The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-17
ALL BUTTE SHOCKED
]. +. Kelly, the Well-KnOwn Mer-
chant, Kills Himself.
BURDENED WITH TROUBLES
Sitting In a Chair In His office. tho
CHASTITY Sight Startles an EN-
ploye-Letters to Friends
and His VIII.

shocking sight met the gaze o
Jack Berry. one of the employees of tn
J. F. Kelly company, dealers in frui
and produce. when he entered the ofiic
of the firm at o'clock yesterday. Lean
ing back in a big arm chair. with hi
head back and blood oozing from a bull
let hole In the head. was the dead bod,
of Mr.. John F. Kelly, one of Butte.
best known business men.
The office and store room OF the J.. +
Kelly company is a long, low brici
building, at the junction of Utah av.
enue. Arizona and East Platinum
streets, about half way to South
Butte and handy TO the Northern Pa.
cifc depot. The building is a new one
erected few months ago. The Office is
at the north of the building. Opening
into the Office is a small sleeping apart
ment with a folding bed. which Mr.
Kelly was in the habit of occupying
The office contains safe, a high desk,
at which IL was necessary for a man to
stand or sit on a stool in writing, a
low desk and number OF chairs. The
high desk is along the southern end of
the office, the safe is in the southwest
corner. and the low desk at the west
or the office, towards the north
Jack Berry passed the Office yester-
day morning without opening II. Glanc-
ing through the window he saw Kelly
apparently sleeping in a big chair at
the east of the low desk, one foot in
apparent comfort, resting on another
arm chair. Mr.. Berry came to the con-
clusion that Mr.. Kelly had fallen into a
doze In his chair. He went to the store
room for a moment then returned to
the office. opened the door, and the
sight met his eyes which has caused a
greater shock to the people of Butte
than anything since the suicide of City
Treasurer Simon Jacobs
Firmly grasped in Kelly's right hand
was 3S-caliber Smith & Wesson revol-
yer. In his left hand was a small hand
mirror. In the right temple was a bull
let hole. The head was thrown back on
the arm OF the chair; the left foot was
resting on another chair. Kelly was
dead. and apparently had been dead
since about 3 o'clock. The body was
cold.
After ascertaining that life was cer-
tainly extinct, Mr.. Berry sent at once
for the coroner, who soon arrived and
took possession of the body and all the
effects. On the high desk were a num-
Der of letters which Mr.. Kelly had writ
ten, placed in envelopes. addressed to
various individuals for whom they were
Intended. and sealed. Mr.. Richards took
these letters also, opened them and
read them in the presence of II. f. Kel-
ly. brother of the deceased. and others
ters had been read. Mr.. Thompson
Campbell. attorney for Mrs. Kelly, the
wife OF the deceased appeared and pro-
tested against the letters being opened
and read. He insisted that private let
ters could only be opened by the per-
sons to whom they were addressed, and
that neither the coroner nor anyone
else had the right to open or read them,
except with the consent of the person |
10 whom the Letters were addressed. |
The coroner insisted that in case of |
suicide he had the right TO open and |
read any letters which might throw |
light on the cause of suicide.
There were eight letters left by Mr.. |
Kelly addressed to various persons. one |
was addressed to his wife. a second to |
his brother, Fred Kelly, a third to /
Hank Bartlett of the Bee Hive, a |
fourth to Marcus DAILY. a fifth to Miles
Finlen, a sixth to the First National
bank. seventh to Harry Pressler and
the eighth to the press. There was also
a ninth envelope endorsed. Last will
and testament of J. f. Kelly" The only
envelope unsealed was the one address,
ed to 1.-THE Press" The enclosure in
this envelope read as follows:
Butte, 4-15-96.
ITO The Press:
kindly. in my exit from this llfe
deal gently with me. Say that l am
simply tired of this life and want to
see the other one. Yours. etc.
u. +. Kelly"
The envelope endorsed Last VIII
and Testament" contained the follow
ing document. written In n steady
showing that the deceased
apparently was not much II any under
the influence of liquor when he wrote
st:
Butte. Mont. April Is. '96.
Last VIII and Testament of ]. f.
Kelly:
II, John Flintoft Kelly. being Of
sound mind and Of a disposing dspo-
sition. do hereby make this my last
will.
First. II is my desire that 1 shall be
and ineXpensively buried and
that my body shall be buried next TO
my beloved child who Is now
buried in Mt. Moriah cemetery, and
that / shall be buried by my brother
Masons as do not wish that any min
ister or priest shall have anything to |
do with my funeral services, but that ,
the beautiful and good teaching serv-
Ices OF the Masons shall be read over
my grave.
Second. n is my desire and wish that ,,
my business shall be wound up i'm as :
judicious and prompt manner as posSi- ,
bic and that all debts shall be paid in
full and as an early date as can be ,
be done without any sacrifice of stock :
Dr assets generally J
"I,airdly. desire that my brother. r. !
2. Kelly, and my friend, w. II. Bart )
EFT, shall be executors of this my last :
VIII and that they shall be such with !
tut bonds and that they shall Justly ;
Day all my just debts and after paying :
command that they shall distribute !
ny assets as follows: \
Il will and bequeathe 10 my father. =
ames Kelly, Sarnia. Ont. the sum OF !,
1000. and TO my brother. Il. +. Kelly. Il
he sum of $4,000. and TO my friend. | +
sveline Mccarthy. whose present adj :
ress is No. Is. Bufiield ST, Detroit. v
fich.. the sum of 5000. and that the ;
alance OF my estate shall lie divided \
etween my wife. Mary Ellen Kelly. | r
nd my child. Helen Claire Kelly. n
hare and share equally and alike. Ii h
1ay be that / have not got the correct 4
lltiais Of my friend. one OF the execu- G
DTS that have named / have desig- q