The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-08
Was bellies POISONED /?
Sudden and Mysterious Death Of a
Resident of Oak Hill.
HIS LIFE INSURED BY HIS WIFE
They Had Not Lived Happily Together.
Interview with His Brother-Whnt Dr.
Stevens Says Coroner Is Notified
and VIII Act Today.

Not until Coroner ]. A. Kelley makes
post -mortem examination of the body
this morning can there be anything
definite known of the cause Of the death
of Silas Bellies, Of Oak Hill Lackawan-
ma township, who expired at $50 o'clock
yesterday morning under mysterious
and suspicious circumstances.
The deceased was the same man
whose wife deserted him a week ago
last Tuesday. Indications of foul play
seem strong.
Bellies was AZ years OF age and had
been married about twenty years. His
wife Is considerably younger, being
about 80 years old. one child was born
to them, IA son Edward, who IL now
about II years of age. The deceased
was stone mason by trade and of a
rugged constitution; but less than Il
year ago he began to feel unwell.
The last employment he was engaged
at was as inspector Of coal at the Hill
side cOlliery in MoOsic. He sustained
an attack of Illness two months ago and
was i'll for week; but he did not return
to work and was idle until his death.
About ten years ago his wife left
Wilkes-Bar and remained away three
weeks. He brought her back and in
two years she deserted him again. The
last occasion on which she went away
Is said to be the fourth time she left
home. The neighbors say that she was
justified in quitting his home, that he
was not careful about providing for
her.
What Ills Brother Has to Say.
Simon Bellies, q brother Of the dead
man, was interviewed yesterday after
noon by a Tribune reporter and he
made the following statements: Silas
| Bellies, his brother, had often said that
| he did not like to drink beverages that
were set before him by his wife, afraid
| that he might be poisoned. And he
warned him to make sure and have a
| pOst-mortem examination held upon
| him when he died He further stated
! that the deceased cOnilded to him that
| his wife had taken out insurance on his
| life against his will. The policies We're
in the Metropolitan Life Insurance
company and amounted to $40O. on ac-
| count of this insurance the deceased
| had fears for his safety The first policy
was taken out about thirteen years
| ago.
The brother then went on and told
the following story:
| on Tuesday. Feb. &C. when the de-
ceased came home in the evening he
found his wife missing and her clothes
and the insurance policies gone too.
| Edward, the son, went to Levi Bellies
house in Moosic to board and the de-
ceased came to board with him. He
was in good health and remarked that
he never felt better in his life. Last
| Tuesday he went to Moosic to see his
| wife and ask her to return to live with
him. She was stopping with her step
| father, Hugh Sheridan. She did not
come back with him, but Wednesday
morning, when he went to his house,
he found her present. He went away
and had his dinner at Simon's house,
and left before supper time to so back
| to his wife.
| lie Was Praying.
| She greeted him pleasantly and pre-
pared his supper, after which he went
TO Moosic to get his son, Edward, to
return to live home again. The boy re-
fused to come back and the deceased
started home. 1t was about I o'clock
| and he was seen on the streets of
Moosic in apparently sound and
healthy condition. He got home at
7.30 and began To prepare for retiring.
He knelt down to pray and sank eX-
hausted on the floor She, with the
assistance of a young man named
| Lockhard. living next door, carried him
to bed. He was conscious until II
o'clock, when his feeling left him.
| Dr. Stevens OF Moosic, was sent for
and he arrived at Il o'clock and re-
mained two hours. Bellies fingered
without regaining consciousness until
$50 yesterday morning when he died.
Coroner Kelley will hold post mortem
examination this morning.
DIR. Stevens was seen yesterday and
| he would make no statements further
than that 1t was a puz2ling and mys-
| terious death, and the cause of 1t would
be known when the result of the autop-
| sy was asCertained. He said that when
he reached the Bellies house he glanced
| at the man and was sure that he was
| dead. The skin was colorless, the eyes
sunken and the jaws relaxed. But he
was thunderstruck to find the pulse
beating strongly.
DR.. stevens Opinion.
| There was no respiration noticeable
and the doctor injected hypodermically
drug to stimulate the respiratory or.
gans. The Doctors individual opinion
was that therewas something very sus-
picious about the death. He was posi-
tive that death was not caused by heart
| failure or apopleXy.
| No arrangements for the funeral will
be made until after the coroner or.
ders the body to be Inferred.