The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-29
HAD He TWO LIVES
Richard Furze Infiicts Two
Fatal Wounds on Himself.
Either Supposed to Produce
Death Instantly.
NO ONE WAS PRESENT.
Sent One Bullet Through Brain,
Another Penetrated Heart.
Was an Old EmpIOye of the
Santa Fe.
HE HAD CONSUMPTION.
Would Have Been Sent to Las
Vegas Today.
Coroner Is Investigating This
Afternoon.

Richard N. Furze, an old employe of
the Santa F'e, killed himself this morn
ing.
The case is one for the doctors to ex-
plain, for both wounds were of such a
nature that they are supposed to pro-
duee instant death-one bullet penetrat-
ed the brain, the other the heart. Which
| shot was fired first is an interesting
problem.
If there had been any possible cause
for any one to murder Furze the mat
ter would receive a. very close inyesti-
cation. He had no money and no in
surance, and not an enemy
Mr.. Furze has been in the employ
of the Santa Fe for twenty years. He
was in the water service department
under john Lawless. He has been d
sufferer from consumption, and for the
xost two years has worked only a small
PORTION of the time. He was As years
old
For the past two months he has been
boarding at S16 State street, with J. H.
Wood. of the Santa Fe shops. On De
cenaber rs he laid off and went home
sick For the past two days he has been
in bed. He made application for ad-
mittance to the Santa Fe hospital on
Monday, but owing to the nature of the
disease he was not admitted.
Mr.. Eurze lived with j. H Wood at
816 State street He has four grown
children Two Of them live in Topeka,
one in Fort Madison, Iowa, and one in
Oberlin, Mo. His first wife has been
dead several years. Mr.. Furze was
married the second time, but he has not
lived with his wife for over three years,
although he never secured q divorce
She noW lives on Crane street.
J. r. Kearney, Mr.. Furze's son-in-1aw,
who lives at 1011 Topeka avenue was
with Mr.. Furze yesterday, and made
arrangements to have a barber go to
the house this morning to shave him.
This morning after Mr. Wood had
gone to work F'urZe called Mrs. Wood
and asked her to telephone to the doctor
at the Santa Fe hospital. As soon as she
left the house it is supposed that he got
out of bed, walked down stairs, secured
the revolver from under Mr. WOOD
pillow and walked back to his own room,
went to bed again and then shot himself.
When Mrs. Wood went to call the doc
tor the only other person in the house
was the little boy about four years old
who was still in bed. When his mother
returned he told her he had heard two
noises.
Mrs. Wood paid no attention to the
little boys talk but when the barber
came to shave Mr.. F'urZe at about $3.50
he went upstairs, saw where the blood
had been flowing from his mouth ana
his closed eyes and thought he had had
a hemorrhage and sent notice to his
brother. 0. M. Furze was the first TO
discover the truth whereupon he called
his brother-in-law and notified the Off
GERS.
The police officers were called and Ser
geant Donovan and officer Lucas went
to the place. It was discovered that one
shot had been fired through the right
temple and one through the heart,
either of which is supposed to cause i'm
mediate death.
The ball which passed through the
head was found lying on the pillow, and
the revolver was lying beside the dead
man on the bed.
It is the opinion that the suicide was
premeditated. Mr.. Wood said that
F'urze had asked him yesterday to lay
his revolver on the chair beside the
bed because he was afraid some one
would come in through the window
o. NJ Furze, a brother of the dead
man, arrived in Topeka yesterday from
Ft. Madison where he is an engineer on
the Santa F'e. He came in answer to a
telegram from J. r. Kearney telling of
the sickness of Mr. Furze.
Arrangements were being made to
take the sick man to the hospital at
Las Vegas and he would have been re-
moved today had it not been for his
suicide.
The coroner was summoned and an
inquest is being held at three O'Clock at
the undertaking rooms of DeMoss &
PeuWell