The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-17

Terrible Fate u : Loaely
Rsncher IN tho Weeds
SHOT hsa1seLF " ACCIDENT.
Ja0as q. Csoway 1eunA ~ . Neaghoes
DeaAea 4 n Dseea-ua1 Jase
Proves Up - Nh C3aAR

Doeho4 II liz Dt0o0-Ua0 -
Proves Up - Nh CsaiA
James g. convay. ranehsr living m
the woods shout sin miles from Kent &C
cidentaIly ai,6s himself in the head with
lscaiibsr Winchester rii1s last Saturday
night. The body was not .disc0vsred until
yesterday morning, when meager paSticu-
lars made IL appear thst = bloody murder
had besn committed. The case Was thor
,oughiy Investigated by Coroner Horton
after most trying trip. with the finsi
conclusion that death was purely acct-
dedtai. although most bloody ending.
James Conway took up quarter section
Of land shout one-baif mile from Swan
lake and six miles in IN easteriy direction
from Kent, seven years ago. when NJ
was mot living on his ranch he worked for
Pas Hays. Mike O'Brien and A. Wash
burn. near O'Brien station. His nearest
neighbor vas Angus Mcdonald, Who lives
about milo away. all alone in little cot
tage.
Last Friday Conway came 70 Seattle.
proved up on his claim and returned to
his home in the wilderness Saturday
morning. Henry Ham Was probably the
last man to zee him alive, a. he paved
Hams ranch about IL o'clock on horse
back, and % far - known Vas not seen
until yesterday morning, when his neigh
bor. Mcdonald. saw his biood-covsred
body through the open door.
Conway had made m appointment to
visit L. McElh0e, one Of his witnesses a.
TO the amount of work he.has done on the
rancn. and Mcdonald was going along to
keep him company and pass the day in
trout fishing at Swan lake. Mcdonald
followed the footrath that approaches the
cabin from the east. while the door Is on
the south side. Consequently he could
not zee inside until he stood ct the
door. Mcdonald 10 . middle-aged man.
who lost his family in the great
Chicago FIRE. He is rather nervous
by nature. but the sight that met his eyes
caused him to give one yell and go through
the woods like q mailman. The door stood
open and in the northwest corner Of the
cabin lay Conway. with his head COM
pletely covered with clotted blood. He
did not stop to make any investigation.
He was scared and never stopped running
until he reached Henry Hams place, two
and one -half miles distant.
When he tried to tell what he had seen,
Ham came to the conclusion that he did
nos know which end his head was on, but
advised him TO 60 to Kent and notify the
proper officials. Mcdonald returned to
his home. saddled his horse and started
on his mission. Meanwhile Ham went to
Conveys cabin and, after taking . look
at the corpse, closed tho door and re-
turned home.
Coroner Horton was notified by teie-
phone about the time Dr.. Smiths funeral
started for the Armory. and made haste to
catch the 2:l5 o'clock train for Kent He
was accompanied by Harry Watson. from
Bonnsy Il Stewards, and . Posr-INrELLl-
GEScKR reporter. The trip from Kent to
the cabin where the body lay Was over .
country Of the most hilly nature, with fire.
vuent valleys and now and then . marsh.
Nine-tenths Of the time either side Of the
road was lined with thick underbrush,
and after reaching Hams ranch there
was no road ut all. There Was simply
. trail, over which Conway and Mcdonald
went in and out with their ponies. C0ro-
ner Horton and his party walked. while
Driver Tyler made his way with two
horses and heavy lumber wagon through
the woods. How he did il was . mystery.
At McDonald's cabin the horses were left
and then came walk Of . mile through
marsh land to CQpway's cabin, which sits
on . knoll.
The door Was opened and bloody sight
indeed was before the coroner's eyes. On
the floor. on his right side. lay Conway,
stark dead, with blood ali over him. The
wound that mad caused his death was q
frightfui looking thing, commencing ct the
left cheek bono and running diagonally up.
ward. touching the ear. It seemed a. II
the tiesh had been gouged out. Tho head
lay in big pool Of clotted blood. while
the hair. light naturally. was black from
the quantity Of blood mixed with it. The
plaid jumper that was on the dead man
was also sprinkled with crimson spots, and
the hands that were haif-outstretched
looked as If they had been drawn down
across his face while he was bleeding ia
death. Across his left leg. which was out.
stretched in contrast to the other, which
Was contracted, lay . 44-caliber Winches.
ter rifle. with blood on the stock. There
was scattering of brains on the trunk
which stood on . line with the head Of
Conveys bed. and in the narrow space
between the head Of the bed and trunk
Was another pool Of blood. A double,
barrcled shotgun leaned against the head
board and from people acquainted with
Conway it was learned that tho rifle al
ways stood with the shotgun. Everything
about the cabin Was in order and when
the bullet was found in the ceiling above
the body all question Of foul play Va,
settled. II was simply case Of accidental
shooting or suicide, with no foundation
for the latter theory. Coroner Horton
looked over tho ground carefully. took
note of the contents Of the room, exam
fncd few personal letters In . trunk,
found . silver haif-dollar and then ar.
rived a: conclusion concerning how Con
way met his death.
In n garden about fifteen rods to the cas-,
Of the house were Conway's spade and
rake. while the ground about tho potatoes
strawberry patch and turnips gave eyi.
denee Of having been lately raked and
spaded. This - the SPOT where, il Is
thought, Conway " - working when he saw
something in the forest that offered q shot.
lie ran TO the house and grabbed the ride
by the barrel with his left hand. In draw.
ing II toward him the trigger caught ON
the leather handle of the trunk that stand,
close to the bed and discharged the run.
The bullet pio~ed along the cheek, cut
ting the artery near the ear, and afte,
piercing the brain for an inch or two can,s
onf, and lodged in the ceiling above. Ths