The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-18

going to Anaconda the next morning.
He said that he arrived at the Office
about a quarter past O'Clock Thurs
day morning. and told of the position
of the body and papers as testified to
by previous witnesses. He was present
when the letters left by Mr.. Kelly were
opened and read by the coroner. Mr..
Kelly had been very nervous and de-
spondent last Friday and Saturday. He
had told the witness that he had not
made any money during the last year
or two. In reply to question from
Judge Barret, Mr.. Holiday stated that
he did not know who instructed the
coroner to open the letters left by Mr..
Kelly. Judge Barret's pointed question
to Mr.. Holiday was followed by one
from the coroner asking IL the letters
were sealed He replied that the one
to the press was not sealed.
Judge Barrett seems to be very much
interested in the letters" remarked the
coroner.
II am neither afraid nor ashamed to
ask about these matters" replied the
judge. warmly. 81 don't think that you
or any one else. except the parties to
whom they were addressed, whether
they were sealed or not, had any right
to open them"
You have the right to ask any ques-,
tions you DESIRE" replied the coroner,
but when IL comes to roasting the cor
oner in my presence i will have to
stop you
John B. Berry testified as follows
concerning the finding of the body: Il
saw Mr.. Kelly alive last Monday even
ing at the store. 1 understood after
wards that he went to Anaconda on
Tuesday morning. Mr.. Roberts and
went down to the office about O'Clock
on Thursday morning. AS j passed the
Office window, / saw Mr.. Kelly sitting
In. y tr oh. t. at =, lie Aaelr Mr nj q
went into Mr.. Kelly's Office and came
out and told me that Mr.. Kelly had
killed himself. / did not believe IL at
first, and went I'm to see for myself.
found everything as described by the
previous witness. l then locked the
office and went up town and notified
Mr.. Holiday and Mr.. Kelly's brother.
He was very much surprised to hear of
his brothers death. Mr.. Kelly had
never talked to me about any troubles
or intimated that he contemplated sui
eide, and l was greatly surprised at his
DEATH"
H. r. Bartlett. the dead mans
chum, testified as follows: Il last saw
Mr.. Kelly alive Monday evening in my
room. We had a general conversation
and he was quite respondent. as much
so as / ever saw him. He talked OF
his domestic troubles and told me that
his business was not in such good
shape as he had thought II was Few
days before, although ii was not at all
distressing. He said that he was go
ing to Anaconda the next morning to
look after some large accounts that
were overdue. 1 was surprised in one
way when / heard of his death, and In
another way l was not knowing his
temperament and his condition / know
that / was very much surprised. His
temperament would too greatly mag
Nifty his troubles and he worried more
over financial matters than his cred
itors did. He had intimated to me
that he would kill himself, but did
not have any idea that he would do so.
1 think his suicide was premeoitated,
and / believe he was perfectly sane. i
sold him the gun with which he killed
himself two months ago. He said that
he wanted 1t to protect himself from
an Italian who had threatened him and
/ had no idea that he bought II to kill
himself with. His will and the letters
that he wrote just before he killed
himself are all in my possession. The
coroner turned them over to me on an
order from Judge Mediation. Among
them is the following letter which he
wrote to me:
Butte, April 10, 1896.
Friend Hank-I am doing something
tonight which / know you will say is
wrong; but 1 cannot help it. and
must and will end all my troubles. Sc
goodbye, old friend of mine, goodbye.
Give my kind regards to my friends
who tried to help me out of my
troubles-John O'Rourke, Tom Lavell
and E. o. Dugan. Again / say good
bye. ]. F. Kelly"
did you tell Judge Mediation that
the coroner had opened those letters?"
inquired Coroner Richards.
II did," replied Mr.. Bartlett.
did he blame the coroner"
HE did
What did he say"
HE said that he ought not TO have
opened them under the circumstances.
Thompson Campbell was also highly
incensed at your opening them"
Fred r. Kelly, a brother of the dead
man, said: 81 am a brother of the de-
ceased. / last saw him alive at the
store on Monday afternoon. He told
me that he was going to Anaconda
the next day on the early morning
train. / expected him back Wednes-
day night / was informed of his
death few minutes after O'Clock on
Thursday morning. 1 was greatly sur
prised at his death. / went down to
the store with Mr.. Berry who notified
me of his death. / saw a pile of let
tiers on the desk and one on his bicy
Gle. The coroner opened and read the
letters in my presence without any OBJ
jections from me. i don't know what
caused my brother to commit suicide
unless Ii was domestic troubles"
o. L. Chapman, superintendent of
the B., A. & p. railway. was the last
witness and testified as follows: II did
not know Mr. Kelly in his lifetime. i
saw him first at my residence in Ana
conda about $3.50 o'clock last Wednes-
day evening. He wanted to know what
would charge for an engine to take
him to Butte. i told him that ] would
not send out a light engine. but that |
would send him up in a special train
of an engine and car for $50. He said
that was all right, that he would have
to come up IL II cost twice as much.
He appeared perfectly sober and did
not seem to be excited. He seemed 70
be I'm his right mind. He told me that
he had to get to Butte that night as his
child was sick His train left Anacon-