El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-08-19
PISTOL, GAS AND POISON.
THE FATAL ACT THE RESULT OF
PROLONGED DISSIPATION.
Fred A Anderson, Editor of the DOna
Ana County Republican, Cam
mits Suicide Yesterday.

The Albuquerque Democrat, which
arrived by today's Santa Fe, has the
following article anent the death OF An
editor who was well known in Ell Paso:
Erred A.. Anderson, editor OF tae
Dooa Ana County Republican at Las
Yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Anderson
reached this city from SAINT, Fe last
Friday night and since that time has
been drinking qIite heavily.
yesterday afternoon at about
O'Clock he purchased a 3S-calibre re-
volver a. the store of the Rose Hard
ware company and shortly before .
O'Clock he ent red o Bachechi 81 Co.'s
saloon, walked back to the water closet
his clothing was on fire. 1t was ex-
tinguished and be was removed to the
bar room. An effort was made on The
part of many of his friends to secu 9 a
com for "a BILE place for him in the rooms
above Bacnechi's place but the prop
rietors had grown strangely delicate
and would not allow him to be taken
upstairs. He was finally removed to
the city building. On his arrival there
DR.. Hope, who bad been immediately
called, made an examination and
found that the bullet bad
passed through the left side about q
inches below the nipple. The ball was
lodged just underneath the skin of the
back, short distance from the spine.
On being questioned Anderson said
| that he had also taken dose of rough
| on rats. The officers then went to the
room he had las occupied, No. 26,
European, and the box of poison was
| found among his effects and about one
| tablespoonful of it had been used.
Further inquiry developed the fact that
| the gas had been left turned on in his
| ,oo,,o oil bo olfbonrh
| he denied having so left it. He had
attempted to purchase morphine in
| large doses on Tuesday from Ruppe,
| the druggist, without success, 60 his
suic dial act was evidently preme d tated
and pre-arranged. He retained con-
seriousness until almost his last breath
and at about o'clock p. M, after q
very profusely and his death was prob
| ably due to the wound rather than the
| poison. kilograms were Immediately
sent to his friends in Las Cruces and
the southern part of the territory. No
| word was sent directly to his wife, who
| is reported to be very near the point Of
death at Las Cruces. She is reported
the past few days.
"Anderson left two very pathetic let
tiers to his wife in which he blamed
whisky entirely for his rash act. He
gave some instructions as to the dis
position of some Idaho property and
the collection of some accounts due
him and then babe her good bye, say
ing that whisky had the best of him
and that he would be b tier off dead
With almost his last breath he said
that he knew he was dying and that it
was better that be should.
Erred. A. Anderson was very we |
known throughout the country in the
newspaper fraternity under the sobri-
quet of wood River Bill" He was
a practical printer and learned his
trade in the Office of the Standard at
Anaconda, Mont. Since leaving there
he has worked in the composing rooms
and upon the reportorial stats of
great many newspapers in all parts of
the country. For some months he was
located in this city, being employed in
the Democrat Office when it was lOcat-
ed upon the corner of Third street and
COpp aveLue.
After leaving Albuquerque he went
to Las Cruces. where he has since re-
NAMED, editing the DOna Ana County
Republican. For awhile he also edited
the Rincou Weekly. He had acquired
quite a reputa ton in this territory as
an utterly fearless journalist aud his
attacks upon some of the men and
methods of his own party had made for
him some very bitter enemies. If
his habits ,Or his morals were not all
they should have been he has paid the
penalty and God, not man, is low his
judge.
His remains were placed in the care
of Undertaken Montfort, who prepared
them for removal. Tney were taken
to Las Cruces this m ,rning by 81. B.
Holt. fellow towpsman and friend of
the deceased"
The body was brought down to Las
Cruces this morning and the funeral
occurred this afternoon from the re-
sidence. Mrs. Anderson, who q few
days ago became a mother, is reported
as very low today.
Cavalry Connection,