Hutchinson gazette., 1899-06-29
NOT SUICIDE.
Tho HelierIs Growing That Miss Belle
SAavonH Was Murdered.

Wichita, June 27.--The belief that
Miss Belle Slavens, who was found
dead in the offices OF the National
Bank Of Commerce, suicided, no
longer prevails.
When the bank closed Wednesday
afternoon she remained. Between 4
o'clock and her death, she wrote
three letters aggregating 1,60O words.
In one of the letters, which was ad-
dressed to Miss Ida Lane Of Kansas
City, she complained that she had
been kept in the bank long after
working hours, waiting for a man
who had asked her to remain there
for some work he said he had for her
TO do
At 6:10 a motorman in front OF the
bank heard shot fred and thought
II was a frecracker. At the same
time a barber heard a shot fred and
paid no attention to 1t. At 1880 q
young man was passing the bank
and said he Is absolutely certain that
she was sitting at her desk within.
At . o'clock her father, who had be
came uneasy, came to the bank. 1t
was locked. He looked in at the win
dow and saw her hat on her desk
She had talked that morning about
getting new hat. He thought she
had done so and had gone on a visit
to some friends. Wife," said he at
midnight, Something is wrong with
Belle. have had the most horrible
dream. l am going over again to find
her IL cam" The mother replied, II
am afraid that you will find her
dead"
Miss Slavens was found dead in the
consultation room, with a bullet hole
in her head, Her nose was broken
and there were wounds on the chin
and on the forehead. A fan on the
floor could not have made them all,
The bullet hole was ON the right side
Of her head. A revolver was in her
left hand-not clutched, but held
loosely, as IL it had been placed there.
III she had committed suicide she
would have had to draw her left arm
in front of her side with her left
hand.
lin her desk three letters were
foundL They were not folded nor
placed in the envelopes addressed to
receive them. All of the letters had
been written within two hours of the
time the shot was fired. All Of them
were cheerful and one OF them was
to Miss Lane, former ehum, now
living at Kansas City. She said she
was terribly afraid Of robbers and
footpads and had bought revolver,
She told Miss Lane that she was still
in the bank, having been detained
there awaiting the arrival OF man
who had promised to bring her work.
1t was cheerful, chummy letter,
bearing no trace Of anything indiicat-
ing any trouble.
There was a meeting Of the Conn
mercia1 Club that night, and Charles
w. Carey, one of the principal Off
GERS of the bank, had a report to
make. He had forgotten the report
in the bank and went there and he
didn't see the dead body of Miss
Slavens or notice anything unusual
or irregular about the place.
One man who is somewhat OF an
expert with firearms offers the
strange theory that while Miss Sla-
vens was waiting in the bank, and
after having written the three letters
mentioned, she might have been play
ing with the revolver, that 1t went
off, that the ball glanced from a
large safe, and struck her in the
head.
Wichita, June 27.-J. C. Slavins and
his nephew, Austin Akin, are now
carrying ON an investigation, and are
confident that the girl was murdered,
but have not the slightest clue to the
murderer.
Another clue has been found. Miss
SlaNGns had $40 or more early in the
day. She is known TO have spent
about Sl6. Only sixtySeWen cents was
found in her purse.
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