Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-10
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Thomas Oldham Shot Himself in the
Head Yesterday.
The Act Committed at Stubenville
He Yves Brought Down to the
City and VIII Probably Recover.

Thomas Oldham, of this city, aged
thirty years, married and having one
child, attempted to XII himself early
yesterday morning at Steubenv.lle by
shooting himself in the head.
He was, up to some mon5hs ago, en-
ployed at Youngstown, o., iron works,
but mas been out Of employment for
some months past and has been living
with his mother, who keeps a private
boarding house on Main street 1t
seems that the immediate cause of his
rash act was domestic trouble with his
wife. VINO has lived apart from him for
sometime, with her parents at Steu-
bsnv,lle, and that recently she has re-
turned to him in this city his letters
unopened. Tuesday evening of this
week Mr. Oldham went to Steubenville
for the purpose of seeing his wife, and
the visit appears to have resulted in
the rash attempt to take his life yes
terday.
The bullet entered his head above
the right eye. 1t IS thought that he
VIII recover. He S now at the home Of
his mother, Mrs. w. D. Oldham having
been brought to the city on the
"Pewiky" noon train of yesterday.
HIS family is highly respected and
longtime residents of the city, and the
affair is highly distressing for them,
and they have the sympathy Of the en-
tire community.
Oldham arrived in the Southern linn
its Of Steubenville Wednesday evening,
on the O'clock c. & p. train.
Quarantine officer Wells was told that
ne was from Bridgeport and told him bel
would have to so back.
Oldham said he ought not to be quar-
antined, as he was from Wheeling. Mr..
Wells, after further questioning learned
that ne had spent half hour in the sa-
looms at Bridgeport, and so told him he
would have to return and put him on
the SIS p. m. west bound c. & P. pas
senger train, but ne only went as far as
Mngo, where he got off TO walk back
to Steubenville. Shortly after one
O'Clock he went to the house near the w.
& L. e. r. r. turntable, in the southern
part Of the city, where The night shifting
crew stay, and told them be had been
shot They took him I'm and washed
him off and he then tainted
About two o'clock they brought him
to Steubenville, and turned him over TO
the police, who placed him in the lock-
up on chairs and then sent for rela-
tives and Or. J. j Mccoy. The latter
probed the wound enough to see that the
ball had entered the right temple and
passed forward and was lodged between
the brain and the outer plate Of the skull.
Oldham says he did not do ,he shoot
ing. but a revolver the quarantine off,
Ger saw is m ssing and cannot be found
oldham said his revolver was IN his
pocket but it was not A handful Of 30
cal.bre center fire revolver cartridges
were found in his pocket. A letter which
had been sent to htswife by Oldham and
re rned, was also found IN his pocket.
II! -'fe was Emma Dewey, of Steuben-
vine.
One. Officer Wells, while
4 rcan,. y, 'rday afternoon, found a
II If bl Oh n the center Of the C. 6
p. 1r df mile below the W. e L.
E. turncable. but could find no trace Of
the revolver. Mr. Wells says Oldham
threatened to shoot him at AHngo, be-
cause he sent him back The pool Of
blood shows where Oldham fired the p's-
tol. The revolver. 30 calibre Amer
can Bulldog. was found last evening by
Thomas Seabro0k near the shifting en-
gine house. showing tha, Oldham threw
Il away as ne naared the house There
was only one empty cartridge in the gun.