The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-31
A BULLET ENDED IT.
LEAVING NO STORY BEHIND.
Hfs Body Found In the Hallway or Z
sailors Lodging House Only IN
Incident In Isnderloin Life.

Down AZ the Chicago house, near the
coal bankers. 81 o'csock Issf night Alec
oeson snor and killed himself. The case
was one Of deliberate. but probably not
long cremeditated. suicide, without any
explanation for the sct-
John Eims. who conducts tire house
where the suicide took place, discovered
sbs body lying across tbe hall directly
81 the head Of the Stairs. and rushed iato
the street where he Informed osfieer H.
G. Adams. whose beat 10 from Yeslsr way
eouth Acams. as soon as he was able
20 obtain the facts fru1r the excited Ems.
turned Ia report TO headquarters and a.
encs returned 10 the scene 81 the tragedy.
where 0fcsorx body wac found sySug as
Il had fallen. with the head pressed against
the val. on one side OF the narrow hall
way and the legs spread wide apart and
stretching out ., as % make II necessary
20 ateo over the body 70 pass. Between
the legs isy 3s-eAisber buiIaog revolver
WITH the sIol~ Sill hanging about its
mazxae and drifting in txsin clouds zs the
ssini from the street. stirred the air.
There was switching OF the muscles OF
the mouth and about the eyes when
Adams arrived. br by the time onseerx
Williams and Phillips. who had been sent
from headquarters. reached the scene
OIsson was stone dead His head was
turned toward the left side and lay IN a
pool Of bico1. stump OF a cigar was
near the right hana smou' der4nx. vhers
II had been Dropped when oseson fell
Coroner Askam had been 'phoned 60
from police headquarters an scou a. the
report OF Ofcson's suicide had been turned
In. hut being out Of The city and the
shereabouts OF Deputy Teeter being un-
knsTn. q. NJ. Bntierworth. who Ia also a
deputy coroner. was informed and pro-
eees1ed al once TO the house. IN froat OF
which a curious and morbid crowd hal
gathered Upof. examining the body
ns hing was foand &c Indicate any meas
ure or prem~dhation. A short distance
away wss sink with the water stili drip
ping from ehe brars eock. leading TO the
belief that Oleaon had been thee 10 get
drink o. wash his hands. Ills effects In
his pockets were examined and found to
be the usual truu~peTy thss . ssafariuz
man carries. but ne money. In his room
thers was q seahag Of bedding and Cd
clothes and a satcbel containing num-
Der Of papers that when examined proved
70 be discharges fran vessels on which
he had served and ia which he was named
an able seaman. There Was also a docu-
rnenf showing that the dead man had be-
iongess ~ one time to the Order OF Good
Tempiars and had be q member Of the
grand lodge Of New South Wales When
olesons body had been turned over a
shas1y wound was found behind the left
ear and on subsequent examination tho
bulAst WAS shown 20 have lodged at the
base of Tire brain. Death must have
been instantaneous The remains were
placed in box and taken 20 Rutterworfh's
Undertaking rooms.
II was stated that psespn had been a
cook on the schooner ssivstor that sailed
from tho Sound about fifteen DAYS ago fos.
San Bias When the schooner entered
here last Oleson Jeff her and went to
Providence hospital 70 he treated for rheu-
matism. He was discharged by Or. EAgse-
son on July - az cured ard stated 10 the
affersiants that he VAS roinw TO 20 10 his
-naek ~ Town ser~vt srss Ts<esfth avenue
nnfB the salvatore return, when he
would again ship.
He evidently changed his mind, as he
went directly 10 the Chicago house. where
ne has been since. Hs IS said "a have
been cheerful about the place. and I've
minutes before shooting himself was plav-
Ing with dog IN the street and hanterinx
MS mates about the place. He had been
drinking. but WAS not drunk. and told
ohhcer Adams that he wa~ going up
stairs and TO bed. Adams advised him "a
and passed on. II was less than nv.
minutes later thar Fins reported the sui
eide.
The place where the shooting occurred
y typical sailors boarding house. with
its shabby furniture and dingy wall paper.
There is strip Of haif-worn mating IN
ranged sea chests Between the doors IN
tire dimsy partitions an attempt has
heen made st decoration with crude paper
flowers. but the dust and f'les have rob
bed the once gaudy clusters OF their fam
ing beauty. and they nov hang IN Sroop-
ing neglect sorrowfni commentary on
the life OF even paper flowers.
The AFFAIR Il one that can only be ADDED
20 the already long list OF crimes that
are charged against that part ~ the city
" comes up from an environment that AZ
hAst hair OF the worlf knows nothing
about and tnsru5es iis shadow only Tor n
moment into the sunshine az every day
life. Then the shadow shrinks hack again
and t. forgotten While Oieson'e body lay
prone and starh 'n the hallway and psonis
were stepping uneoncernediy over the
bloody corpse. only half curious the fumes
and smoke from cheap tobacco nlied tAs
air and soated out OF The window Tn near
the front Of the building .it,lng on sea
chest. was bic sresn parrot chsttering
and screaming a. tho unusual n~ceeesEns@
Gathered around the parrot. or ether sea
chests. there were arranged those curfo.ls
tyres that make NJ the life - that most
curious quarter. All we're sailors or long.
shoremen. and the Incident simply seemed
90 furnish an excuse FOR the spinning of
long yarns that we're fsii 81 dead men asi
the sra.
"fs ala n good ioh' said one grizzly
bearded mar. Jerking his head tn the a.
reeflon az the corpse. ans then the rest
Of 4 WAS host IN string ~ earhs. The
bad tobacco smoke sfresmef cut more
asn<efS ara she Jokes ana stories nsx<@d
more quickly, tiii the lead wagon haul
81 ur st the coer. ana fhe new excitement
Cor a moment wa6e re stories pale into
fre'rntscence. Then IRE corpse was car
rs~s cut and TIE parrot anrhsi Every
body leeset ouf Of wiesnws for a rsa-nea,
a. the black wagon 6reve away ard fhe
crowds - smoke pogres out again and the
story telling was resumed
Nathan Yhfl fttx Ont Asafr