Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-08-27

Aui ulsH0SltlOllg AibSIl Ia s1l6NSnil, tue
son Of a San Francisco millionaire.
died recently from the effect OF pistol
ball fired into his head With him ut
the time of his death, so far as can be
learned, was Miss Amy Head, the mis-
tress OF 1 friend in whose apartments
the tragedy happened. This friend,
Fred Webster, was away at the time In
Europe Young Stetson had spent he
evening at the theater and had there
met Miss Head The facts indicate
that the dead man and his friend S
mistress were on very friendly terms.
The two went to Websters fiat at go
Post street, and, according to the
woman. 1t was for the purpose OF get
ting a dog that belonged to her. This
was about 80 O'clock in the morning
Stetson was killed almost Immediately
after entering the apartments, and the
San Francisco police and the friends of
the dead man are asking the question.
WAS Ii murder cr suicide?" Nothing
has as yet developed any reason for be-
lieying that third person was present
when the shot was fired. II this could
be established the case would be a
black-looking one.
The womans story, which Is contra
dicted in some material points by the
men who last saw Stetson alive, is that
she saw him first while she was sitting
in a box az the opera, that Stetson
came over to the box and shook hands
with her and her companion, Mrs
Summerfield In the conversation that
followed the young man remarked that
he had been on siX-day spree IN
which he had been drinking absinthe.
Mrs. Summerfield, expressing her ideas
in regard to absinthe as drink that
drove Frenchmen to self-destruction,
Stetson remarked that he was fixed for
that, and drew his coat back far
enough to display the handle Of re-
volver After the performance Stet5on
and some friends met the women and
the party adjourned to the Columbia
cafe for some oysters Before leaving
the show Miss Head claims she induced
Stetson to give her the pistol AT the
cafe the young man asked her for 1t.
but on her expressing fear that he
might use it she says he threw out, as
she supposed, all the cartridges In the
weapon, Afterward the woman de-
clares, Stetson was to take her to her
mothers house and then return to her
own home The call at Webster's Hat
was, as she says, to get her dog. When
they got into the apartments of Web
ster young Stetson. according to ner
story, laid his hat and coat on table
and began to inspect the pictures and
ornaments OF the room, remarking
meanwhile on his friends coed taste as
evidenced by the furnishings. Then
came the tragedy, ais she tells it. This
Is the way am going home. Amy sne
heard him say, and muflied report
followed. Stetson falling heavily for
ward to the floor She ran to the floor
below Mr. Webster's apartments ami
there aroused J. NJ. Quay. After that
a Charles Hug, secretary of the John
d Spreckels company, and one of
Stetsons companions Of the night, was
notified
The pistol which Stetson had exhib-
tied at the theater was found at his feet
with the one cartridge in II exploded
Four cartridges were found In pocket
OF Miss Heads jacket, The bullet
passed through the head from right TO
left, and Stetson never recovered con-
seriousness after the shot was fired
The dead man had been drinking
rather heavily that afternoon and even
ing and seemed restless and nervous in
his manner The theory Of murder in
the case Is based upon the following
facts. He was not in love so far as
his friends say; his business AFFAIRS
were In a prosperous condition, and he
had an ample income He was not Of
a melancholy temperament, naturally
and nothing in his actions, unless It
be the remark Miss Head claims to
have heard. indicated any idea in his
mind or self-destruction. Moreover,
neither the hair nor the skin showed
any signs of burning or powder smoke
after the shot was fired Il is argued
that the revolver was loaded with car
tridges using smnkeless or nitro pow
der and that such cartridges do not
1iscolor or burr either hair or flesh as
black powder does II hardly seems
probable that the woman killed him,
for the motive for such a decd Is APP
parently wholly lacking They were
on friendly terms enough. and there
was no nuection Of rights Or wrongs 70
be determined between them.
The one sinister question That re-
mains is. Was there a third person.
A third party could have killed Stetson
removed All Of the cartridges IN tho
revolver that was found, slip In
freshly discharged shell into the empty
pistol, arrange tho body, place the dead
mans weapon III the SPOT where y vas
found. disappear and leave tho woman
to raise the hue and cry. But unless
such man was familiar with the call
Der II Stetson's pistol larger Or
smaIler caliber might have been used.
anG the plan OF putting in The freshly
fred cartridge in the dead mans pistol
gone awry That the death Of Stetson
was either the result Of his own rash