The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-06
BULLET IN HER HEAD
MISS IRENE sALER RECEIVES A
DEATH WOUND NYsTERIousLY.
A Fiffeen-Year-OId FIeteher-Avenue
Girl Found Dying-ProbobIy Not
a Suicide.

cdAcIs a nltecI-l tdI-olu girl INlD8
with her brother-in-law at No. 6 Fletcher
avenue, shot herself in the right temple
at s o'clock last night. The bullet crashed
into the brain. Whether it was sent there
accidentally or with suicidal intent no one
seems able TO say. There are various
theories afioat in the neighborhood as to
the motive of self-destruction, If there was
a motive. The girl will probably die and at
midnight last night had not been able to
speak.
In many of it's details the affair is mys-
terious. The girl, with her mother, Mrs.
+. 5. Safer. made her home with her
brother-in-law. w. s. Walters. a dealer in
groceries at the corner of South and Noble
streets. The store is but a block from the
home OF Walters. His sister-in-law was
employed in the store and aside from other.
duties was expected to drive the delivery
wagon. The girl was at her employment
all day yesterday and a few minutes be-
fore s o'clock last night left the store and
walked to her home. Her brother. Ola
B. Saler, is employed on the Sentinel and
Works at night. Her mother and sister
were at home, however, and the girl sat
down and .chatted with them for several
minutes after her arrival. Then her
mother took up the hose and stepped out
into the yard to sprinkle the. grass. The
younger daughter remarked that she would
make up her brothers bed before retiring
and getting up stepped up stairs.
"A half hour later her mother completed
her work in the yard and started upstairs
to her ROOM At the top of the stairway a
dim light was burning, but the rooms be-
You'd were dark. Mrs. Saler hesitated a mo-
ment, for she expected TO find the customary
light in her daughters room.
Irene" she called, ooh, Irene. where are
your There was no response to the call,
and Mrs. Saler turned back to get a light.
She passed into her daughters room and
then stepped into the room occupied by her
son. AT first she saw nothing but the bed
and the clothing in disorder as it had been
left by the occupant in the morning. Then
she looked on the floor near the foot of the
bed, and ran screaming from the room.
Her daughter lay at full length on the floor,
but the mother was too shocked to notice
the surroundings.
Ed ]. Gausepohl, a young married man,
living next door, was the first to be at
tracted by Mrs. Saler's cries. He ran over
to the house, and was made to understand
that something was wrong upstairs. He
took a light and proceeded to the room in
dicated by Mrs. Saler. One or two other
men ran over from the opposite side of the
street, but declined TO accompany Cause
POM, ana he went up alone. The young
girl lay as her mother had found her and as
she had fallen. Her head and shoulders
were partly under the bed. She was moan
ing slightly. Gausepohl looked at the girls
race and saw the pallor of death. Above
the right temple was what in the dim light
iooked like a dark bruise. But the blood
VAS streaming from 1t, and, STOPPING down,
Sausepohl saw that the bruise was a bullet
noie- On the bed lay a t~hirty-two>caliber
pistol. and across the room was the open
drawer from which the weapon had been
taken, The bed clothing was saturated
with blood, which indicated that the VIC
was fired.
DR.. Bryan was the nearest physician, and
girl IN an unconscious condition. After a
hurried examination of. the injury he sug-
ges1ed thai another physician be sum
Both doctors attempted to get at the bullet,
but after considerable probing gave up the
injury D Would Tep prove Ss i fataf HDin. The te aafre 1ss
continued In a state Of stupor until about
o'clock. Every eoffrt was made to arouse
her brother arrived and soon after that she
began to show signs Of revival. Once she
6pened her eyes and apparently recognized
Don't you know me, Dudie?" he called,
pending over and p-ronouncing a familiar
nickname- Inc girl made a slight move
ment OF the lips and signified by a move-
ment or the head that she recognized the
speaker. Again she opened her eyes.
How did 1t happen, Dude" he asked
again. Were you fooling with the pistol?''
Yes" whispered the sufferer, and then
became unconscious to all surroundings.
The pistol with which the girl fired the
shot belonged to her brother. He kept 1t in
the lower drawer of the dresser and made
no secret of having ii in his possession. No
one heard the sound of a pistol shot or an
cutlery until Mrs. Saler found her daughter.
One of the peculiar details of the affair
was remarked by DIR. Bryan a moment after
he was called. There were no powder burns
about the face or head. a condition the
where the pistol had been held close to the
head. Another popularity about the case
is the fact that the room in which the girl
was found was dark. Had she been moved
the pistol Ii is unlikely that she would have
done so withovh a light. Her family are
much mystifiedg over TIE affair, although
they think i was IS the ISs "ad,9 Of an accident;
cause for desiring TO end her life. She was
bright and pretty, and enjoyed good health.
She was very womanly and dignified in her
ways and impressed people as being much
older than she really was. She kept no COM
pany and rarely ever mingled with young
people She was constantly employed in her
the festivities usually INDUCED i'm by boys
and girls of her age.
Last night there was a great deal of gos-
sip about the neighborhood concerning the
girl was Respondent because she was COM
PEELED to drive the delivery wagon and
wait on customers in the store. She was
heard to say recently to a neighbor that
is said in the neighborhood that the girl
arose at 3 o'clock every morning and opened
the store. Her family ridicule the rumor
that she was dissatisfied with her work,
They saw she WAS ALWAYS delighted whom