The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-18
TWASPREMEDITATED
The COroner's Verdict in the Case Of
]. +. Kelly.
HE HAD SCORES OF FRIENDS
Domestic Friction Played Its Part
In aking the Nan kway-A
Cues ton as to pen
ing the Letters.
he HAD SCORES OF FRIENDS


Kelly was held at the Butte undertake
ing rooms last evening before Coroner
Richards and the following jury: v.
c. Whiting, A. H. Barrett, ]. A. Fraser.
c. l.. Harris, f. A. Fosselnlan and II.
II. Cullom. The verdict was in accord
ance with the facts as they we're al
ready known and was to the effect that
Mr. kelly's death was a case of pre-
meditated suicide. The verdict further
stated that from the evidence of per-
sonal friends, Mr.. Kelly had been men
tally disturbed for a year by serious
domestic and financial troubles, and
ended with the words: I'VE find the
spirit could not bend; 1t simply
broke"
There was heated argument be-
tween Judge Barrett, one of the jurors,
and Coroner Richards as to the lat
ters action in opening the letters left
by Mr.. Kelly and addressed to different
persons. Judge Barrett did not think
that the coroner had any right to open
these letters and he was not a bit
backward about saying So He told the
coroner after nearly all of the witnesses
had testified that he would leave and
that he could put another juror in his
place. He put on his rubbers prepara-
tory to going out, but the coroner told
him that he would not allow him to
leave and he remained in his seat.
r. j. Watson was the first witness
called and he testified as follows: II
had known John F. Kelly for a good
many years. / last saw him alive on
Sunday afternoon last at his store.
had long conversation with him,
principally about his troubles. He told
me that he had a great deal of trouble
and that me expected to wind 1t up
about the 18th. He said he felt very
much like killing himself / tried to
1c~h i'm - s1s -
to look on the bright side of things and
allow his friends ito help him. had no
idea then that he had any intention of
committing suicide; had 1 thought so
l would have tried to interfere in some
way. His troubles were principally of
financial and domestic nature, but
the conversation was very lengthy and
cannot repeat 1t. In fact, he did not
go into details when talking with me-
He had told me several times since I
have known him that life was not
worth living. He never worried about
his creditors closing him out; he said
that he had good friends and he wor-
ried about his financial troubles more
than his creditors. He told me that he
had first arranged to end all of his
troubles by the Goth of the month, but
that he had afterwards arranged to set
tie them up by the 18th. 1 thought then
that he was speaking entirely of his
business troubles, but / believe now
that he contemplated suicide at that
time l don't think that he had any
cause for such action. / believe that
he was perfectly sane at the time"
Andrew ]. Davis, cashier of the First
National bank, testified: II have known
John +. Kelly for about IL years. saw
him last alive last Tuesday evening at
Anaconda. He did not tell me of any
trouble further than that of which /
q lra dxrl
talked to man on the train going to
Anaconda to whom he expected to sell
his East Park street property, and he
felt very good over it, He did not in
innate on Tuesday evening that he had
any intention of taking his life. When
l heard of his death l was surprised I'm
one way, and in one way 1 was not
had not pressed him for money in any
other way than was understood be-
tween us. 1 never heard him say that
he intended to commit suicide He told
me several times during the last year
that no one would ever lose a dollar by
him and then he would talk about his
life insurance in such way as to con-
meet the two remarks. / inferred from
what he said in this connection that IL
the worst came to the worst he would
end his life. l knew that he carried life
insurance amounting to $4,000. / was
familiar with Mr.. Kelly's finances.
think his assets would cover his liabili-
ties without his life insurance. He had
lately been quite cheerful concerning
his business. The bank was Mr. Kellys
principal creditor. but we never pressed
him for money, in fact, IL was the other
way. He frequently said that he had
notion to turn everything over to me
and let me run the business and get as
much as / could out of IL. / laughed
at him when he made such statements
and told him that he could run the
business better than l could As far as
I know. his principal trouble was of a
domestic nature. He was determined
to have things come his way, and IL
seems they would not do it,
Harry Pressler to whom Mr. Kelly
left his bicycle. gave the following tes-
timony: II was driver for the ]. f.
Kelly company. / last saw him alive
at the store on Monday evening. He
was going out for a ride on his bicycle
and i helped him fix the seat / saw
his dead body in the Office on Thursday
morning. / supposed that he was in
Anaconda on Tuesday and Wednesday
/ was informed that he had killed him
self when 1 arrived at the store. about
8 minutes after Z o'clock on Thursday
morning. / looked through a window
in the Office door and saw the body in
his chair at his desk. He had a revolver
in his right hand and there was a bullet
hole in his right temple. He had never
intimated to me that he intended to
commit suicide. and l was surprised to
hear of his death. Mr.. Kelly never car
ried a gun. He had one in his safe,
which had seen several times. / think
the gun / saw in the safe was larger
than the one with which he killed him
self"
The witness also told of the letter.
which were left by Mr.. Kelly and which
wee lying on the desk in front of him.
except one to himself. which was on
Mr.. Kelly's bicycle. Il did not open the
letter which was addressed TO me-" he
said. but left IL on the bicycle. / saw
IL afterwards at the coroner's Office. II
had been opened, and / understood that
the coroner had opened II. l knew that
Mr.. Kelly had trouble: IL was more
family trouble than anything else"
HAS the coroner authority TO open
letters that are not addressed to him?"