The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-17
.ESHRT)GE 4 SUICIDE
Famous Kansan Shoots Him
self Near the Heart.
ILL AND IN GREAT PAIN
He Does 1t to End an Existence
of Torture.

Emporia, Kan, July 15.-Ex-Governor
Charles v Eskridge, editor and proprie-
tor Of the Emporia Daily and Weekly Re-
publican, killed himself this morning al
about o clock, by shooting himself twice
in the region of the heart. The weapon
used was a Smith & Wesson hammerless
of 80 caliber.
abrupt termination of the life of one OF
the brightest of Kansas pioneers, who
helped make history during the troublous
times of the states foundation.
The story Of the death is a sad one.
For twenty-one weeks past, nine of which
have been spent on his back in bed, mas
Governor Eskridge been making a brave
struggle for his life against deadly disease
in the shape of cancer of the liver. Dur
ing ali this time not murmur has been
heard from him, although most Of the
time suffering exquisite torture.
This morning at 2:25, while his son Ed
ward was watching by his bedside, a
pistol report rang out and the bed cham
Der was filed with smoke. The son
sprang to his feet, and, thinking the shot
had been fired through the window wire
screen, Immediately sprang through the
window, carrying the screen with him, in
pursuit Of the supposed assassin
Passing around the house without meet
ing or seeing anyone, he returned to the
chamber, where he found his.mother, sis
ters and aunt. He then discovered that
mis- father was shot in the left breast
Leaving the house. he at once telephoned
for surgeons and a.woke Charles Harris
and wife, near neighbors, telling them
his father had been shot by an assassin.
Harris grabbed a pistol and followed Ed
home, only TO hear another shot as they
neared the residence and the frenzied
screams and cries of murder by the dis
tracted women.
On rushing in, the bed CHAMBER was
found to be filed with the smoke of gun
powder, the governor lying on his back
on the bed, his eyes closed, and having
all the appearance of being dead. Harris
took hold of his hand, spoke and asked
the governor if he knew him. Opening
his eyes, in a calm voice, he said, Eyes -
Blood was noticed on some Of the bed
clothing. and on raising them two bullet
holes were seen in the left breast, one an
inch or so below the heart and the other
about three inches lower.
1t was then learned that as soon as the
son, Edward, had left in search of aid
the father had requested that the lights
be taken out Of the room and the people
1f,,l-i hot ha
other shot from the window, the light
was removed and all except his wife's
sister, Miss Matte Dickson OF Kansas
City, left the room. After a few min
utes' waiting she was startled by tht re-
port of another shot and the room filing
with powder smoke.
When young Eskridge.. accompanied by
Harris, arrived she told them the shot
had been fired in the room and seemed to
CONS from under the bed.
Search was made and on reaching under
the clothes the right hand Of the COVER
nor was found to be grasping the handle
of a 38-caliber Smith & Wesson. Two of
the chambers were found to be empty,
an unexploded cartridge being between
the two, which went to show that an at
one had been used.
When questioned by Harris as to how
he had obtained the revolver, the dying
man at first refused to say anything, al
though thoroughly conscious, except that
no one was to blame When pressed for
further information he stated that the re-
voIver was his own; he had purchased
it just after the Cross bank failure and
suicide, and that he had had It ever
since.
Further questioning developed the fact
that a few days since he had requested
his brother-in-law, Robert Dickson, who
had been summoned to Kansas City on
account of sickness in his family, to bring
box containing some papers to him
from upstairs in his desk. This Dickson
did and unlocked the box. The governor
then said he was too weak to look at
them just then, and requested that the
box be placed on a chair near his head
This box contained the pistol, which was
taken out by the desperate man, who had
concealed it in the bed clothes all Friday
night and Saturday until Sunday morn
ing.
After admitting the above. In order to
see that no one should be held account
able, in answer TO another question, the
fatally wounded man said he was tired of
lying there: that there was no pleasure in
living a few hours, more or less, waen all
were filed with untold agony.
The insurance on the life Of Governor
Eskridge was to large amount. No one.
50 far. knows just how much. It is vari-
ously estimated all the way from 800. 600
to 5000.
c. V. Eskridse was born IN Virginia in
1923 In 1884 his parents reno ed II Ohio.