Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-05-24
MURDER OF WEIGH.
Simon Welch, Old Resident of the
County, Murdered in Cold Blood
for His Money.
Dead Body Found at His Farm Cabin,
Bullet Hole Through His
Head.
Officers Of the Law Are Busy With
the Investigation Of Another
va Brutal Crime.

y, sa.;.5
Simon Welch, a bachelor farmer
living about four miles northeast of
the city, was found dead in his shack
at about noon yesterday by a neighbor'
named Riley, who was passing Welch's
place en- route to town.
That Welch was murdered was plain
to Coroner White, States Attorney
Allen and a coroner's jury that visited
the place last evening, and examined
the body and the surroundings. When
the murder took place is difficult to
say, but from the appearance of the
body the crime was committed several
days ago. Welch was seen the latter
part Of last week by a neighbor named
MCGEE, who was one of his nearest
neighbors and friends, and who talked
with Welch Friday or Saturday. The
murder occurred some time between
that day and Wednesday when the
body was found. The murder was
done with a revolver, and probably
one that belonged to the murdered
man for such a one was found beneath
his pillow, with one empty shell that
had been recently discharged. =. The
bullet entered the head through the
fright ear and from the nature of the
| mouth and from the nature of the
slant death. i5 : ~ /
Riley, who first found the body, was
passing Welch's place Wednesday, and
as is usual custom, called to him from
the road. Receiving no answer he
entered the house. Welch lay on the
floor, in front of the cook stove, a
coat partially covering his face, appar-
emily asleep. Riley removed the coat
ard discovered that Weloh was dead.
The room in which he lay, the only
one in the little cabin. We. cark, there
being but one small window admitting
the light, and Riley, alarmed and ex-
cited, did not examine the kcsiy closely
but hastened to notify McGee, who
lives near, and the authorities. Cor
oner White was notified AMI made a
trip to the pla;e at once, taking note
OF the Surroundings and satisfying
himself from the appearance of the
body that there had beer foul play.
Welch's face was partially covered
with blood, and his head rested in
pool Of. it, which had escaped from
ms mouth, nose, and a gaping wound
In the right ear. He returned to the
city and sumoned jury, and with
States Attorney Allen and DR.. Bentley,
made another trip to the place. Here
an examination Of the body and the
place in which it lay, satisfied the au-
thorltles that murder had been done.
The cabin in which Welch lived had
but one room, in which was a bed,
cook stove and the few personal, be-
ionglngs of the dead man. It is a
td1ngy little room, with barely space
enough for the few articles it con
tanned, and the movements of a single
individual. In one corner was Gel
lar entrance and the door to this was
partially raised. The body of Welch
lay at full length on its back on the
floor in front of the cook stove. There
was no sign or Indication of struggle
IN the position of the dead man. He
was clothed except for his shoes and
stockings. His hands rested at~his
sides, partially resting upon his body,
in such position as they might have
been had he been asleep. From his
appearance, he was either shot while
asleep and instantly killed or the BODY
was placed after death where it Law.
From the fact that there was no blood
elsewhere about the room, the former
theory seems the more reasonable The
bed is at the side of the room, against
the wall, while the body lay at about
the middle OF the floor, the head Of the
dead man IN an opposite direction from
the mead Of the bed. The bed had the
appearance Of not having been re-
Gently occupied, when Coroner White
ar arrived at the cabin, being made up
after such a fashion as Welch would
nave arranged it after arising. Tn
der pillow at the head of the bed
was large revolver, Of the old army
pattern, and of 45-calibre. One shell
was empty and the barrel had the APP
pearance of the recent discharge Of a
shell through it. $50 =
Welch had suffered considerably
from pains in his head, the result of a
trouble for which he had undergone an
operation not long ago. AT first it
was thought that suicide might have
caused death, but the discovery of the
wound and the fact that there was no
weapon within reach Of the hand Of
the dead man forced the discardfng Of
this theory. Welch's revolver was
ten feet away from the body under a
pillow he certainly did not place it
there after shooting himself.
Weich was Teputed a miser and the
possessor OF considerable cash. Up to
q recent time he mad been in the habit
o. keeping 1T in the cellar at his place,
or good share of 1t. 1T has been
known that, in paying threshing
crews on his place, Welch entered the
cellar and got cash to pay of the men.
IT this was know to some one whose
ayarice would have prompted murder,
this may be the cause for the crime.
The dead man, in life, had been aecus-
toned to keep the money he had about:
the place in small sack, somewhat
larger than the ordinary muslin to-
baeco sack. This sack was found BY