The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-29
WAS A FATAL REFUSAL
Frank Fitzgerald of Anaconda
Dies in Seattle Saloon.
THE RESULT OF A SCUFFLE
William Weir Is Suspected OF Having
Killed Him-FitzgeraldW Was Employed
at the Lower Works and Is Well
Known Here.

intoxicated man caused the death of
Frank Fitzgerald, formerly resident
of Anaconda, in a Seattle, saloon on
Monday afternoon. Death was the re-
suit of scuffie which occurred between
Fitzgerald and William ]. Weir, and
the latter is suspected of murder and is
held on that charge.
Fitzgerald has a nephew who resides
in Anaconda. His name is Horace Fitz-
gerald, a former employee OF the upper
works, who resides at the California
boarding house. on East Commercial
avenue.
Fitzgerald called at the Standard Of
flee yesterday afternoon, asked to see
"a Seattle paper, and after glancing over
The pages of the Post-Intelligencer,e x-
claimed:
Here it is. That's the account of my
uncle's DEATH
When asked If his uncle was known
in Anaconda, Fitzgerald said:
MY uncle came to Ana conda about a
year ago from Oakland. Cal. where
he was in the contracting business. He
made plenty of money in California,
but lost it in mining ventures. He left
his family in Oakland and came to
Anaconda to work. He got a job at
the lower works and during the time he
was there he stopped at the Flood
boarding house in Carroll.
He saved his money and went to
Alaska and made some cash. He had
gone to Seattle to settle some business
matters before returning to his family,
when he met his death.
II learned about this affair on Tues
day morning, when I received tee-
gram from friend informing me Of
my uncle's DEATH"
Of
published in Tuesdays Seattle Post-In-
telligencer.is as follows:
Richard Fitzgerald, formerly a con-
tractor of Oakland. Cal, but of late an
Alaska miner, died yesterday afternoon
in the Skagit saloon on First avenue
south as the result of a fight between
himself and William J. Weir son of the
proprietor of the New England hotel.
shortly after Fitzserald's death Weir
was arrested on the charge of killing
him, but the police offers differ as to
whether or not Weir is guilty of muir
der. 1t is claimed by some that heart
failure was the cause of death.
The story, as gathered from eye wit
nesses, is that Fitzgerald and Weir We're
in the saloon. Weir being intoxicated.
About O'Clock in the afternoon Weir
asked Peter Jameson. the proprietor of
the place, for another drink. but jamie
son refused to give it to him. advising
him at the same time TO go home and
get sober
FITZGERALD, it is said. was seated on
a table near the bar at the time, and
( it is claimed that Weir. who knew him
slightly, went over to him and asked
him to have a drink with him. Fitz-
gerald refused and told Weir that he
lWeir) had had enough liquor. Weir
it is said, became indignant at Fitzger-
AIDS refusal to drink with him and ap-
piled an epithet to him. scuffle fol-
nd i- n1a cd Nof, ,lrn
toward the door. Fitzgerald following
him and holding his shoulder.
when the door was reached it is said
Weir shook himself in an effort to get
loose from Fitzgerald and another scuf-
fe followed, during which Fitzgerald
fell down. In falling it is claimed he
struck Weir's legs, causing the latter to
fall on top of him. When they were on
the floor Weir is reported to have said
to Fitzgerald:
Now, id you. could beat your
head off, but won't do it.
Weir was helped up by bystanders
and Immediately left the saloon. Fitz-
gerald lay on the flood, where he had
fallen, and Jameson, the proprietor of
the saloon, seeing that he appeared to
be suffering, had him licked up and
carried into the office at the end of the
bar. Medical aid was summoned, but
before it arrived Fitzgerald died.
Neither Proprietor Jameson nor his
bartender will admit that Weir struck
Fitzgerald at all. They claim it was
simply scuffle and that Fitzgerald
fell down as a result of it. There were
no marks of violence on Fitzgerald's
body. A brother of the dead man stated
to the, officers that Fitzgerald had heart
disease, and Coroner Sparkling thinks
that he died of the overexertion of his
scuff1e with Weir rather than as the re-
suit of a blow struck by the latter An
a Mt Jtrt1l hn hal 1t,
morning to determine the exact cause of
death.
''As soon as Fitzgerald died the police
were notified and a search for Weir was
instituted. He was found in a very in
toxicated condition in the private par
Tor at the New England hotel by de-
tectives and taken to the city Jail,
where he was locked up. Last night
he had not sobered up and was CON
sequently unable to discuss the mat
ter. The police think that when he
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