The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-29
BUTTE NEWS.
HE DIED VERY SUDDENLY
Unreouited Love Responsible for
Downey's Death.
SHE CHANGED HER MIND
So the Story Goes, and Downey's Down
ward Career. Which Ended in a
Drunkard's Miserable Death.
Began.
SHE CHANGED HER MIND

Patrick Dowpey. a we'll known char
acter about town. lies on a slab al
Sherman's undertaking rooms. He died
very suddenly in a saloon IN Norm
Main street yesterday morning A cor
oner's jury which was impaneled oe-
clared he died from want of proper
,nourishment. Unrequited love Is pop
ularly supposed to have been 'he
agency by which the once prosperous
citizen was transformed into the mlser-
able creature who died a drunkaro
death in abject poverty ana dreaa!u'
want.
Downey had lived in Butte a great
many years and up to a few years aso
was an Industrious. hard working man
and had bank account Whlch WAS III
Itself a comfortable competence. foi
MANY wears he worked iii the mines
here and later went ITO Anaconda anu
held position in one OF the smeltele.
He became engag ed. so the story goes,
to be married to young lady who al :
forwards changed her MIND ana Jllteu
him, and from that day he was not
known to work. He took to drink ana
squandered his savings, and when ms
money was gone he became a common
vagabond. He seemed to have ac-
auired an Unsuitable appetite for drink
and every cent he could get went over
the bar of some saloon. Of late years
he lived on the charity of his frlenhs,
and was in want the greater part OF
the time.
Yesterday Downey went into the sd
loon run by Patrick Mullin at 3S Main
street. and went to the rear room and
laid down. The proprietor Of the place
who was one of his friends. had 40
ticed as he PASSED through that he
was looking very bad and went back
and asked him to come out and take
a drink, suggesting that he might feel
better if he did SO. Downey got up
and went out in the saloon He said
he could not drink anything strong
and that he would take a glass 81
cider. The drink was given him and
he drank it. Setting down the glass on
the bar he suddenly wheeled around
and fell to the floor. Proprietor Mullin
ran out and called for a policeman,
whom he sent for a physician DIR. Ham
mond responded at once, but before he
reached the mans side he was dead.
Coroner Julien impaneled a jury AND
held an inquest at Sherman's undertake
ing rooms last evening. at which a
number Of witnesses who had known
Downey well and We're familiar with
the circumstances of his death, gave
evidence. 1t appeared from the testi
mony that Downey had eaten very ir'
regularly of late, had suffered a grea
Z deal from exposure and had beer
drinking very heavily. These facts ane
the statement of DR. Hammond, which
was given to the jury by the coroner
to the effect that while he had not seer
the deceased in time to be positive o
the cause of his death. yet he felt GER
tain death was due to nervous prostra
tion produced by the manner of hi
living during his last days, furnished
the basis of a verdict that death wa:
the result of nervous prostratiol
brought on by exposure and want o
proper nourishment.
1t was a coincidence that Denni
Murphy, a cousin of Downey, died a
his home in Centerville yesterday a
about the same hour that Downe
passed away, The cause of Murphy
death was an ailment from which h
had been suffering for some time.
Downey leaves brother, who reside
in Butte. and has numerous other rela
tives living here.