The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-07-03
DUE TO DRINK
Tragic Ending of the Life or j
V. Beekmsn, OF Arkansas
City.

.eekmen Is dead at my house" Marsha
allAhan was found and went with her
b her home at 2l5 South A street.
There was no mistaking the woman's
leaning now. for on the bed iu the 'front.'
1om. lay the cold. lfcless body Of ].
Z. Beekman. Death must have been very
eaceful as the clothes were not rufhed
ID the least but an ordinary looker-on
would have thought the judge was mere.
y sleepisg.
The news spread like wildnre and In a
ew minutes the room where the body
Was and the yard in front were filled
vita spectators.
reporter for the Traveller got the
following from the woman. She said her
lams was Mary Miller and she keeps
-oomng house at 2l5 South A street
tn response to "a question as 10 how |
me judge happened to be there she said
About four O'Clock In the afternoon a
man Knocked at my front door and when
went 90 SO l found this man there.
asa not know him but he introduced him,
self AS j. v. Beekman and said; "Can
have q bed ana room for awhile; j am
sick" / told him he could ana after ar
ranging the room and promising 10 wake
him at 10 o'clock ! left the room and the
house, going over to my neighbors on the
south. I heard him snoring about seven
or eight o'clock and about 10.31 1 came
home. ! went into the room and called
the Judge but got no answer. I then
shook him and found the body as cold
almost as ice. Then / called my neighbol
aud she stayed about the house while !
ran for the officers"
ttKNu la4ft furnished rooms TDr rapf "A
you" was asked
Yes" she answered.
Ibid you notice anything peculiar or
out of the ordinary about the man?"
IL did not because I didn't know him.
he walked with cane"
Dr. Acker was called by the officers
and made an examination Of the body
The coroner was notified last night and
drove TO the city. After viewing the re
mains and making the necessary exami-
nauonsu, he returned TO Winfield and
then came to the city this morning aud
held the inquest at 10 o'clock in JudaO
peeks court.
THE INQUEST
May Miller was the first witness call
ed and said: Il live at 2l5 South A
street. ] have a rooming house there ana
take In washing i never met Judge Beck
man until yesterday afternoon and did
not know him during his lifetime. 1 saw
him some time between 4 and 4:30 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon i had never met
him. but l should Judge he might have
been under the influence OF liquor bu,
1 don't know his face was very flushed
He came to the door and asked me II
I had furnished rooms and l told him
/ aid He said he wanted a room and he
paid me Tor 81; he gave me a quarter
and as ] was preparing the bed he made
the remark II am feeling sick and am
going 90 the springs ia a couple OF week.
After ! had arranged the bed ] wen, OUT
of the room and closed the door Just A,
l stepped out Of the door he asked me 4
[ would waken him about 10 o clock and
| 4 told MIN / would. 1t was some time
| after 10 clock when I thought to wake
him. Mrs Han was there and we were
talking and playing with a deck OF cards
which made me forget him until she wa
about ready 70 20 home. She went Owe
home and / went 20 the door and r5pps.
twice without getting an answer theI
| took the lamp ana went into the room
spoke 90 him and he did not answer
| ! noticed Dee was not snoring as he hat
been during The evening ! had Just made
me remark 20 Mrs. Han a while bet1rt
| that person could hear him TO Summit
street. ] went closed 20 the bed AMI NOT.
Iced he was stralghtened on ana that the
| nuow was We with perspration. { touch.
ed him and noticed that he was cold. !
| creamed for Mrs Hail and then set The
amp down and went out into lae yard
ana called ner again. She came over and
usr looking at him, sal. yes. he i'
!ad; heart failure or sometAing
,sked her TO stay but she said she coEit
cot al that time. ! came up town fol
Mr Callahan ana asked coupe Of gen.
tlemen on the corner +: they had seen
him and they said Ia ~ hal not. 1 cross
80 the troet 10 the stairway and saw
Mr. Kreamer lie said he would try {,
nnd Mr. Callahan or one OF the officers
The officer came 70 the hol le. Mr.. Beck.
man ala not say anything % indicat,
! that he was not In his right mind. liz
/ ieft no papers or writing Of any sort with
me. I ssw nothing OF the kind at all.
have not heard anyone say that he LETT
any writing al an / had 40 conversatiav
with him after he went 10 bed l don't
think 80 was more than three or -four
minutes after he went 10 bed untn he
was snoring lie sn0red very loud The
snoring ala not seem unusual 10 me.
went across 10 set a httle girl TO go up
town Tor me 10 get some articles al the
store. After tha 4 went up 70 the store
| a few minutes yself, but ! don't think
! 4 was gone over five minutes from the
house. 1 went 20 Mr.. Harris drug s,ors.
"a went 10 the drug store about half
past nine because l asked Mrs. Hall II
she would watch the door a minute /
purchased some narcotics while I was
at the store, / bought some cocaine. a
discovered he was dead about ono ho .
after ] had been up town. / did not sec
him take anything while In the house.
He did not even ask for drink OF water
There was none in the house besides my
self at the time he came in. ] have lived
here six months and eleven days ! did
not think II strange that ne should come
20 my house for a room. l supposed he
was only sick and wanted 70 lie down.
Il rs not an infrequent thing for people
TO come 20 m yhouse. / heard him snoring
after the 9 o'clock bell rang II was near
iy nalf after ten when 1 found him dead
do not know whether he loft the house
amer ne went 70 bed or non.
MRS HALL
Mrs. Han was next called ana said: -
live al 27 South A street / have lived
here on and on for the past Ave or six
years. / have known May Miller about
two monthhs. She keeps a roominA
house in the city. never knew Judge
Beekman until yesterday. I was at the
house yesterday afternoon whom he came.
went out into the yard where Nav