The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-11-27
Deceased Supposed to Have Been I'm
der the Influence of Liquor.
S S o A WEEK.
The Body at Last Found by the
Searching Party in the
Spring Gulch.

John G.. sellick. says the Dead
wood Independent, the young man
who disappeared on Tuesday of last
week, was found Tuesday afternoon
| of this week at three o'clock in
Spring gulch with a bullet in his
right temple. Tuesday afternoon
Chief Of Police Donovan and Roy
Sharp of the Pioneer started out to
search for the body, as by that
time it was supposed that the young
man had ended his life with his own
hands. They went up Spring gulch
as far as Bendeleben's tunnel, where
they decided to take different routes
in the search. MIR. Donovan wen
into the tunnel to talk with Mr..
Bendeleben, the man who had last
seen young Sellick alive, while Mr..
Sharp started up a hill just above
the tunnel. He had gone but a
short distance when he came upon
the body at the base of a large
stump. Mr.>Sharp called to Mr..
Donovan and he and Mr.. Bendeleben
went up to where the young nan
lay. The body was in a sitting pos
ture with the back against the
stump. The legs were crossed and
on his lap was a clean white hand
kerchief. His head was inclined to
the right side and right under it
was a pool of blood. An ugly
wound on the right temple marked
the place where the bullet went in.
In both of his hands he clasped the
revolver that had done the deadly
work. The body had evidently been
there a week. but owing to the cold
weather it was in an excellent state
Of preservation. The features were
calm and reposed and the young
man had the appearance of being
: asleep.
Coroner Smith was notified at
once and came down from Lead and
went out to the gulch. After max
ing the necessary examination the
body was brought down to Robin
sons undertaking rooms.
Shellick was only % years of age
and it is hard to tell what made him
commit such arash act. That he had
been contemplating it for some time
is plain. On Tuesday morning before
he went up to the tunnel he told a
number of %acquainces that they
would never see him alive again. Sci
lick was under the influence of liquor
and but very little attention was
paid to what he said. Arriving at
the tunnel he told Mr.. Bendeleben
that he had been drinking very hard
the night before and was tired of life
and intended killing himself. Mr..
Bendeleben tried to reason with him
and invited him to stay at his (Ben
delebens) cabin unit. he sobered I'D
Mr.. Bendeleben was at the time en-.
gagged in wheeling rock out of the
l tunnel. The young man sat at the
: mouth of the tunnel and talked t(
/ Mr.. Bendelebed every time he an
peared with load. This continued
5 for some time until Bendeleben came
out once more and the young mar
was gone. No trace of him coul(
l be found, and from the appearance
l of his tracks Bendelben supposed h,
he had gone back to town. Sellicl
was a very smart and industriou.
young man and was greatly liked b,
his late employer, DR.. Stein. H
was very stuoious but of late hat
been paying a great deal of attention
to the study of poisons. Dr.. Steil
thought that this was rather pecul
/ lar and ask him obout it. Sellicl
replied that the study was simpl,
for information on a subject that h,
2 was interested in. Immediately OF
learning Of his death DR.. Steil
t~elegraphed Sellick s mother, who il
/ a widowed lady living at Onawa Iowa
asking he what disposition sh,
wished him to make of the body.
Word was received this mornin!
5 giving instructions to bury the bod,
here. Coroner Smith this mornin!
summoned N. E. Franklin, Ere,
Pororc on1 Tom Sutton . @ - ,,