Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-06-05
NET INSTANT DEATH.
William Laughlin Shot Himself at the
Federal Building Yesterday.

WIIIIdlu Ldugnlln DlOG AlllS6ll dI tu5
Federal Building Yesterday.
Entered a Room on the Second
Floor for the Purpose of Clean
ing a Revolver, and Shot Himself
Through the Breast, Whether by
Accident or Design May Never
be Certainly Known-The Acct
dent Theory Generally Believed.
Was Undoubtedly Despondent
From Lack of Work.
William Laughlin, universally
known as Curly" AZ years of age,
residing with his aged father at No.
12S Twelfth street, was instantly kill
ed by a revolver shot, in a room on
the Market street front of the Fed
eral building, second story, yesterday
morning about a quarter after nine
o'clock The circumstances surround
ing the tragic end of the deceased
make it impossible to certainly tell
whether the shot was accidental or
fired by design, but the former theory
is generally believed, although there is
something more than ground for con-
lecture that it was a suicide, this
theory, held by some, resting upon the
fact that the deceased had told quite a
number of friends lately, that he was
respondent at his inability to secure
work, having had but one days en-
ployment since April, as he personally
informed one gentleman. Three other
persons told a Register representative
yesterday of similar conversations late
ly had with the deceased. The acct
dent theory is the most probable, how
ever Mr. Laughlin was employed at
the custom house as a fireman during
the winter, his term of employment
ending with April. He was, as mat
ter of course, very well known to all
the officials in the building, as he was
to practically everybody in the city,
and often called in to see some of his
friends. Yesterday morning a short
time before nine O'Clock Mr. Laugh
lin went to the building and entered
the office of the custodian, on the sec
ond floor There he sat to work clean
ing his revolver. and was at work upon
it when viii English came in and
asked what he was doing. Laughlin
remarked that he was cleaning his
pistol. which had not been fired for
about a year. and went on with his
work. he being seated in a large chair
in front of table. Mr.. English left,
and about twelve minutes later the
report of a pistol was heard. Inspector
w. n. Clark. Assistant Collector Eng
rsh. and Stamp Clerk Charley Riley
ran TO the room from which the sound
proceeded. and found Mr.. Laughlin still
sitting in the chair with his pistol "
ing on the table in front of him.
Laughlin was dying. and small blood
stain on his shirt, in the region of the
heart. located the wound. Medical aid
was summoned and DR.. Frissell re-
sponded in a short time, but Laughlin
only lived a moment or two after he
was found by those first entering the
office.
An examination of the revolver
showed three loaded chambers. but
whether he had allowed the cartridges
to remain during the cleaning process
or whether he had replaced them in
the cylinder before the shot was fired,
is unknown and must ever remain so.
The deceased had been long used to
carving a revolver from his extended
official career. and it appears strange
that he would not take the common
precaution of removing the cartridges
from the cylinder while working with
the weapon. If the shooting was ac-
cidental. Mr.. Laughlin must have
either allowed the cartridges TO re-
main. or replaced them and then held
the weapon with the muzzle pointed al
most directly at his heart while man
ipulating the hammer or trigger. The
ball struck the left breast just to the
right of the nipple, and either pene-
trated the heart or cut one of the main
blood vessels. About eleven o'clock
the body was removed TO Bertschey's,
and an inquest will be held by Coroner
Schultze to-day.
William Laughlin was a county con-
stable for about fifteen years, from
CLAY district. and has acted officially
in hundreds of criminal and civil cases.
Two sons and daughter survive him,
Albert Laughlin being a member of
the fire department. Deceased was
widely known and esteemed, and his
death caused much sorrow among those
who knew him best.
RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT.
In tho sudden and unexpected death