Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-24
A FATAL SHOT
Was That Which James d. PrOudfit
Sent Through His Brain
Last Evening.
A Popular Business Man Commits Sui
eide While Temporarily Deranged
The Sad Details.

The whole community was shocked
yesterday evening when the announce
ment was made that J. D. Proudft had
ended his life by putting bullet through
his brain.
A young man of promise with innumer-
able friends and with every incentive to
live, the news that he had taken his
life into his hands was received with no
little surprise, and with universal regret.
For some weeks past it has been no.
t1ced by Mr.. Proudft's most intimate
personal friends and business associates
that he was not mentally or physically
himself. His conversation, which was
often of disconnected nature, showed
him to be laboring under
SEVERE MENTAL STRAIN,
and in his business associations he was
worried oftimes almost to distraction by
small matters that to we'll man would
not have been of any Importance.
The rash act of last night must there
fore be ascribed to diseased mind oper-
ated upon by circumstances of more or
less aggravated nature.
THE TRAaIo DETAILS.
Yesterday afternoon about 80 O'Clock
Master Ray Rivenburg,s son of Mr..
Grant Rivenburg, was passing the home
of Mr.. James T. Newhall, at which Mr..
Proudft has rooms, when he heard a
pistol shot. At the same moment the
little daughter of County Surveyor VIM.
White who lives next door also heard a
report. Neither OF them, however, recog-
nized it as meaning any thing unusual.
At AS o'clock, Mrs. Nowhall, who Is a
sister of Mr.. Proudft, returned from a
long drive with Mrs. T. P. Gable. At the
door, her parting words we're: swell, I
must hurry and tx Delmark's room"
Little dreaming what was before her
she hastened into his apartments only to
find him lying across the bed breathing
heavily. What appeared to be
Red BLANKET
encircled his neck. Reaching for it, to
free him from what might prove the
cause of his distressed respiration, as
we'll as to awaken him, she drew back
her hand in horror.
Clinging to it was
HER BROTHERS BLOOD
yet warm from the pulsating veins and
arteries of his head.
A moment later the alarm was given
and Mr.. George L. WHY'S, Mr.. George
Brady and DR.. James Brady, who were
visiting at Mrs. Hurts, quickly followed
by that lady herself, fastened to the
Newhall home, where a fearful sight met
their eyes. Propped up In bed with
pillows, the oounterpane drawn up to his
waist and the upper portion of his body
weltering in blood and brains, the popu-
lar young business man lay, breathing
this last few moments of his life away. A
SO caliber Smith d Wesson pistol, and a
fearful wound entering the right fore
head and ranging downward told
lvan THE SAD STORY
of suicide, and the shoes carefully laid
near the coat on the back of chair,
showed that the act was carefully planned.
DR.. Brady q quickly tested his pulse; it
About twenty minutes later Mr.. George
Brady, who had hastened away on his
bicycle for physician, returned with DR..
Sloan, and few gmoments thereafter, or
about 5:l5 O'Clock, the soul of James D..
Proudfit had winged Its way to the great
beyond.
Az soon as the sad event became gener-
ally known throughout the city
NUMEROUS ysrENDs CALLED
to offer their aid and to extend sympa-
thy. Mr.. James T. Newhall, his brother
in-law, was quickly wired at Las Vegas
and reached the city last night.
Mr.. Proudfit was "a member and the
chief officer of Centennial Encampment,
No. 2, I. O. O. F., and that organization
immediately took charge of the remains,
and had them prepared for burial. Last
night a committee from the Odd Fellows,
consisting Of Messre. VIM. Boander and
Harry MOTLEY, acted as guard and to-day
other Odd Fellows and friends are at the
home. Mr.. Proudft's relatives in Kansas
City we're promptly notified and tele-
gram received this morning states that
his brother will arrive here tomorrow
night for the purpose of carrying his
remains east. Arrangements for the
funeral have therefore not been COM
pleted.
HIS BUSINESS GARNER.
James d. Proudft was about So years
of age and was the son Of James K. Proud
fit, ad jutant general Of Wisconsin in 1865