The Anaconda standard., 1899-12-28
4 COL DBL CODED MURDER
No Justification Whatever for
the Killing of Sullivan.
STORY OF THE TRAGEDY
Eye Witnesses at the Coroners' Inquest
Tell About the AWFUL Aft ir-No
Words Passsd Between the
Two Men.


made the reasons for the Staying of
Sullivan appear trivial, the story Of
the killing and all that could be ascer-
tained of the relations existing be-
tween the two men from the exam1na-
ton of a dozen witnesses at an inquest
held on the body OF the murdered man
by Coroner Julien yesterday, makes
the occasion for the taking of Sulli-
vans life appear utterly frivolous. In
fact. if there was no reason that was
not brought out in the testimony ad-
| duced at the inquest, there was utter
| ly nothing to justify Gillman's murder
| Gus act, and the killing belongs in the
| calendar of wanton, cold-blooded muir
| der.
Four witnesses were examined at the
| inquest who were witnesses Of the
killing. They told the same story, al
most to the letter These four men
said that they, a man named Walsh
and one named Healey and Sullivan
were in the dry at the Duggan board
ing house together part Of the after
noon of Christmas day. They were
drinking beer and were having gen
eral good time. Not long after O'Clock
in the evening Gilman came into the
dry and sat down near Sullivan. Young
Healey asked Gilman for a quarter to
go and get the beer can filled. He said
he did not have the money, and Sulli
van furnished it. Presently Gilman
got up and shifted his position to an
other part Of the room, which brought
the stove between him and Sullivan
| On the stove was tank for the men
| to take water from when they washed
Not word passed between Gilman
| and Sullivan. Perhaps five minutes
after Gilman changed his position sui
w II esTf nf1I es
hat. He then took step or two to-
wards the stove, which carried him
| in the direction Of Gilman Those III
the room-besides Gilman. at least =
thought he was going for water to
wash. There was nothing in his atti-
tude or manner to suggest that he had
any other intention. AS he stepped to-
ward the stove the report OF Gillman's
gun rang out and Sullivan staggered to
the door and fell dead.
This was the story Of the killing as
told by four OF the men who witnessed
1t. They were very positive that neither
Gilman nor Sullivan addressed a word
to the other during the 10 minutes or
thereabouts that elapsed from the time
Gilman entered the room till the shot
was fired, and the story that was first
circulated that Sullivan came into the
room where Gilman was and took him
to task for bringing beer into the house
anu blFlIlS tLlG pace d DGu reputation
was declared to be untrue.
The witnesses were carefully exam
ined, as to the reasons for Gillman's
act. On this point they were all unit
also, with one exception. They UNDER
stood the trouble between Gilman and
Sullivan to be to this effect: That the
two men had been at supper together
Saturday night or Sunday. sullivan
called for second order Of potatoes
and two potatoes were brought to him.
They were soggy and he remarked that
it was poor supper. Gilman spoke
UP and said II was as good as ne had
had in the house and it was good
enough for him. Sullivan asked him f
he was paying for his (Sullivan's)
board, and. receiving reply in the
negative, told Gilman to mind his own
business as he proposed to comment
upon the table as much as he pleased.
Some rough language was used in this
conversation, but it was not of a char
acter to justify desperate retaliation,
and, as far as any but one witness
knew, it VAS the only words the two
men ever had.
The one witness who varied from the
others as to the motive for the killing
said Gilman had told him that Sul-
van had abused him shamefully at the
table; that Sullivan had complained
of the food, the potatoes brought him
in particular, and he, thinking to pa
city him, had said that he had two
nice potatoes which he (Sullivan) could
have, Then this witness said he and
Gilman were together on Christmas
night in one of the departments of the
boarding house when Sullivan came TO
the door and called to Gilman to come
outside, addressing the most obscene
language to him. Gillmans reply to
this was friendly. This witness did not
see the shooting and admitted in re-
sponse to questioning that he had had
trouble with Sullivan some time ago
This is the story of the killing and
the reasons for 1t as far as was de-
veloped by the inquest. If Gilman had
any other motive he and his lawyer
are keeping 1t SO carefully shrouded in
secrecy that not even a conjecture as
to what it is can be made. That one
man could take the life of another
without more justif1able excuse seems
so impossible that some people thinll
there is something behind the murder
that has not come out. and that there
must have been a difference between
Gilman and Sullivan of grave ma
ture. If there was, no one can be
found who knows anything about 1t,
and the arguments are all against this
being the case.
John Nolan, sullivan's room mate,
was probably as close to him as anyone.
He testified on the stand yesterday
that Sullivan never told him of any
trouble between himself and Gilman
If there was anything serious between
them 1t would seem quite improbable
that he would not some time have
mentioned it. It has been suggested
that there might have been an old feud
between them, but this could not have
been, a they had only been acquainted
a short time. 1t would seem, therefore
the only reason for the murder was the
unimportant personal quarrel the men
had over the food at the boarding
house.
The inquest was held at Sherman's |
undertaking rooms in the afternoon,
where a large crowd of curious people ,
assembled to listen to the testimony.
County Attorney G. p, Connolly and |
Chief Deputy c, T. Kelley and Attor-
ney B. S. Thresher were present and |
took hand in the examination Of the |
witnesses.
DIR. p. J. Sheeran, the county physi- |
clan, was the first witness called He |
testified relative to the autopsy per- |
formed the 6ay bafore He said tha |