The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-16
Inquest Held on the Remains of
Wilbur L. Boyce.
WHISKEY WAS THE CAUSE
Despondent Because Of Heavy Drinking,
the Young Man Took Morphine
to End His Evidence
Conclusive

Wednesday by taking morphine at an
| inquest held at Richards undertaking
rooms last evening. The evidence was
all to the effect that -Boyce had swal-
! lowed the poison with suicidal intent
| after a big drunk. The jury returned
a verdict accordingly
William c. Ash, bartender at the
Arcade saloon in South Main street,
told of Boyce visiting his saloon several
times Tuesday night and Wednesday
morning. At the time of the last visit
R.oyce had a friend with him, who was
trying to coax something away from
him, which he refused to give up. This
was after O'Clock Friday morning.
Witness did not know what it was the
friend was trying to get.
DR.. Joseph E. Cowperthwaite testi-
fed to attending Boyce at the city Jail.
His symptoms all indicated he had
| taken morphine Witness assisted DR..
Alexander in treating the man. Moth
| ing could have been done that would
have saved his life, he had absorbed so
| much of the poison gefore medical as
sistance reached him. Death was I'M
doubtedly due to poisoning, either
| opium or one of its alcoloids.
/ w. E. Edmunds, clerk at New
bros drug store, told of selling Boyce
young man about o'clock and asked
for morphine. Witness supposed he
was a fiend and refused to sell less
than so cents worth, this being a prac-
tice of the store to discourage fiends
from coming there, but Bnyce did not
object and took a 50-cent bottle. The
two left and went east on Broadway.
Witness had no thought that he want
ed the poison for suicidal purposes be-
cause of the other party being with
him.
w. D. Mitchell of Warm Springs who
spent Tuesday night with Boyce, was
next called. He said he was with
Boyce all of Tuesday night and up 10
the time of his suicide. Some time dur
ing the, night they met friend who
told Boyce that Snake" King, one of
Boyce's friends, had been killed in the
Philippines. The story of the nights
revel was one of a steady bat" Along
toward morning Boyce said he wanted
to get some calomel and started for
the drug store. He wanted the witness
| to stay outside but Mitchellwent in and
Boyce bought the morphine. They then
went to the McDermott and went to a
| room. Witness pleaded with Boyce to
| let him have the morphine, but he said
| he got it for woman, and asked:
You don't suppose l want to take it
| myself, do your" Witness fears were
| allayed.
After time they went out and made
| another round of the saloons and went
back and went to bed Witness went
to sleep, but woke up after a little.
Boyce was sitting up in bed and had
| quantity of morphine in his hand. He
started to swallow it and witness
knocked his hand away. When wit
| ness saw this he thought Boyce must
be a fiend. Witness could not sleep and
got up and went out. He met John
Schurtz and during their conversation,
asked if Boyce was a fiend. Schurtz
said he did not think so, and witness
said they had better go and get Boyce
and take him for a walk AS he began
| TO suspect something wrong.
They acted on this suggestion and
walking Boyce down Arizona street,
| he began to act peculiarly and took
a bottle out of his pocket and asked
| witness to go and get it filled. This
| confirmed witness fears and he
knocked the bottle out of Boyce's hand
and started at once for a doctor. He
had gone but a short distance when it
occurred to him he had better take
Bcyce to the doctors Office and went
back. Boyce by this time had been
taken to the city Jail. Boyce said
nothing at any time about suicide and
that he would attempt it was furthest
of anything from witness mind until
the Arizona street incident.
DR.. ]. N. Alexander, the city physi-
clan, was next called. He gave practic-
ally the same testimony as DR.. Cow
perthwaite and said it was a hopeless
| case from the start Death was I'M
| doubtedly due to morphine poison
ing.
City Detective Jerry Murphy related
| the circumstances of being attracted to
South Arizona street by hearing pc
lice whistle and taking Boyce to the
| a teAc
after II o'clock
Carl Davis testified that about II
o'clock Wednesday forenoon he saw
Boyce, Mitchell and another man to-
gether. Witness had some converse
| ton with Boyce and he seemed in a
what he had been taking and he re-
piled: Nothing but booze" His eyes
looked very much dila ted, however
and witness asked: Are you
sure you have taken nothing but Ii
quor?" and he replied Nothing" He
said he had an attack of tremens, but
did not talk at all IRA tonally.
Charles A. Blackburn told of seeing
Boyce in front of the Butte hotel Tues
day evening. He was with Schurtz and
Mitchell Witness remarked to Boyce
that he had heard Snake King had
been killed in the Philippines. Boyce
said in reply: Well, I'll be dead in the
Yes, dead drunk, probably" supposine
he was jesting. Witness knew Boyce
particularly we'll and never knew of his
being addicted to the use of morphine
When drunk Boyce was inclined to be
respondent and at times in the past
witness had heard him make remarks
| about suicide when drunk, but he never
| thought that he would dc such a thing
John F. Schurtz testified to being
with Boyce and Mitchell on Tuesday
afternoon and again in the evening
He was drinking considerably all The
time. Witness heard the converse tiOr
between Boyce and the preceding wit
ness, in which Boyce spoke of beins
dead in the morning, but did not think
anything about it. Wednesday morn
ing witness met Mitchell, who sale
Boyce got some morphine the night be
fore he asked if he was a fiend, Wit
ness did not think so and said they hat
better go and see him. They went tt
the hotel and found Boyce sitting il
the bed. He looked very drunk. They
I 1t