The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-15
ENDS HIS ERRAT|C LIFE
Wilbur F. Boyce Commits Sui
eide by Taking Poison.
HE BECAME DESPONDENT
At Times He Drank to Excess and When
Under the Influence of Liquor Was
Prone to Be Wtld-Unhap-
PLY Married.

rough rider, ended a very cratic ca
reer yesterday by committing suicide
He took morphine, and died an hour
after being found unconscious in the
street. The cause is supposed to have
been a fit of dependency over the con-
duct of his wife, brought on by indul-
gence in liquor.
About II o'clock yesterday morning
City Detective Jerry Murphy was walk
ing east on Park street and as he
reached the corner of Arizona, he heard
a police whistle being blown violently
down the street. Proceeding to the
scene Of the commotion about midway
between Galena and Mercury streets,
| he found Boyce lying on the ground,
| propped up against a telegraph pole,
and surrounded by little crowd Of
| excited people. Boyce had all the APP
pearance of one poisoned, and it was
1 evident he was very far gone.
| Detective Murphy hailed an express
wagon that was passing and, loading
| the unconscious man into it, drove with
all haste to the police station. Drs.
| Alexander and Cowperthwaite were
| hastily summoned. They found the
young man suffering from morphine,
l L
pumped out the stomach and worked
for an hour, administering the usual
| antidotes, but 1t was all to no purpose
| lie was too far gone when they reached
| him and he died shortly after the noon
hour.
| Very little seems to be known of the
| immediate circumstances surrounding
the taking Of the fatal potion, as he
| left no note of explanation, and no one
| wh r; fox
the dose or heard him express an in
| tentlon to do away with himself but
| there seems no doubt it was case of
suicide, as he was not addicted to the
use of drugs and no one can ascribe
any other motive or reason for his l1av-
ing taken the poison than one of sui
cidal intention.
able family, being the son of j. r.
Boyce, Well-known citizen. AS a
| youth he was rather wild and has al
ways drank to excess at times. When
| intoxicated he was very erratic and at
| such times would be led into some
| rather remarkable performances; but
when sober he was a good fellow and
was generally liked for his geniality.
| lie was strong and athletic and when
| football started in Butte he became
| member of the team, and distinguished
| himself as one of the crack PLAYERS
during the successful days Of the old
! Butte team.
Eventually his inclination to wildness
| grew on him, and through increased
Indulgence in liquor he was led into an
unfortunate marriage, as he did not
live happily with the woman and they
eventually separated.
In 1886 Boyce was elected constable
for South Butte township but only
served about half of his term, when he
resigned through influences brought to
bear upon him because of eccentric per-
formances in connection with the dis
charge of his official duties and general
unreliability. When the war with
Spain broke out, Boyce Joined Captain
Stivers' troop of the Grigsby rough rid
ers. When the regiment was mustered
out he returned to Butte and went to
work in one of the mines. When he got
his check for last March, he got drunk
and spent the money. and when he
went home with nothing to pay the
then came the separation from mis-
wife, who sold the furniture and went
to her old home in Missouri
Boyce left town shortly afterwards
and went to Bearmouth to represent
some claims. He returned to Butte a
couple of days ago and at once com
menced drinking again. Tuesday he
was III -Soll pduy With w. ID. Mitchell
and John Shurtz. two friends, and was
drinking a great deal. Shurtz left them
about III O'Clock that night, and Mitchell
got Boyce to go to the McDermott hotel
with him to get room for the night
Boyce would not go to bed, however
and they went out and had few more
drinks. Finally they started for the
MOTEL again, but on the way Boyce said
he wanted to get some medicine and
a 6pnp r-t1 II Il
in and then went to Newbros where
he woke up the night clerk and bought
bottle of morphine, which he told
mitchell he was getting for a woman
Then they went to the hotel and went
to bed.
Early yesterday morning Mitchell
woke up and found Boyce swallowing
something white which he had in the
palm OF his hand. but it did not occur
to Mitchell what it was They got up
and We're about town together for a
couple of hours before the drug com
menced to make itself felt. In the
meantime they had met Shurtzy again
and were walking down Arizona street
when Boyce commenced to weaken. At
this time he took a bottle out of his
pocket and asked Mitchell to go and get
it filled. 1t was labeled morphine,
and seeing this Mitchell knew he had
taken the contents of it and that this
was what allied him. He threw the
bottle away and sent Shurtz for a ply
stefan. Boyce Immediately grew very
weak and dropped down on the walk.
A woman living in the neighborhood
came out and, seeing at a glance the
man had been poisoned blew the police
Whistle which attracted Detective Muir
ply
Boyce was about 80 years old. Be-
sides his father he has three brothers
Mere and he was also highly connected
oy marriage with some of the promi-
nent people of the city. The body is at
Richards undertaking rooms where
an inquest will be held this evening by
Coroner Julien