The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-24
SUICIDE CIR ACCIDENT
Prof. J. l.. Carlisle Found Dead
in Missoula Gulch.
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
Discovered Face Down in the Shallow
Stream Flowing From the Storm
Culvert-Nothing to Indi-
cate Foul Play.


day afternoon. While there is nothing
to indicate foul play, considerable
mystery surrouds the case ais it is i'm
possible to determine as yet whether
1t was case of suicide or accidental
death. 1t may have been either. Tie
body was found lying face downward
at the mouth of the storm culvert I'M
der Park street. Three-quarters of an
inch or an inch of water was running
through the culvert, and the face lay
in the water. Professor Carlisle may
therefore have fallen where he was
found, and by reason of having been
either stunned or heavily intoxicated,
have drowned, or he may have gone to
the place and committed suicide by
taking poison. AS nothing whatever
has thus far developed to support tie
idea of suicide, it is regarded as most
probable that Professor Carlisle, who
was addicted to the excessive use of
| intoXicants, wandered out to the gulch
while under the influence and fell in
| and was drowned.
| The discovery was made by three
| young ladies', Miss Shelba Stoimes of
GA West Park street, Miss Mamie
| Twohy of No. COS and Miss Nellie
| Mazel of No. 642. The young lad. es
were all at the home of Miss Stormes,
which stands on the east bank of Mis-
| soula gulch. The windows on the west
| side of the house look out on the gulch,
| and an upper story window admits of
seeing to the bottom. Miss Stormes
| and Miss Twohy CHANGED to go to this
window, and looking down they saw
the body of a man lying at the mouth
| of the culvert. AS he lay in the water
| they knew something must have hap
| pened him and all three girls went out
to investigate. They met two boys
| Willie McNulty and Willie Mclaughlin,
| in the street and sent them down to
see the man was dead. They ie-
| ported that he was and the girls then
| called the attention of a number of
| men who were passing to the discovery
| j. H. Milyus, A. S. Nichols and Aid r.
| man Henry Krcger and his brother
Max Immediately went down into the
gulch, where they found the body lying
with the head almost in the mouth of
| the culvert. 1t was so covered with
mud that had washed over it as to be
| unrecognizable. A telephone message
was sent to notify Coroner Julien and
Undertaken Richards, and the latter
| went out and took charge of the
| body.
| The corpse was identified when an
examination was made at the under
| taking establishment. Papers in the
| clothes bore Professor Carlisle's name,
and when the mud was washed from
| the face, it was easy to recognize the
| corpse as the former musician. There
| was a large indentation in the left
| cheek, which gave the appearance of
| the Jaw having been broken, and this
| led to the theory of foul play, but fur
| Their examination revealed that the Jaw
| was not broken, the indentation in the
| ol,n IL 40, htaIl how trrr hpn
by the side of the face lying on a sharp
rock. There were no other marks on
| the body and nothing in the surround
ings to indicate foul play and no one
has any idea that was an element in
the mans death. The body was dressed
| in evening clothes, as was Professor
| Carlisle's habit of dressing after din
ner, and in the pockets of the trousers
was found 81 in silver. A pass book
containing a record of his music les
sons and some important yapers was
all else found in the clothes.
AS soon as the body was recognized,
| Alderman Kroger. an old acquaintance
of Professor Carlisle and his family
went to 1.-THE residence of the mother and
sisters, Mrs. A. Carlisle and Misses
| George and Lizzie Carlisle, who live at
| 112 South Idaho street, and performed
the unpleasant task of breaking the
sad news to them. Mr.. Kroger was as
delicate as possible, but they We're ter
| ribly shocked by the news he brought
How Professor Carlisle came to his
| death are questions that are exceeding
| ly perplexing. With regard to the time,
| it seems most likely it must have been
some time Friday night, or Saturday
| morning. No one has yet been found
| who is able ito say definitely that they
saw him later than Friday night. He
visited his mother Friday evening, and
a great many others remember seeing
LII att,fr Vl,tt
as far as can be learned. profess to
| have seen him later. This is a bar
tender at the Casino saloon in West
| Park street. who said he was in the
saloon Saturday night but at the Stew
ems block, where Professor Carlisle
roomed, it was stated he was not in his
room Friday or Saturday night, and as
no one else seems to have seen him
Saturday, it lis possible that the bar
tender is mistaken as to the night. The
fact that the body was not the slight
est decomposed would seem to preclude
the possibility of it's lain in the open
air, exposed ITO the sun for two days,
and it also seems unlikely that it would
remain there so long without being d s.
covered, but in the one case, the cold
running water might have been sufficient
to preserve the body, and in the other,
it might have lain where is was found
for some time without being discovered,
unless some one happened to cross the
gulch and looked, or unless seen from
the window from which The discovery
was made, as it could not be seen from
any other point. The point with re-
gard to the time of death is so much
in doubt that it cannot be settled on
the information as yet obtainable.
The manner in which death came is
also much in doubt, but 1t would seem
less so than with regard to the time.
Suicide by taking poison may have
been the cause, but there is no evidence
of it and no reason assigned for it, and
the idea is not much regarded. The
generally accepted belief is that Pro
fessor Carlisle was intoxicated and
wandered out to the gulch and fell in,
his head probably striking on a rock
with sufficient force to stun him, and it
is most probable he drowned in the
shallow water. This seems the most
reasonable theory, as 1t is known Pro-
fessor Carlisle was seen in the vicinity
of the gulch Friday night very much
| ir,tn TOD