The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-17
EVANS TAKES HISLIFE
Overland Bob Commits Suicide in
His Cabin in keadervilIe.
HAD BEEN DRINKING MUCH
He Left a Note Explaining His Ac-
tion-He Was an OId-Time stage
Driver = Married and Had
Trouble With His Wife.
HAD BEEN DRINKING MUCH

a.
among old-timers as Overland Bob"
committed suicide about o'clock last
evening by shooting himself In his
cabin in Meaderville. Evans had been
on drunk for several days and yes
terday he spent much of his time In
Charley Lantheloi's saloon in Meader-
Vile. Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Lam
theloi closed up his saloon and left it
for an hour or two. He returned a lHt.le
after 5 o'clock and was surprised to
find 1t open with Bob Evans behind the
bar and Billy Booth and one or two
others in front of the bar. Lantheloi
said nothing, however. as Evans was
a familiar and privileged character
about the place.
I'm change sides with you," said
Evans. and came out from behind the
bar and stood in front of II. The
proprietor set up the drinks. Booth
was very full and Evans also was pret-
~ full. Evans suggested to Booth,
who has been his partner for a long
time, that they would better go down
to the cabin and go to bed. A moment
later Evans seemed to forget about his
suggestion and went to one OF the bar
room tables and began to write on a
piece of paper torn from an account
book. Finally Booth mentioned that
he was going down to the cabin and
go to bed. "I'll be with you" said
Evans and followed him out. The
cabin occupied by Evans and Booth is
an old shack situated about so feet
south of the street railroad track of
Main street and about 100 yards from
Cumbersome store. 1t contains only
one room. about by 10 feet. 1t was a
little before 6 O'Clock when the two
men entered the cabin.
Some people living in that vicinity
said afterwards that they heard a pis-
toi shot along about o'clock, and
some said they thought they heard
four shots. But IL they did, they
thought nothing of IL and no one went
to the cabin until about O'Clock. Then
Bob Griffith went 10 the cabin, which
was locked, and knocked several times.
But he was trying to waken a dead
man and a drunken man, and IL was
a long time before he could get re-
Spouse. At last Booth who was para
lyzed drunk got out of bed to find
Evans lying on the floor. Booth stag
gered to the door and opened 1t.
The alarm was quickly given, but
Evans was dead. He was lying in a
pool of blood on the floor. There was
a bullet hole in his head over the right
ear and doubtless death had been i'm
Simultaneous. Close to his right hand
was a 3S-caliber Smith a Wesson re-
volver with one empty chamber. He
was fully dressed and had on q heavy
was placed under arrest by instruction
of Justice Dowd of Meaderville, but
after investigation he was released
II seems Evans had talked openly
about committing suicide the day be-
fore although, as is usual In such cases,
nothing was thought of the talk. There
was also found a paper in his pocket
which left no doubt as to who did the
deed. The note had evidently been writ
ten In the saloon, and read as follows:
Robert Evans is my name. but better
known as Overland Bob. Please give
all / have got to Bob Griffith. l have
got SIS; give 1t to Billy Booth, and the
old woman that robbed me out of
everything / had. / have watch in
my vest pocket So she is a ."
On the other side of the paper is the
following: THE gun is Charley Land
theloi, / took II to do dead with
The gun in fact belonged to Landthe-
loi. and was kept by him under his
bar. Evans had evidently taken IL
when behind the bar, and Landtheloi
had not missed II until he heard of the
suicide Landtheloi kept the gun un-
loaded up to about three months ago,
and then there was so much talk about
hold-ups that. at Evans solicitation, he
bought some cartridges and loaded the
gun.
Evans was a very well known char
acter around Butte. He was 81 years
old and was born in North wales. He
came west in the early overland days
and was for many years stage driver.
He drove a stage in Montana up to the
time when the railroads drove them
out. He had been in Butte about II
years. Mr.. and Mrs. Evans ran a big
boarding house in Meaderville for years
and made a good deal of money. 1t is
stated that Mrs. Evans gave her hus-
band $4,000 to go back to Wales with
on a visit While he was gone she Sc
cured a divorce on grounds OF cruelty
and drunkenness. 1t is doubtless to her
that Evans refers in the note he left.
Mrs. Evans is a mammoth woman,
weighing about 300 pounds. She occu-
pies room in the lodging house kept
by Mrs. Collier at No. 81 East Park
street
Coroner Richards took charge of the
body last evening and removed IL to
his undertaking rooms. The inquest
will be held at O'Clock Monday even
ing at Doble's place in Meaderville. In
Evans pockets were found $1S75. a sill
yer watch and a pocket pook. Evans,
since his trouble with his wife, had not
done much work and seemed to have
no ambition. He spent much of his time
hanging around Meaderville saloons.
Up to a short time ago he had been
employed as a Waterman at HeinZe's
smelter and worked there IL shifts. He
seems to have come slowly and grad
uaily to the conclusion that life for him
was a failure.
Mrs. Evans was seen by a Standard
reporter last evening. She said that
Mr.. Evans was So or 65 years old. lie
was born in Bluemaras North Wales,
and up TO the time he was IL years old
he was a sailor. living at Liverpool
when on land. He then emigrated to
America. and when Il years old began
driving the overland stage from Omaha
10 Salt Lake. He was engaged in that
employment at the time OF the Noun
tain Meadow massacre. and for years
he kept in his possession skulls and
bones which he had picked on the scene
OF that massacre.
He came TO Montana about 1858 or at
the time of the first Alder gulch ex-
element After varying fortunes, he
sold out his claim in Alder gulch and