The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-11
PARKER'S SAD STORY
He Owned Mine That Produced 3
Quarter Of a Million.
A FORTUNE THROWN AWAY
He Killed Himself With the Same
Weapon That Killed Mrs. Parker
MANY Financial and DOM
estic Troubles.

From the Virginia City Madisonian-
AS a finale to the awful tragedy of |
last summer whereby his wife lost her |
life and his son his reason, Nahum |
Parker. full of years and trouble, put |
an end to his miserable existence last
Sunday morning by shooting. The
deed was committed about o'clock.
shortly after Parker had breakfasted.
Sunday morning, according to the evil
dence adduced before the coroner's
Jury Parker was not feeling well. His
sister-in-law. Mrs. Manlove, asked Mr..
Parkers friend, Dan Williams. to get
some stimulants for him. Mr.. WILL
Jams went down town and purchased a
pint flask of whiskey. On his return
Parker was out Williams went out
to the barn and found the door fasten-
ed from the inside. He managed in
some way to get the door open.
On a horse blanket, neatly spread
out upon the floor. with his head rest
ing on another blanket which had
been rolled up to serve as a pillow,
lay the dead body of Nahum Parker.
His right arm was stretched out at full
length and his right hand grasped the
handle of the same revolver which Is
said to have killed his wife. One
chamber was empty. On the right
side of the head, a little back or the
right ear. was the fearful wound made
by the revolver. At his left side lay
his crutch and leaning against the
wall was his cane. Mr.. Williams did
not lose his presence of mind on max
ing this awful discovery. He closed
and fastened the door, and called As
SCISSOR Foreman, and they made an
examination of the body.
Closing the barn door, Williams re-
mained outside, while Foreman went
to notify Sheriff Haines and Coroner
McNulty. On the arrival Of the latter
he impaneled a jury. consisting or
Thomas Baker. Charles W. Mead, Har-
ry Warrington. o. w. Jay, Patrick
Breen and John B. Caruthers. After
examining the remains, the Inquest
was adjourned to the sherins once,
where the above testimony was taken.
The evidence of Assessor Foreman
was merely corroborative OF that of
williams which was, in substance, as
related above. Nothing was found on
the person of the deceased save a few
receipted bills and other papers OF
little importance. The ptth of the ver-
dict was 'tthat the deceased came to
his death by pistol wound, on his
right temple. inflicted by his own
hand"
There are few men who have exper-
fenced as much trouble as this unfor-
turfate man. Ten years ago he
was rich. He had taken a wealth OF
gold from his claim and much ground
remained ito he worked. He was pro-
nounced success as a placer miner. he
began to make Investments In ranch
property and stock, which investments,
in time, proved disastrous failures.
About that time ne met with an acci-
dent while riding. from which he suffer
ed THE loss of his left Leg In the mean
thine his son, George, while attending
college, went wrong mentally. Watn
this boy he had always been indulgent
and the blow was a crushing one. This
blow was followed by more financial
disasters. The boy recovered for a
time, only to break out more violently
He was sent back to the asylum, and
after a time came back home, appar'
emily completely cured of his insanity
Last summer the old enemy returned
resulting in the horrible murder of the
mother by the crazed son. His cup OF
bitterness was overfiowing. At the
time of the killing of Mrs. Parker ht
had but the wreck of what might have
been a princely fortune. He stood OF
the very threshold of mans allottec
time ON earth and could look back a.
naught save sorrow and disappoint
ment His wife dead by his sons hand
that son q raving maniac, his fortune
frittered away, Is 1t any wonder tina
an intellect which at its best, waveret
in this unfortunate condition, should
put an end to his existence?
A Butte newspaper, in publishing tn
account of this tragedy, fntimates tina
George Parker was driven insane ol
account of the crruelties of his father
and that Parlxers treatment of his wifi
was not what 1T should have been
Such Is not the case. Those who knew
the dead man best assert that no maj
could have. been more kindly to hi
HVnsr.4 fs,xx =. -
he treated Mother" as he called Mrs
Parker, is wen known in this commu
nifty. With the boy he was always in
dulgent. AS for the boys insanity.
came from the father to a certain ex
tent. The tint was in the blood and a.
the physicians in Christendom coul
not remove 3t.
There are many IN this communist
who firmly believe and always viii
that Nahum Parker, while acting unde
the strain of insanity which is know
TO exist in his family, and which n
gave evidence of from time TO timS
killed his wife, and then, by the Gun
ming which insane men frequently pos
sess, fastened the guilt upon his sor
The Madisonian believes that the un
fortunate man is innocent of this crime
but there are many, the majority :
fact, who reside IN this community
who firmly believe this theory to
the true solution OF the Parker mys
terry. Hugh White, one of the witness
es at the coroner's inquest on the bod
Of Mrs. Parker. and the first to arriv
at the scene, swore that the body wa
cold when he arrived, whereas Parke
INSISTED that the killing had just take
place. Young Parker. when he came
town on the morning OF the murde
was apparenitly sane. and during tn
apparesnt lucid interval insisted that n
father had done the deed. Three hour
later his brain had given way and :
was a shriektng. bowling maniac. II
had Qutted down when. later. he tie.
tined that ne had killed mis- mother b.