The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-01

was a Southern Pacific switchman with
Steady work on the night shift He slept
as usual during the day and toward eve
ming retired TO a barn or woodshed in the
back yard, where he proceeded to end
his life
Mrs. Lane says she had noticed nothing
unusual about his actions She had pre-
pared his supper and put up his lunch.
Happening to glance up at the clock she
noticed it had stopped at go, thinking it
might have been stopped some time. she
went out to the barn to call her husband
lest he be late TO work. 1t turned out
that the clock had but just stopped and
the woman believes that it did so the
moment Lane gashed his throat.
A little boy preceded Mrs. Lane into the
barn and saw his father. the blood flowing
from SaShed throat. The boy says his
father made kind of moaning. gurglng
sound. but did not speak. Mrs. Lane
rushed in and besought the man to speak
10 her. but could get no word. His life
blood stained her hands and clothes as
she tried in vain TO stop the flow. DIR.
Conroy was soon at the place. but the
man vas dead.
Justice Joseph Hall and William Moves
We're passing in a buggy and We're sum
mOned. Mr.. Hall at once took charge as
coroner and. together with Mr.. Moyes, DR..
Conroy and Herald man, examined the
place and the position of the body. 1t lay
18th the face upward. head to the north.
and a sheet had been evidently pulled over
his face by the dying man. as it was
sJaked With blood Near the hand lay
a Eeen razor. which seemed TO have. in
one cut. severed wind pipe and both iugu-
lars. The first thing taken from the peck
ct: was a card which is here given YER
bat:m:
for l know what / am doing. I have told
big lie to AicArdle about the money. and
] have not kept my word So goodby to
all. Tell them / have led a merry life and
ready TO die 1t is hard way to die.
tSignedl Wv. A. LANE"
There were four nickels his switch key
and a few other trinkets III his pockets.
THE MONEY TRANSACTION.
II. p McArdle explained the reference
to him in the note left by Lane as follows:
Lane was close run and ! had been the
E2eans of his getting some money. A note
was about due and as ! am about 10 leave
/ asked him to settle it. and if he needed
ISoTe l would help him. He got MS pay
Saturday night and when l happened in
mis- house from work this afternoon he
seemed unusually jOvial. He was playing
with his boy. and after Joking him about
! was going away. He said he had left
his money at the depot Saturday but
some bills fer him, but the mone.- in
volVed was no great sum. There was no
reason why he should take it SO seriously
He could have got help either from his
friends or from his lodge.
Mr.. McArdle is very much affected over
tlFe matter, as the TWO men were friends.
1t seems that McArdle passed the Lane
place g little after . o'clock and did not
see Lane, who. however. a little later
asked his wife il McArdle had passed.
She answered. Yes. and he looked this
way" Soon after that he went to the
barn. -.---
The dead man was a member in good
standing Of salt Lake Lodge No. 6S, B. r.
T. HIS widow viii thus get S1.200 insur-
ance- He left four children and his wife
IS daily expecting a fifth. II was learned
that Lane was off from work short time
Saturday night and it is surmised by his.
friends that he gambied the money and
shrank from explaining 10 those who had
trusted him. He was known to play
roulette heavily at times. The body was
turned over to LindGuist. and Justice Hall
will hold an inquest at 10 o'clock this
morning. The funeral will be under the
direction of the B. of r. T.