The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-07
HE CHOSE A SPOT BETWEEN
HEAVEN AND EARTH ON
WHICH TO DIE.
BODY IN THE GRAND Stand CUPOLA
At the State Encampment Grounds-He
Took Along Big Dose of Morphine
and Quietly Laid Down to Die.
Dead 4S Hours When Found.

Last afternoon about 1:30 o'clock a
messenger came hurrying in from the
state encampment grounds with the in
formation that the body of Howard w.
Bell had been found out there, laying on
the grand stand, and that he had COM
mitted suicide by taking morphine. In
stantly the news spread around like wild
fire. The citizens had hardly gotten well
into their discussion of what caused the
morning affair when this second suicide
of the day made its appearance. In a
very short time the news had spread all
up and down the streets so that by 2:30
o'clock almost every one was talking
about it: Messrs: Weed & Rosengren
sent their undertaken out to the encamp-
ment grounds and Justice Matt johnson
and several officers were also very rapid
in their movements in that direction. In
a very short time quite number were
out at the encampment ground. Upon
arriving there they found the body of
Mr.. Bell laying in the first gallery of the
tower that surmounts the grand stand
He was laying on one side of the plat
form and looked apparently as though
he had quietly lain down to take nap.
He was attired in blue serge suit and
wore his overcoat. He was a ETAOIN
wore his overcoat. There was no signs
of any struggle and he evidently died
very quietly as his features were in per-
! feet repose. DR.. Graves, who was pres
emf, examined him and expressed an opin-
ion that he had been dead at least forty
| eight hours. There was a vial of NOR
phine that would contain possibly sixty
grains lying by his side. and at least two
thirds of it was gone, showing that he
had brought it into service to secure his
end. There was nothing on his person
in the way of letters Or the like to ex-
plain the cause of his rash action.
AS to, how he ventured SO far and as
| to how he happened to select such a spot
will probably never be explained. What
caused him to go up in the cupola of the
grandstand to die will ever remain mys-
| terry, and as to what time he committed
the deed is also mystery.
He has, for the past few months, been
employed at the old Weller drug store by
MIR. Prowse, who stated to the writer
last afternoon that he had not seen Mr.
Bell since Christmas night. He was seen
by other parties, however, after that.
Mr.. Arthur Terrell is of the impression
that he saw him Sunday night, and sew
eral parties say that they saw him Sun
day night. When he was found last
afternoon he had Monday morning
| Statesman in his overcoat pocket, show
ing that he was at least alive Monday
morning. DR.. Graves is of the opinion
that he had been dead forty-eight hours
when discovered. This might be true, in
asmuch as it has been rather cool dur
ing the past few days, as well as rainy,
and as the tower on the grandstand is
| very high in addition to the natural alti-
| tude, it is highly probably that decOm-
| position would not set in as soon as if
| on lower ground and in house. At any
| rate his body was in excellent preserva-
| ton yesterday morning and his face was,
to all intents and purposes, as composed
| as though he had lain down to sleep.
His discovery was an accident such as
is unexplainable by human beings. The
| grandstand on the encampment grounds
| is very isolated spot. AS rule not
one person passes through it for six
months at time, and especially now in
the winter time no one has any cause to
go near the grandstand. 1t is very doubt
| full If a dozen persons have walked
through the grounds in the past six
weeks. At any rate, if they had walked
through the grounds and even gone into
the grandstand there was just about one
chance in a thousand of their going up
into the tower. Thus it was that if he
planned to hide himself he could not have
taken a better place. Even granting that
people passed that way every day, there
was very little chance of his being seen
from the ground AS it happened, how
ever he was laying where he could be
seen by persons looking at the tower
from distance, and it also happened yes
terday morning that the inquisitive small
| boy was out hunting in that section.
There were several of them in the crowd
and they were taking things easy. They
were looking at the tower, when they
came to the conclusion that they saw a
drunken man laying on the stand. They
| hallooed at him, but he paid no atten-
ton to them. They then tried to attract
| him attention by throwing rocks, but all