Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-02-07
TOOK HIS
OWN LIFE
Jacob N. Austed Sends a Bullet From
Thirty>Eight Revolver Crash
ing Into His Brains.
DEATH RESULTSINAfEW MINUTES
Financial Troubles Thought to Be
the Cause Of the Rash
Act.
DEATH Observation-Disclosures

Austeu came mere NDOut three
months ago and entered into part
uership with W. W. Inglemon in OPP
Grating the laundry. His former
home was Choteau, in Teton county,
where he leaves u wife andfour chill
dren.
For several days priorto Thurs
day Austed had apparently been
brooding over some real or imagln-
airy troubles, and at about II o'clock
Of that day he went into the hard
ware storeof Hobensack & Stoddard
and asked to be shown n revolver.
He selected one, the price OF which
was IS, and said he would take the
gun II they would throw In u box Of
cartridges. The bargain was made
and Austed went utand crossed the
street to the Lewistown hotel. Here
he inquired Of Manager Larned II he
could secure u room. Being answered
In the affirmative, he vas shown to
room No. .. Before going to his
room he asked for and was given Il
sheet OF note paper. This was just
before IL o'clock. A few minutes
after the noon hour some one came
downstairs and reported to Mr..
Larned that some one had shot him
self In room No. .. Calling his brother
to go with him. he went upstairs to
investigate. He found the door
locked, but looked over the transom
and saw Austed lying on the floor,
with blood oozing from n pistol
wound in the side of his head. Mr..
Larned at once went downstairs and
summoned Under.Sheriff Slater, who,
with County Attorney Smith, went
upstairs, forced open the door and
went in. On the floor they found
Austed lying on his right side, his
right arm partially under his body,
and close by lay the revolver.
coroner's jury, composed Of l.. ID.
Smith. NJ. b. barrow. W. IL. Hannah,
Camille Hogue, VIM. Hortop and
George w. Anderson. VAS immedi-
ately subppnaed. After the jury had
viewed the bodysit was decided tn
hold the inquest at O'Clock that
evening before Justice MACEDONIAN,
acting coroner.
Several witnesses were examined
at the inquest. Manager Larned, OF
the hotel, testified in regard to Aus
ted coming to his house and securing
II room, AZ above related. william
Wilkerson, Of Gilt Edge, who was
sleeping In n room adjoining No. 8
testified to having heard n shot fired
at about l. O'Clock In the direction
of No. ., hut did not think II
was M close. DR.. Atchisun, who
had been called to make al examina
ton. said he found that the ball had
entered just behind the right n and
ranged downward through the head
but could not say whether there was
"A point OF exit or not. ns he did not
examine the body sufficiently tn tell
I Austed being still alive. j. X. Bull
! lard sail he had met Austed first IN
Choteuu. some time last year; thai
! Austed had inquired of him a. to thu
laundry business In Lewistuwn; being
| told the prospects were good. said IN
would come here. W. w. %lnglemoD
! who was "A partner, Of Ausied. in TIN
laundry. said that Austed had acte,
strangely for several days past; tina
they would be talking about the bus
mess and that Austed would start I,
talk on some other subject e%ntirel,
foreign to the one they were discuss
, ing. lnglemOn had talked Will
: Austin In the forenoon Of Thursday
, had seen him ont back of the luundr!
pulling the wagon from the shed. In,
: asked him what he was doing an,
f, Austed had replied that he did no
: know what he was doing. This wa
the last lnglemon saw Of Austed nm
Ill he saw his dead body I'm the hotel
! he thought Austed acted strangel.
md supposed he vas brooding owe
his financial troubles AMI also over
lumber deal he had made In Oh tenu
Ijndpr-Slpriif Slater was the las
c witness called and testified to goin:
M %stnirs. forcing the donr and find
5 ing the body lying IN the floor a
above stated. He searched the bod,
I and took possession of the rryolve
and two notes which the deccase,
$ left. The notes are as follows:
ITO ANNA AUsTED, CnUTEAU, MoNT
DEAR ANNIE:
slN..l h..a. IN.1 h1nC1 xAn ,attG
n leave YOU, but God will forgive IN
and we will meet In heaven. Go,
bless you and Nels and little Pau
= and Ida and Martin.
JACOB AUsTED.
"Try II you can go to Wisconsin t
your dear kinfOlks."
0 The last word in the postscrip
$ was hard to descipher but evidentl,
meant her relatives. ,
Another note left to Mr.. Larned. q
the Lewistown hotel, read az TO
lows:
n proprietor Lewistown Hotel :
!, Please don't feel hard against me.
, am tired OF this world and mus
leave"
= This closed the evidence. The jur,
{ retired aud In a short time brough
I In n verdict that Austed died by hi
= own hand while temporarily insnn'
Z Mrs. Austed, the wife Of the. dt
r ceased, accompanied by her brother
p. X. Simons, arrived In town SatuI
day morning. The funeral took plar
In the afternoon, the remains helm
inferred In the Lewistown cemetery
Mr.. Simmons will remain here Z
l<xl. ..ff.r the Aa.anpabiu infpppafa 4