The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-01
SHOT THROUGH HIS HEAD
james HcClosky Pats q Sudden Ending
10 His Life.
Suicide of an Old-Ttmer-A Re-
Coincidence In the
Last Moment of
His

Special Correspondents OF the Standard.
BUTTE, Feb. 18th third suicide of
the yearin this county.occurred this inc rn-
ing mt Park Canyon. James McCloskey,
one OF the old timers OF Montana and of
Butte, has been living the past winter in
n little cabin at the Honestake mine. near
Woodville about two miles from Butte.
His brothers.. Henry and John, also old
timers, have been living with him. The
three brothers are interested i'm "a NUM-
Der of prospects in the Park Canyon dis
trict.
For the last few weeks McCioskcy has
been i'm bad health. Con. Sullivan. for
whom he has worked, underworld tn have
the sick man removed tn his house. but
HI sSsr rSsSers az n,,e rddin to- 1is !" wants sns '" Iani
evening McCloskey seemed especially
Respondent and sick. and Henry Nc
clan. He went To the office of DIR, John
son, and that physician agreed to- drive
ON, and se.: the patient this morning.
Johnston started for the He ar
rived there about II o'clock to find that
blown his head OH with a gun. John had
been i'm the room with his sick. brother.
and James made an excuse that there
ought to be more wood in the cabin and
had his brother go out to cut some. John
was outside hut Il few mute when he
heard the report, and rushed i'm to- find his
brother shot through the head and sense
less.
The. weapon used 10y McCIoskcy was a
SIafDs r1Ue. w nctl 1Otlnu he was lying
on the floor of the cabin with his head to-
ward The door. The rifle was under his
body. Apparently. as soon as his brother
he rifle from the hooks. stood IL up on
end, placed the barrel against his left
temple T rsa l Pulled nar the ct trigger sTs ,s wi1' w n,s
blown OFT and the brains were scattered
about the cabin.
the suicide this afternoon and has decided
to hold an inquest at 10 o'clock Tomorrow
morning i'm this city. The body of Nc
and placed i'm Sherman's undertaking
room. A STANDARD reporter tonight had
an interview with Mr.. Sullivan. who. last
night waited upon the deceased. Said Mr..
sullivan: IL knew poor Jim McCloskey
very well and in fact have been one of his
mos' intimate friends Sa cd f"r Sf nnrc
from PhiIipsburg where h had been
engaged prospecting with his brother; He
right men I ever knew He was of frugal
habits and ever since I knew him hc has
lived i'm a cabin almost alone. He and his
two brothers owned several good mining
claims i'm this vicinity and while Jim lived
i'm most rigid economy, he did not allow
He was of a chceful disposition and
seemed i'm good spirits. OF course his
recent sickness unnerved him greatly
said. Well I'm not long for this
globe wi l did not take the matter
seriously and laughed, saying "Io" ar.
81 III " ~" rs AN .'s
have plenty of money to live i'm comfort
and you can go wherever you want and
take IN rest. Then he frightened up and
said he thought lie would take u trip to
Utah, where he formerly mined, and then
to Omaha where his relatives live. He
must have became suddenly respondent
and desperate"
The dead man has "a nephew who il
publisher of n paper i'm Omaha, q The
McCloskcys came originally from Du-
btque, Iowa. A singular instance i'm con-
nection with this unfortunate affair
was n statement by the deceased. tn his
brother John just before shooting himself.
The unfortunate man while contemplate
ing taking his own life was not left alone
as his brother John was attending him
denly Jim said to his brother "There
is someone walking around the cabin"
John replied that he did not think SO.
Yes there is" Jim replied; "Bob Mellon
* outside walking around, see il he is
not" John thereupon went outside
to investigate and as soon
as he was. gone his unfortunate
brother seized the rifle and blew the top
off his head. The strange part of the at
fair was that Bob Mellon was an acquaint-
ance of the deceased but had not seen
him for many weeks and Mellon had not
been out of the cabin for n long time, yet
the first man to arrive from Butte at the
scene of the deed was Bob Mellon.
McCloskey came to Butte in 1865, and
was here for "a few years, and was well
others with whom he was acquainted.
The act of the deceased is attributed tn
dependency on account of his suffcrings
from rhetlrllftSp.