Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-10
ARNOLD
A SUICIDE?
Circumstances Indicate That
He Killed Himself
FOR HIS FAMlLY'S BENEFIT
In Order That They Might Receive His
Life Insurance Money--He Has
Been Missing Since Saturday,

John Arnold Of South Butte has van
ished into thin air and his wife and fam
lily are very much distressed about his
mysterious disappearance. He has not
been seen since II o'clock, noon, Saturday,
and at the solicitation of friends of the
family the police are assisting in the
search for the missing man, with but
scant success. The circumstances of his
disappearance would indicate that he has
killed himself in order that his family
might have the benefit of his life insur-
ance.
Arnold was formerly an employee Of the
Parrot smelter, as a laborer, and with his
wife and three children resided at 1881
Utah avenue. On the first of the month
he was discharged and since that time
has been out of employment. Saturday
Arnold told his wife hat he was going
to the smelter office to draw his money,
$66, and said he would Immediately re-
turn home, to go up town with her to do
some shopping. He departed and Mrs.
Arnold prepared for the trip up town.
She waited until the middle Of the after
noon, and then concluding that something
had detained him, decided not to go up
town that day. At supper time the nom
appearance of her husband began to give
her some anxiety and in the evening as
the hours of waiting grew long her anxi-
ETY. increased and she began to fear that
he had been foully dealt with, as he was
a man of very regular habits and rarely
away from home at night. h called
in two gentlemen friends of the family
and told them the circumstances, and
Alz-. :~z-.~ cA ~-l 49,,
town over for him. The search was kept
up until a late hour Sunday morning. The
men visited the police station and told the
police of the strange disappearance OF
their friend. They also told the police
that they had never known Arnold to be
under the influence of liquor, and that he
was very domestic in his habits.
Under the supervision of Chief Mulhol-
land the police investigation of the mys-
terry began early Sunday morning, several
officers being detailed to work upon the
case, and while no trace could be found
of the missing man sufficient facts were
brought out to give substance to the
theory that Arnold had committed sui
eide. 1t was learned that Arnold was
formerly a prosperous business man of
Hemelite, Jefferson county, Missouri,
where he conducted a thriving mercan-
tile establishment, n was interested in
a farm near the place mentioned, but
through adversely lost his possessions and
about a year ago decided to come into the
great west. the Mecca of the poor, and
build up his shattered fortunes. He ar
rived in Butte last June, and tried to get
work at his trade. that of a timer, and
for a time succeeded in securing temporary
employment. He also got some work as
a carpenter, but although he was con-
tinually trying his efforts to get perman-
ent employment met with but little sue
cess, and he had difficulty in keeping the
| wolf from the door of his little family.
! His disposition, ordinarily sunny and
cheerful, was soon changed by the ad-
! verse conditions to which he was subject
ed, and he became morose n depressed,
and at times when suffering from this
melancholia would remark that it would
be better for his wife and children if he
| were out of the way. His wife thought
little of the significance of the remark at
the time, but now hat he is missing, she
is of the opinion that at the time he was
thinking of the benefits that would accrue
to his wife and family through his death,
by reason of his life insurance.
About two months ago Arnold secured
employment at the Parrot smelter, as a
laborer. The pay was small and the work
hard, but in his condition. he was glad
to get anything to do. On the first of
April he was discharged and the melan-
! cholia with which he was affected be-
came acute. In his dependency on sew
eral occasions he remarked that it would
be much better for his family if he We're
out of the way, but his wife paid little
attention to the remark, because she did
not at that time think that he cOntem-
plated making way with himself. After
his disappearance she remembered seeing