The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-11
HER LIFE WAS A BURDEN
A Deserted Church Near the North
ern Pacific Depot the Scene
Of Sad Tragedy.
Mrs. Lois zeigler, while Insane,
Fatally Shoots Herself
in the Head.
Domestic Troubles, Followed by PO0r
Health, the Cause Assigncd-The
Husband In Denver.

At about the time Yesterday morning the
majority of the people of Helena were pre-
pairing for the labors of the day a sad trag-
edy was enacted in the Presbyterian church,
near tho Northern Pacific depot. Mrs. Lois
Zeigler, wife of Ry. Zeigler, went into the
little meeting house about six o'clock, and
five minutes later sent a bullet into her
brain. News of the tragedy WAS not re-
ceived up town till nearly 1880, and in fact,
it was seven O'Clock before the body was
found. The church is q few hundred feet
north of the passenger station. u. A.. B..
Jones, a draughtsman, lives but a little dis
tance from the chapel, and yesterday morn
ing at six O'Clock, as he WAS going into his
stable, he heard a pistol shot, the sound
coming from the direction of the chapel.
The building has not been used for some
time. and the doors and windows arc oren.
CHANGING toward the structure he saw the
CLINT of steel. and almost immediately
there WAS another report. His wife then
came to the rear door, and he told
her some one, he supposed a boy. was
firing shots in the church. After waiting a
minute or two, and no one coming out of
the building, he went into his stable and
MIXED a cow. About seven O'Clock. after
he had finished his breakfast, he concluded
that before he went to work be would 90
over TO to the church, and see If the shots
he had heard had any Significance. Look
ing in the door he say a human form lying
on the floor we'll mp In the church. At first
he thought it the body of an Indian. but
closer inspection proved it was that Of q
white woman. Mr.. Jones, satisfied the
woman was dead, YER to tho Triangle
drug store, notified Coroner Rockman, and
then in company with Policeman ellison
went pack to the church. This time he ap-
preached closer to the body and recognized
the clothing as the Same worn by a lady
who had passed his house Sunday morning
about six o'clock.
BY this time quite a crowd had collected.
but the identification was not complete till
the arrival of DIR. d. L. Carmichael, who
said the suicide was Mrs. Lois Ze igler,
whom he had been attending for several
days. From the position of the body
it seems that she went into the church de-
tsrmined to take her life. She had evil
IDENTIFY sat upon the floor close to. the plat
form, placed the pistol to her forehead.
pulled the trigger and fallen backward.
one was lylne ~ nel pa'1, WIN Hel nalos
tth;rtwNt rave. rauoi var ~ WITH !, t W. 49, .
ridges empty and two loaded, and a four
unc vial of medicine. This latter was
prescribed by DIR. Carmichael. but was in
Ia;aIsr ,.ns v;sitina m N Snnd.v n;aht r.
is supposed that after the first shot the un-
fortunate woman retained the pistol in her
hand, and the contraction Of the muscles
of the fingers was sufficient to pull the trig-
heard by Mr.. Jones. Dr.. Armstronv who
examined the body. testihed at the inn1eat
that he found but one wound. that in the
head. After n iury had been ;mpaneiad
takino establishmen To ha nranarad for
burial.
Mrs q. r. Stewart. n rala tive Inv marriag NJ
of Mrs. Zeioler. saws tho iatter ms heen via.
ting her for about two weeks. Mrs. Zein.
1ar ;rad ~ po,L oyarro nanr rinri, ,traat
Int recentlv went down to Mrs Stewarts
Who livao naxt In tho Northern pac;fc nan'
eraI Office near the denot. She said abe wns
feeling verv hadiv ana could not haar ~
stav az home, h was 40 lonesome Accord-
ing to Mrs. Stewart. Nv. ZeipIer' the hus-
hsnS went tn nanvar IN tha snr;rn einoo
from him. This tacit desertion had nrnv.d
nnon Mra za;oIer,s n';nd IN snnh an aYtsn+
that several times abe said she was going 10
end ber life Ano 4 Nv Car,niohaal Ss ne
called in and found the woman in n very
hysterioai condition Ha also a;.coverad
she had some howell tronhlel This he nra-
scribed for. and when he saw her on tba
sixth she was bright and chasrfnI ond an
nrrantiv Mi right On tho frst v;sit ssbe
told the doetos thot she was aning ~ Eli
herself: that her tronhle was one mad, c;na
would not cure. He advised her to tnls
n trin EAST. az "a tn ha rid al
On the second visit. however. aha waa az
we'll that he thonoht noes;LJy tho tr;n a,st