The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-23


nue., who was a carpenter in the en-
ploy Of the Delaware, Lackawlnna
and Western company for the past
forty years, attempted suicide shortly
before o'clock last evening by shoot
ing himself i'm the head with a 22-
calibre revolver.
No cause is assigned for the deed,
but it is believed by his relatives that
the act was committed in q moment
OF temporary insanity
Wheeler had not been feeling very
well FOR some time. He feared the loss
OF his position under the company ow-
ing TO the discharge Of so many old
employees. and brooded considerable
over the matter. lie resigned on Sat
urday and this, with his illness, is as
signed as the reason for the shooting.
Yesterday afternoon abOuo ] o'clock
Wheeler left his home and went to the
central city. returning about 3 o'clock,
lie seemed in good spirits and sat on
the porch smoking his pipe for some
time afterwards. He also wallet be-
tween the house and barn several
times, but did not seem worried over
anything. although he appeared some
what restless, Mrs. Wheeler said. There
was no one about the house except
Wheeler and his wife. and about $50
o'clock the latter left the house to so
to a niikman's nearby to procure some
milk foa the evening meal.
FIRED TWO BULLETS
Wheeler was sitting on tha porch
when his wife left the house. and when
she returned about twenty minutes
later. he was sitting in d chair in the
dining room with the revolver in his
hand, having fired two bullets into the
right ear. Mrs. SanderSon, a neighbor,
heard the shots fired, but did not pay
any attention to them, supposing it
was some one In the open field nearby,
and the first person to discover the
man was Mrs. Roach. another neigh
Dor. who had gone into the house to
procure some yeast.
The latter noticed the man sitting in
the chair with the revolver in his
hand and ran out Of the house to the
front yard, where she met Mrs. Wheeler
returning from the milkman's. Sew
eral of the neighbors were summoned
and they removed the injured man
into an adjoining room and placed
him on a couch and everything pos
sible was done to stop the flow of
blood
DR.. r. G. Beddoe was telephoned for
and when he arrived Wheeler was still
conscious. but would not say any
thing, except in an undertone which
was hardly audible.
LODGED IN THE HEAD.
An examination revealed the fact
that both bullets had lodged in the
head and the ear was burned by the
shooting. Everything possible was done
and the man was resting comfortably
in a semi-conscious condition at 3
o'clock, when DR.. Beddoe and DR.. Rob-
erts held a consultation. They de-
Cided mot to probe for the bullets, as
the chances are Wheeler will not re-
cover, owing to his extreme age, which
is - years.
The revolver with which the shoot
ing was done was a young American
safety-hammer, 32 calibre, and was
purchased by Wheeler yesterday while
in the central city. When found it
contained three loaded and two empty
shells.
In a conversation with a Tribune
man last evening, Mrs. Wheeler stated
that her husband had no reasons for
shooting himself that she knew of, as
his home life had always been happy
and the only thing that might have
caused him to feel melancholy was
the fact of his fear of being discharged
from the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western company. This statement is
borne out by the fact that last Sat
urday Wheeler rendered his resigna-
tion.
He went to John Hoffman, outside
foreman at the Hampton mine where
he worked and told him that he did
not intend to be discharged from the
cOmpany's employe after having
worked for them for forty years. and
would not again resume his position.
REMOVED HIS TOOLS.
Yesterday he went to the shop and
secured his tools and removed them
to his home. Wheeler has two sons
and one daughter residing in this city.
They are William Wheeler, of West
Elm street: Adam Wheeler, of LUZ
erne street and Mrs. Ella Swartz. He
is a member of Ezra S. Griffin post,
No. 139. Grand Army of the Republic,
and has resided on Keyser avenue for
about twenty years.
At midnight Wheeler was lapsing
into deeper insensibility and his re-
cOVery is extremely doubtful.