Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-14

y lew minutes dlLef TWO o CLOCK NeStef-
day afternoon the inmates Of Mrs. a. j.
Lang's boarding house, at the old Grant
House, No 1912 Main street, were startled
by hearing a revolver shot, followed al
most Immediately by two others. At first
it was thought some one next door was
shooting at rats, but a very brief eXamina-
tion showed that this was not the case, and
there was a suspicion that the shots came
from some place in the interior of the
house. Mr. H. e. Parrot, who occupies a
room on the second floor of the
building, aided in making an investiga-
ton. and STOPPING at the hail door of Jesse
Richards room, which was Immediately
east of Mr.. PARROTS, he smeled the odor
of powder smoke through the key-hOle He
at once told Mrs. Lang that the shots came
from Richards room, and the hall door OF
that apartment was tried, but it was lock-
ed Knocks and blows upon The door
brought no response, and an entrance was
effected from d door leading from Mir Par
rott's room, which had been closed, in
Richards apartment, by heavy wardrobe
being whee cd against it, As soon as the
door was forced open sufficiently to permit
Of the ingress of a man, the room was en-
tered, when a horrible scene presented
itself
Richards was lying on the west side of
the room, couple of feet north OF the
door through which an entrance had been
affected, his body being partially support
ed by china waste water jar which stood
by the wall He was partially undressed,
and MS clothing was saturated with blood
which had soake the carpet all about
and spattered the walls and adjacent
furniture the partially cOagulated mass
vicinity looking like a section Of a prosper
Gus slaughter house. When the body was
turned upon its face, it was found that the
throat had been cut from point near the
left ear around TO the vicinity of the jugu-
lar vein on the right side. all the great
blood vessels, the wndppe and the gullet,
being either completely or Partially sew
cred. Life was not quite extinct when
Richards was first discovered, and DR..
Spragg was at once telephoned for, but the
wounded man was beyond all surgical aid,
the blood running out Of his veins almost
as rapidly as the water from an overturned
bucket, and he was dead in a few minutes
Coroner d. L. Phillips was at once mott
fed, and responded in a few minutes, as
did Dr. John L. Pipes, when a more min
ute examination of the body and its sur
roundings was made.
Richards, who is q native of Phillips
burg, Centre county, Pa, and type
writer and stenographer by profession, is
very well known in number of cities AM
towns in Central and Western Pennsyl-
vania, is associated in business
wav with A. NJ Martin, of Alp Wood
street, Pittsburg He came here last winter
with the intention of looking background
over preparatory to establishing stenO-
graphic and type.writing school. He
seemed pleased, with the city, and returned
about the first of March, opening an Office
in the store room Of Carrie Bros, for the sale
Of the Remington typewriter and supplies
therefore, while he installed his stenogra-
phic school in the Reilly block. He secur-
cd boarding with Mr.. Lang March 18th,
and seemed t. be meeting with fair degree
Of success Friday morning Mir ,artin
came down from Pittshurg, and the two
men were busily engaged with business
matters during the day, Mr.. Martin return
ing to Pittsburg yesterday morning.
Mr.. Richards seemed in his usual health
aud spirits yesterday and during the morn.
ing transacted some business and made
deposit OF forty dollars at the German
Bank, where he kept mis- account. AT din.
ner nothing unusual was noticed in his de-
meanor, and after dinner he told Mrs Lang
he would settle his boardbill, and gave her
a check for ten dollars, his two weeks. due
last Wednesday, amounting to twelve dol
lars. Mrs. Lang asked him if ne had made
a mistake in the check or if he merely
wished to be credited with the ten dollars
on account, in response TO which Rich ards,
seemingly somewhat nervous and confused,
said it was all right, that he had given
number of checks during the day. and that
matters might get mixed up, and he would
let it 90 until Monday, when he would set
tie the account Mrs Lang said that was
all right, and Richards tore up the ten
dollar check and went to his room. This
was the last seen of him until he was found
lying on the floor, as has been stated.
An examination Of the room seemed to
indicate that Richards had been engaged ia
looking over his statements and accounts
with Mr.. Martin, as large number Of
sheets containing statements were lying
upon the dresser, and shat while thus en-
gagged the determination 10 take his life
became fixed in his mind. Without re-
moving the papers he took an Od-faShiOn- |
ed four-barrelled pistol, Of Remington !
make and Elliott patent, and standing be
fore the mirror in the dresser, he placed |
the muzZle to his head, just behind the
right ear, and fired. The shot had little or
no effect. and two more We're fired in quick !
succession, all three OF the balls entering
within q space two inches square. Dis |
couraged by the slight effect Produced |
aud evidently knowing that the house !
would be reused BY the shots he dropped |
the pistol. and taking razor from |
an upper bureau drawer, he cross |
ed 70 the west side of the |
room, and there, leaning over the waste |
wa er jar, he made SWipe at his throat !
with his right hand The blade Of the |
razor struck his chin on tue left side, cut !
ting cash about an inch and Il half long |
to the bone, but, of course, intlicting an IN
consequential wound. Maintaining his !
position. the desperate man made another !
and more powerful stroke with the weapon |
the keen blade of which severed the flesh |
and organs of the throat clear through al |
most to the vertebral column, half sever |
ing his head from his shoulders. The |
razor dropped from his grasp into the
waste water jar, and Richards fell forward |
in the position in which he was found, his |
blood bespattering everything in the !
vicinity.
Coroner Philips, after making an exami-
nation, and hearing the evidence of Mr.. |
PARROT, Mrs. Lang, and one or two others,
returned verdict of death By suicide, and
the body was turned over to Friend & Son,
by whom it was prepared for burial. The
Coroner sent a telegram to Mr.. Martin,
and reply was received saying that Rich
ards home was at Phillipsburg. A tele-
gram was sent there later, but up to nine
o'clock last night no reply had been re
ceived.
Richards was man of perhaps thirty
FIVE years of age, about five feet nine inches
high, and of pale complexion and nervous
temperament He was evidently sufferer
from some lung trouble, and had an attack
of fever and grippe recently whcih left him
inindifferent physical condition. He was an
expert stenographer and typewriter. and
was highly spoken of 6y those who knew
him. Ill healthis the generally assigned
cause for his rash act, although business
embarrassments are limited At.
DR.. Pipes cut one OF the bullets from the
dead mans head 1t was almost as fiat as
dime, and had made little or no impress
sion upon the skull. The three balls all
glanced of, producing mere fesh wounds.
ALL parties wanting their baggage
F-... WI 70 RpiA