The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-29
BELL ENDS HIS SUFFERING
Puts q Bullet in His Brain to Put
q Stop to Pain.
HE WAS A GOOD CITIZEN
A Victim to What Is Known as Mill
mans Consumption Sent His Wife
to See the Baby While He
Blew HIS Brains Out.

Marion Bell. one of the best-known
mill operatives of Butte. committed
suicide at his residence in the Hope ad-
dition yesterday morning shortly after
s o'clock by shooting himself through
the brain. His motive was to end the
terrible sufferings he had endured for
months from millman's consumption,
which, within the last few days. had
become so unbearable as, at times, to
deprive him of his reason.
Bell was a native of Missouri. He
came to Butte IA years ago and Sc
cured employment in the Lexington
mill. He became a proficient operative
and for 10 years held the position of
battery feeder at the mill. When the
Lexington shut down, he went to min
ing inc did his last work in the Snoho-
mish mine.
While employed i'm the Lexington mill
Bell contracted the disease peculiar to
millmen known as millman's consump-
ton. Gradually the wasting disease
grew upon him and for two or three
years he had been troubled greatly.
Last October he was compelled to cease
work entirely. OF late he had been
growing worse very rapidly, and about
10 days ago began to sink so rapidly
NlAdN IL vac w Nv Nohtb hNt oat a
few days. He suffered the most intense
agony and for three days past lost
his reason at times. Mrs. Bell urged
him to allow a physician to be called to
administer an opiate to relieve his pain,
but he declined. Wednesday night he
suffered so terribly he was unable TO
lie down at all and sat up in an easy
chair till 6 o'clock yesterday morning.
At that time Mrs. Bell got up and gave
him an orange n he remarked he
would never endure another night of
such pain. Mrs. Bell thought nothing
of the remark, az she supposed he
meant he would allow a physician to
be called to give him something to ease
the pain.
After eating the orange Bell lay down
N slept till s o'clock. When he woke
UP Mrs. Bell gave him another orange,
which he ate and asked for the norm
ing paper. as he was greatly interested
in the wal news. He only glanced at IL
when ii was given to him and laid IL
down. saying there was nothing in IL.
Mrs. Bell realized his mind was wan
dering again and lowered near to give
him anything he might want. At
length he inquired bou the baby and
asked Mrs. Bell to go and see to her,
requesting that she close the door when
she wen out. Mrs. Bell closed the
door and went to a n~eighboring house
] a rev rect away from HeT TeSluenCt
for the child and came back immedi-
ately.
Close by the sick mans bed stood
the dresser. In the top drawer was a
3S-caliber revolver. On top OF the
dresser was "A small hand glass, and
on a chair close by. lay his coat. 1t
was evidently the sick mans intention
to end his sufferings when he sent his
wife out of the ROOM, for as soon as she
was gone. he raised up, took his coat
and spread il over the pillow so as not
To soil the bed. and then reaching in
the dresser drawer. he secured the gun,
and taking the hand glass, held it up To
see that his aim was good. He was
~left-handed, and taking the gun, held
II against his left temple and pulled the
trigger.
Mrs. Bell was gone but a minute. AS
she returned, on entering the kitchen
she heard the report of the gun and
knew something had happened. She
ran to her husbands room. There lay
the gun and hand glass on the bed and
her husband lay back on the pillow,
MORALLY wounded. He was still con-
scious and was looking toward tho
door. through which he knew she
would come. as though expecting her
and wishing to see her before he died
He could not speak, however. n was
only conscious about a minute
Mrs. Bell screamed at the sight OF
her husbands terrible act, and the
~neighbors. hearing the shot, followed
by the scream. ran in and found Mrs
Bell holding her husbands hand, weep
ing bitterly. Nothing could be done, he
was beyond aid, and died in about II
minutes Coroner Tremblay was mott
fed, and after viewing the remains I'M
making the necessary inquiries, Under
taker Sherman was summoned n th'
body laid out at the house.
The deceased was So years old and
leaves a wife and fou children, tw'
bows and two girls. the eldest of which
is Is. He was a sober. industrious citi
zen and was exceedingly well know
and highly respected in the commu
nifty. The wasting disease from whic'
he suffered had made UGH OF
his system that he was but a shadow
During his long residence In Butte h
had been saving M left his family II
moderately good circumstances. III
could not have lived more han a fev
days. had he not committed the rasl
act. He was "A member of the Miners
union i'm rood standing. No arrange
ments for the funeral have as yet bee
made. as Mrs. Bell has not decide
whether she will take the emains bacl
to her old home in Missouri or not.
Coroner Tremblay summoned a jur
and held an inquest at the residence
at $50 Lewisohn street. in the after
noon. TIL Witnesses examined wer
Mrs. Bell and Mr.. and Mrs. j. j. Hy
land. the nearest neighbors. The ties
timony simply related the facts a
given in the foregoing. and the jur
returned a verdict that the decease
came to his death from a gunshC
wound. inflicted by himself with su
cidal intent.