Gilpin observer., 1899-03-16
NEvADAvILLE.

afternoon byp the news OF the suicide OF
ex Postmaster John w. Ra,liff, a former
resident of Nevadaville. The Denver
morning papers gave detailed account
of the affair, from which the following is
summarized: Monday afternoon at q
O'Clock, at his residence, 1736 California
street, Mr.. Ratliff shot his wife and then
lired a bullet into his own body There
were no eye witnesses to the affair. Mrs.
Ratlitf gave the following account of the
shooting: Her husband of late had been
in ill-health and was lying in bed in ~
small room in the rear of the house
Thinking he was not seriously i'll. she
entered his room and told him he must
get up and dress. This irritated him, as
she'says he immedis tely presented rs-
volver at her head and pulled the trig-
ger. AS she started to run, he fired n
second shot, the bullet striking her in
the left side of the back She rushed
from the room, screaming, and ran uIp
the hallway into The parlor, where she
sank to the floor. 1t appears that her
husband started to follow her. but GA
reaching the door, changed his mind, re
entered the room and, pressing the stilE
smoking muzzle of the pistol against his
breast, again pulled the trigger The
bullet entered Immediately over the right
nipple and he fell full length on the floor
at the foot of the bed. None of the in
mates heard the first two shots The
wOman's acroame and tI,o fb;r, cb.,. ,,,,..s
them the first intimatiou, and they ut
once hurried to the assistance Of Mrs
Ratliti, and placed her on lounge in the
room where she fell and sent for an gri--
bulance. Police Surgeon Dulin soon ar
rived with an ambulance, and took them
both to the county hospital. Ratlff Was
conscious, but Indifferent as to the con-
dition of his wife, turning his back to hex
while in the ambulance. Once he re-
marked: 81 want my watch to go to my
daughter" The revolver he used was II
81 calibre bulldog. Inmates of the house
say that he and his wife lived together
amicably. Two days previous to the
shooting he took to his bed and refused
food from that time. He died at 10.2D
o'clock that night His wife fingered
after reaching the hospital until the fol-
lowing morning, when she died. Mr.
Ratlitf came to Colorado in 1860, fgous
Burlington, Iowa, locating in this place.
and was for 3j years postmaster here
He was member of Nevada lodge No 4,
A. f. & A. NJ, Nevada Lodge. and Bald
Mountain Encampment, |. O. O. r., ass
well as member of Central City Chap
ter No. /, Royal Arch Masons, and the
Gilpin County Pioneers association. He
served as county commissioner to fill va
cancy, and was justice OF the peace gov
eral terms in the first district His FIRST
wife died fifteen years ago, and three
years later he married Miss Purcell She
was 40 years old, and he 81 at the time
of their deaths. He leaves two children
by his first wife - Frances, who resides
in Montana, and Lucy, wife of Albert
Ritter, of Denver. They have an adopt
ed daughter 8 years OF age, whom they
secured from the Home for Dependent.
Children in Denver. The little girl re-
turned from school just after the shoot
ing. Mrs. Ratliff leaves relatives at Rip
ley, Indiana, and a cousin, John T. Pur-
cell, Of the firm OF Wall and Witter, of
Denver.
Capt. /. M. Parsons w. NJ, John H
Nankervis, secretary of this place.
and DIR. Abraham Ashbaugh, d
Central all from Nevada lodge No. T.
A. f. & A. M, returned from Denver last
evening, whittier they went on Tuesday
afternoon, to consult with the daughter
of the late John w. Ratliff and the
cousin of his wife, as to the place where
they desired the bodies buried. TfIEz
OBSERVER is informed that the remains
of the former will be buried in Denver
and the remains of the latter sent to her
former home in Indiana.
james Rule, Dick Trezise and AL 81
monds form local pool who have taken
lease on of the Waterman Kansas prop
erty on the southeastcrly slope of Quartz
Hill.
Monday Mrs. Warren, n lady go years VI
age, while vending her way from her
residence TO the house occupied by her
daughter, some distance away, fell on the
slippery ice and broke her left leg. Dr.
Bourk was sent for and set the fracture
Michael McCunnifT whose parents
formerly resided in the easterly portion
of this place, is a prominent candidate
for appointment us sheriff OF the newly
creatcd county Of Teller. He has the
endorsement OF the Democrats of thss
new county