groo lying on the floor. A
4i-caliber Colts revolver between the feet
and CHASTITY wound in the head told the
story of another suicide. DR.. j. E. Mar
shall, who has an office near by, was soon
on the scene, and after brief examination
he announced that life was extinct.
Many widely conflicting stories as to tue
causes which impelled the deceased to
commit the rash act were soon in circula
ton, but the following particulars are
doubtless correct; Lawrence Groo and j.
.. Ellerbeck were the proprietors OIL the
blacksmith shop where the tragedy occur
red, and for some time past Groo had been
drinking more or less. On Friday night be
and his partner, with some other parties,
spent a portion of the night in carousing,
and between and s o'clock yesterday
morning the partners returned to their
shop to begin their days labor. They were
then somewhat under tue influence OF
liquor and repaired to saloon several times.
Groo was very Respondent, and it is evil
dent from his conversation that he contem
plated ending his life some time before he
carried the resolution out He insisted in
talking with his partner about various
methods of committing suicide, and wanted
| Ellerbeck's views as to the quickest and
surest way of accomplishing self-destruc-
| ton. The latter said he thought prussic
acid would accomplish the work, and Groo
proposed that his partner go to drug store
and get some laudanum or other deadly drug
and that both take it. Ellerbeck says he
did not realize that Groo actually con-
| LOTT M nd
of playing practical joke upon his partner
by getting some nauseous but harmless
drug, which would make him sick. Their
conversation on this subject lasted until
about 10 o'clock, and the men then CON-
menced stirring about in the shop and pre-
pairing for work. Ellerbeck, how
ever, had Eat last become impressed
pondent and desperate, and was thinking
of summoning some enc by telephone. He
had just turned his back upon Groo, when
the latter drew his revolver and fired the
fatal shot. a party who was at work IN
the rear of the shop stated that he wit
messed the act. A number of policemen
were soon at the place, as was DR.. Mar
shall, and covering was thrown over the
form of the dying man to screen him
from the gaze Of the curious. He
was, OF course, unconscious, but continued
to breathe with some regularity for about
half an hour and expired at 10:45 O. clock.
The ball entered the right temple fossa on
the border line between the frontal and
parietal bones. 1t had evidently DETECTED
and passed under the top of the skull be-
tween it and the brain, and taking course
on the left side of the head similar to it's
track on the right side, came out near the
left temple. The frontal bone was loose
and could be moved like the cap of the
knee.
The deceased was only 10 years of age
and was a man of fine physique. He was
born in this city and was the son of Isaac
and Mary Jane Whitney Groo, of the Ninth
ward. He possessed many excellent traits
Of character and was widely known and
liked 1t was found from Mr.. Ellerbeck
that he was owing sum of money which
he had invested in business, and this fact
worried him considerably.
Coroner Taylor was notified Of the sad
, affair, and at ) pm. an inquest was held al
/ the undertaking establishment of Joseph
. William Taylor, on west Temple street
the jury being composed of DR.. Marshall
A. Il. Tyson and H. E. Taylor.
} James 0. Ellerbeck was the first witness
called. He testified as follows: The de-
: ceased and myself started out carousine
r last night and kept on drinking until {
o'clock this morning. When we got bach
to the shop we both felt very desponden,
and both talked of suicide. He wanted u
} know what we could best take to kill US
l replied that prussic acid would do it, but
we couldn't swallow it, Then we went t.
Youngberg's saloon. When we went back
he had gun AID said, "Shall we do il
noWs' | told him to wait until we coul(
f get back to the shop and talk it over
When we got in the shop, he said it would
be the kindeSt act he had ever done to xii
himself, as he had been care to hi.
9 mother for years and he was going to quiz
@ it. Just before he slot he said
"Shall we do it nown When tn,
shot was fired he cried, sOh, Godn, HI
had borrowed $3.50 and was worried about
it. He was unmarried and 10 years of age
s had no serious intention of committing
/, suicide at 10 O'Clock this morning. Their
|. was no one present but myself. We wer,
!, walking into the shop, in front and few
q feet from him, when he fired.
;. G. A. Livingston testified l was behint
the bar in the Golden Gate saloon On Sec
a ond South street.when the deceased walked
quietly in and said, ''Arch, loan me gun
l want to shoot a dog up the street."
questioned him about it, and he wanted /
to kill dog, and promised to give 1t bacl
to me in five minutes. 1 let him take it.
Thomas Parsons testified was in tn
next .door south of the blacksmith shop
and heard the report OF the pistol RAJ
into the place and saw the deceased lynn
v on the floor, with his head just outside tn
d door and to the east He was senseles
and died in thirty minutes. Mr.. Ellerbec
was in tie place and seemed much excited
Dr. James E. Marshall testified wa
!; called this morning to see the deceased
f. | found him lying near the rear door of hi
o shop in pool of coagulated blood Their
h was large wound IN the right temple
= from which brain substance exuded. Th
r ball passed out on the opposite side of hi
v head. The mans breathing was slow an
e labored 1t was 10:55 when he drew hi
e last breath.
Albert Parsons testified that about
IL quarter OF an hour before the shooting h
saw the deceased and Ellerbeck struggln
It near the shop. Groo wanted to go to th
saloon and said he was going to do what b
had said.
This was all the evidence of importanc
ELECTED aud the jury returned verde
setting forth ttat the deceased came to hi
y death at the time stated above from the e.
fects of pistol shot fired by his own han
while under the influence of liquor
The father of the deceased recently wer
- to Montpelier, Idaho, on an excursion II
~ was communicated with yesterday an
70 started for home last evening and will a
r, rive tonight. The funeral will be held O
N Monday at 2 o'clock, from the residence
l. 367 n. Third West street.