The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-12
HANSEN NOT A SUICIDE
The. Coroner Investigates the
Cause of His Death.
HE HAD HEART DISEASE
DR.. Hall Was Not Sufficiently Familiar
With the Case to Sign Death
Certiflcate-Grip Was the
Direct Cause.

Coroner Julien held an inquest last
evening on the body of Pete Hansen,
who died Tuesday morning in his rooms
over his place of business the Turf Ex-
change saloon in East Galena street.
The inquest was made necessary by the
fact that DR.. Hall, who was called to at
tend Hansen, did not see enough of the
case to feel warranted in signing a
death certificate. AT the inquest, how
ever, DR.. Hall expressed the belief that
death was due to heart failure and on
his evidence, the jury returned a YER
dict to that effect. 1t was obvious that
Coroner Julien had a suspicion that
Hansen might have helped himself out
of the world. as he questioned the wit
nesses closely with reference to whether
or not there was any possibility that
the deceased might have committed sui
eide. There was no testimony, however,
to substantiate the suspicion. The in
quest was held al Tachells undertaking
rooms at 7:30 o'clock
Edith Sommers, the woman who lived
with Hansen as his mistress for two
years before his death, was called as
the first witness. She has been a wo-
greatly changed as she made her ap-
pearance on the witness stand, dressed
in deep mourning. She bore such mark
ed evidence of having experienced a
great grief that her good looks seemed
gone and bad as the notorious Great
ure's reputation has painted her. she
must have been greatly attached to
the former king of the Row." for
all during the coroners questioning,
which was as delicate as might be
under the circumstances, tears stood in
her eyes, and her answers We're given
in short, choked sentences. She testi-
fled that Hansen had been ailing with
the grip for some days; that he left his
room Monday evening to get shaved:
that she went to the room about 5
o'clock Tuesday morning and found
him in bed unconscious; that she sum
moned the bartender from down stairs
and told him to get a physician but
that Hansen died before help arrived
In reply to the coroner's question as to
whether the deceased had committed
suicide by taking a drug, she said she
was sure he did not
James Armstrong, a bartender at the
saloon formerly conducted by the de-
ceased, said he was on duty about 5
o'clock Tuesday, when he heard rap
on the door overhead and went up
stairs. He found the deceased uncon-
SClou9 Will MISS Summers Attending
him. Witness ran down and rang for
messenger and sent for doctor. The
boy called for two physicians, but they
were out on calls. He finally found Dr.
Hall but so much time had elapsed by
the time Dr. Hall arrived that the de-
ceased was beyond assistance. Wit
ness was sure Hansen did not commit
suicide
]. W. Kenney, former business part
ner OF the deceased, testified that he was
Intimately acquainted with Hansen and
said that at such times as he drank
considerable, his heart would be affect
ed. Witness never heard the deceased
speak of suicide, and said he was never
that way inclined. Witness said deceas-
ed was native of Denmark
DR.. Horace M. Hall. who was called
to attend Hansen said it was between
and o'clock when he was summoned
He said he found deceased unconscious,
his pupils dilated and some blood set
tied at the back of his neck. There
were no symptoms of poisoning of any
kind except the eyes being di'ated,
which was a symptom of morphine
poison, but witness did not think any
poison was taken. The witness express
ed the opinion that death was due to
heart disease but he had not seen suffi-
cient of the case to warrant him in
signing a death certificate
1t took the jury but a few minutes to
arrive at verdict in accordance with
DR.. Halls testimony.