The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-06
In LOVED ONES SIGHT.
Young Man Makes His Father
and Sister See His Suicide.
BUSINESS TROUBLE THE CAUSE.
III. 3. Miller Shoots Himself In the Brain
Before His Family's Eyes-Hs
Was Probably Insane.

Harry s. Miller, the druggist doing bust
ness at 1905 Front street, shot himself
twice in the temple Yesterday morning at
7o'clock al the residence Of his father,
Fenton Miller. at the corner of Duke
street and Park avenue, with = 22-caiiber
revolver. Both bullets pierced the brain.
but such was the vitality of the man that
be lived until 4:30 O'Clock in the after
noon. The direct cause of the deed was
dependency brought on by the dizziness
OF business during the recent storm.
Miller had not been himself at times
during the last few weeks. He had re-
peatediy gone over the city visiting his
friends and holding long conversations
with them, e course foreign to his nature,
which was quiet and retiring. Despond-
ency also took hold upon him every
time there was q dull day at the
store, and again when things moved
along nicely and the sales ran well
up he would be bright and cheer
full. Saturday night he was at his place of
business and when Or. j. b. Loughary
called late in the evening he was appar-
entity feeling all right. When he closed
the store he went directly home and re-
tired as usual. Yesterday morning his
father got up about 5 O'Clock and some
time later his sister arose and commenced
70 prepare for breakfast. Harry Miller got
upat O'Clock and, without dressing fur
ther than to pull on his trousers, came
down stairs. He walked directly 10 4 Sec
rotary in the sitting room and took there
from an old six-shooter 22-caliber revolver
that had not been used for years. In a
perfectly calm and deliberate manner he
walked through the kitchen and opened
the door leading to the woodshed. A mo-
ment later the report OF the revolver was
heard and the father came running 10 the
shed TO gee what had happened.
His daughter had also heard the shot
and came to the scene close behind him.
When they reached the scene there stood
the son Of the former and the brother of
the latter with the revolver in his right
hand and small stream of blood .rickling
from wound IN his right temple. The
moment he saw his father and sister ne
started up and waving the gun cried out,
''Stand back, stand back" and suiting his
action to his startling words put the mug
zle of the revolver to his temple, close to
where the other shot had entered, and
pulled the trigger. The deed was done,
the report had sounded and the bullet had
logged in his brain before the
horror-stricken parent could reach his son
TO prevent the terrible deed. Harry
fell TO the floor in a semI-conscious state
and was carried in his fathers arms TO his
! ted. As soon as possible word was sent to
DIR. ]. B. Loughary. and IN the meantime
DIR. Rova E. Alexander was called
in. When DR.. Loughary reached
the house, which is near Lake Washing
ton. The patient was delirious and talked
in wild and uninteliigibie manner.
''Let me finish the job and have it over"
he cried as the doctor was examining the
wounds. and then from exhaustion he be-
came quiet. 1t was found that both bull
lets had pierced the skull and entered the
brain matter, but owing to the lack of
force had failed to go through. Up TO
] 80 o'clock the doctor thought that there
Was slight chance for the patient to re-
cover. but the hope was rapidly dispelled
and the young man breathed his last at
about 4:30 o'clock.
Harry Miller was 20 years old and I'M
married. He lived with his father and his
sister at the residence of the former. and
conducted the drug store before men,
toned at 1905 Front street, near Pettis'
music establishment Just after the fire
he conducted a drug store combined with
stock Of wall paper at 307 Columbia
street. He did not have good success in
that venture and gave up the business to
other parties. So far as can be learned
there are no encumbrances on the stock in
his Front street store, which he owns in
connection with partner who is in Osco-
loosa, In. The deceased also owned some
real estate in Seattle, and it is thought had
his life insured in the Equitable Life of
New York for 5000. While the deed was
sudden, the primary cause in all proba-
bility lies in hereditary insanity on the
mothers side. The arrangements for the
funeral have not been completed.