The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-06
TWAS HIS LAST DAY
Cy Hawley's Death Is One Of the
Mysteries Of the Day.
HIS TROUBLE IN A HOTEL
The Night Clerk demonstrated
With Him and Lightly Struck
Him-Soon Afterwards He
Died-An Autopsy.

Cy Hawley, a well-known engineer
of Butte, met death yesterday morning
in an unaccountable and mysterious
manner, there having been no cause
which seemed sufficient to produce
death He had been on a spree all
night long. visiting a number of diff
ferent saloons and drank very heavily.
About $3.50 O'Clock yesterday he went
to the Silver Lake house in East
Quartz street, conducted by j. J. Hag-
gerty. A good many boarders were sit
ting around the Office. Hawley de-
manded to know If there was any one
in the house who would go along with
him and see that he got fair play. No
one paid any attention to him, although
he repeated his demand several times.
He talked as though he had been
fighting with some one and he had a
small cut on his cheek bones. Hawley
finally became so demonstrative that
John Butler, the night clerk, told him
he would have to keep quiet or get out.
Hawley began to abuse Butler and
they had a scuffie. Butler. 1t is stated.
struck Hawley once twice, but not
heavily and put him out of the door.
Hawley started west towards Main
street and was about 40 feet from the
Silver Lake house when he turned to
the right and fell in the middle of the
hotel had been watching him and as he
failed to raise they went to him.
Hawley was picked up. carried to side
walk and set up against telegraph
pole. He seemed unconscious and a
wagon was procured and he was taken
to DR.. Alvord's Office in the Owsley
block. After a hurried examination he
was taken to Murray & Freunds hos
pital, where he died in a few minutes.
The strange death occasioned no end
of speculation. Some thought he must
have been injured more severely than
was supposed from the blow from the
fist. others thought the fall in the
street may have caused death, others
thought he may have taken poison and
others that he had died from heart dis
ease. Hawley had remarked to several
acquaintances during the night that 1t
was his last day on earth. No atten-
tion had been paid to the remark, but
1t was now supposed that he might
have taken poison. Others said that 1t
was common expression of his while
under the influence of liquor.
Butler was arrested, but after brief
investigation made by Deputy County
Attorney Mattison and an examination
or the witnesses at the Silver Lake
house he was discharged. Butler says
that Hawley was a complete stranger
to him. He came in and began bother
ing the men who were sitting in the
Office. Butler told him he would have
70 leave the house and started to put
him out. Hawley resisted and grappled
with him and made a pass at Butler.
The latter then struck him in the face
with his fist and put him out of the
door. The blow, he claims, was by no
means severe one.
Owing to the mystery surrounding
the affair, Coroner Richards concluded
he I,olI tn ,t..
was performed by Drs. Norcross and
Murray, who were busy with the body
from o'clock In the afternoon until Z
o'clock last evening. All the abdom-
inal organs were very carefully exam
ined. The stomach was a whiskey
stomach, and the organs seemed to be
In as good condition as was the heart
The brain was then examined with
equal care and a degenerated condition
of the brain was found. A rupture Of
cerebral artery at the base of the
brain was found, which they concluded
to be the occasion of death Seven
vertebrae were taken out and examined
to satisfy the physicians that the neck
was not broken.
What caused the rupture of the cere-
bral artery is probably a matter OF con-
lecture only. 1t might have been caus-
ed by a fall or a blow. or might have
been produced by great mental excite
ment The inquest will be held this
evening, and 1t is likely that more light
will be thrown on the affair at that
time.
Hawley came to Butte from the On
tario mine in Park City about IL years
ago. He had worked as hosting engi-
neer at the Lexington ana at several of
the Anaconda mines. During the past
year he had lived most of the time on
ranch at Lyman, Fremont county,
Idaho, with his parents and his broth
er. A few weeks ago he returned to
Butte and secured employment at the
Mountain Con. He worked Wednesday
from 3 o'clock in the afternoon until IL
o'clock at night. and then went off shift
and began drinking.
The two Commissions in the face were
carefully examined. but II seemed I'M
likely that death could have resulted
from them.