The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-11
H HAO b BAD AIN
Or He Would Have Blown Out
His Brains
UNDER FR0WN OF DEATH
Ben Laverty Talks Light to
His Life Saver.

Guthrie, o. T., Aug. ,6.-An account of
the attempted suicide Of Ben Laverty
here is given by the Guthrie Capital as
follows:
Il did think I could hit something. I
will use a shotgun next time" said Ben
Laverty last night, lying on the operating
table in the Office Of DR.. Ralph V. Smith,
and as the surgeons attempted TO remove
his shirt he continued. IF I'd known I
was going to make mess Of it, I would
have put on a clean shirt
1t was about 10 o'clock last night when
several telephone calls announced to the
State Capital that Ben Laverty had at
tempted to kill himself at the corner Of
Maple street and Cleveland avenue. and
at the same time the patrol wagon was
called TO carry the wounded man TO the
office Of DR.. Smith. The story of the en-
tire affair. as CLEANED late last night is
as follows:
For several days Laverty has been try
ing to see his wife, Mrs. Ruby Twamley-
Laverty, who lives with her parents at
the corner Of Walnut street and East
Cleveland avenue. Al his efforts were in
vain, being thwarted by both the wife
and members Of her fathers family. Law
erty had attempted to get numerous notes
to his wife, from whom he had been sep
arated about a year, but so far as is
known none Of them reached her. He
visited Kaylor's store and other places
in the neighborhood to secure writing
material and would remain until ne had
written messages to his wife.
Last night Laverty again called at the
Twamley home, desiring to see his wife
and was again refused. 1t was about $3.50
o'clock. She was in the house with her
people Finding that he could not Sc her,
ne called TO her, well. BODILY Ruby,
vii mot bother you again." and fired,
standing on the sidewalk in front Of her
window. The second shot was fired. Then
Laverty walked one block west on Cleve-
land, and had just turned south of Elm,
when he fell
A crowd quickly gathered. Telephone
messages were sent to physicians and for
a patrol wagon. While he was lying in
the street his wife approached, looked
speaking TO anyone. The physicians, Drs.
c. f. Cotteral and Ralph V. Smith, soon |
arrived and made a brief examination, |
but ordered Laverty removed to Smiths |
Office, where better work could be accom- |
plished To the physicians he said: "As !
soon as I fred 1 knew 1 had missed the |
right spot" q remark that removes any
doubt about his desire to kill himself |
Later he said, 'Only one ball struck me |
After the first shot was fred 1 could not
get my arm high enough TO get good aim |
and the second bali missed me entirely" |
Laverty thought, however, that the |
wound was fatal and while lying on the |
table he called a friend TO his side and |
said, please pray for me and do not be |
TOO hard on me after have gone"
thorough examination by the sur
geons showed that the wound is only I
slight, although his escape from death |
was very narrow. The bullet passed in /
above and to the left Of the heart, rang |
ed outward, passing through the heshy |
part under the arm and came Que few
inches farther back. In its course the
ban narrowly missed the pulmonary ar,
terry, the severance Of which would have
caused almost instant death. All Of Law
erty's remarks were of regret that he had |
missed killing himself. At the last report
he was resting easily and viii recover.
Ben Laverty IS the son of DR. Laverty
of Wichita, and formerly Of this city
Several years ago he married Miss Ruby
Twamley, a match that proved ensatis-
factory About a year ago she separated
from him at Wichita, through the desire
OF her parents, it IS said. and returned
here, where she has since resided with
her parents. She was refused a dNorce
at the last term Of court, because she
had not resided one year in Oklahoma |
since leaving her husband.
Laverty went to Colorado and only re-
Gently returned to Guthrie his first re-
Introduction here being his arrest for
passing a forged check for $3.50 on sam
Warren the grocer He spent several
days in jail and Only recently was re-
leased on $500 bond through the efforts
of his father.
The last week Laverty has put In try
Ing TO see his wife By his many queer
actions he has left the impression with
great many that he was becoming men
sally unbalanced, and many remarks were
heard last evening from parties who hold
such opinions. II is supposed he secured
the revolver with the express purpose OF
killing himself. although the opinion was
also expressed last night that hls inter-
lions were against the lives OF both him
SELF and wife
Laverty was taken charge Of BY. Police
Officer VIM Vampner and turned over 70
the sheriff who placed a guard over him
during the night Officer vampner took
a long biaded knife from the wounded
mans pocket after taking charge Of him.
The court viii be asked to act in the mat
ter today.