The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-19

An unknown man was shot and killed
on Third avenue, between Union ana
pike streets, last night He was feet
S inches tall, had brown hair, gray eyes,
a heavy light brown mustache and. was
apparently As years old. He wore
dark coat and vest. light-colored trousers,
a soft shirt and a darke necktie, with
broad white stripe The police think II
a case of suicide. but admit that the at
fair Is a mystery.
About 1920 o'clock the loud report OF
revolver was heard in front of the Con-
solidated Fuel Company's wood yard at
1913 Third avenue. Pedestrians paused
and looked In the direction OF the sound.
and people living in the vicinity raised
their windows and listened. Among these
were j. b. Gleason, a young man room
ing in the McComb block at Seventh ave-
nue. and Pike, who was standing on the
corner of Third and Union; Perry Price.
who lives at SIS Seneca street, and David
Yongren, who rooms almost directly OPP
posite the scene Of the shooting, at 14os
Third avenue. Yongren raised his win
dow and looked out into the street.
Price and Gleason FASTENED over to the
woodward and found man stretched out
on the sidewalk and In the last agonies of
death. Blood was running from a fright
full wound in the back of his head His
Hedu lay tONdfl the CuTustcHSf anu
feet in the entrance OF an elevated drive
way extending back into the yard.
black, ugly-looking 3s-caliber Colts revolt
yer lay at his feet A black felt hat rest
ed on the railing of the driveway. as
though It had been placed there by the
dying man.
The police were notified by telephone
from Butterworths undertaking parlors,
and Detective Meredith and Ja.ler Cor
bett answered hurry call in the patrol
wagon. They found crowd already gath
cred around the corpse. The coroner's Of
fice was notified, and Deputy Coroner Ar
mold responded. Patrolmen Smith and
Kelly assisted in guarding the body. Be
fore the removal of the remains to Bon
ney & Stewards morgue an immense
crowd. swelled by people going home from
the theaters, had gathered. One man
tainted at the sight OF the blood Women
ietreated Mortified.
While the corpse lay on the sidewalk
two little boys Identified 1t as that Of
Thomas West. OF the Star Paint Company,
at Third avenue and Pike street. The
body was thought to be that of Mr.. West
up to midnight. but at that hour Mr..
West himself, having heard the report.
teiephoned from his residence at 2213
Eighth avenue north that he was In the
bes. OF health
At the morgue an examination of the
hole in the parietal bone hind the right
ear, and the whole vault OF the skull was
crushed and shattered The temporal
bone on the left side OF the head was also
shattered, and there was n large and
somewhat triangular wound In the scalp.
The occipital bone was badly shattered
but there was no abrasion OF the scalp
Owing TO the nature OF the wounds 1t was
at first thought that the man was the
victim OF an assassin. and had been
struck with an AK or heavy knife,
This was the prevailing opinion until
DIR. McKechnie. city health ofiicer, put in
an appearance about midnight. He made
n careful examination and finally said he
thought the wounds had been made by a
bullet. The doctor was somewhat mys-
tilted by the fact that the hair was not
singed and there were no powder marks
on the side Of the head where the bullet
Is thought to have entered This was
considered singular from the fact that
the revolver was one with an unusually
long barrel, and could hardly have been
held at any considerable distance from
the head. n here was no burned flesh to
indicate that 1t was held against the head
1t Is said to no unusual that a bullet so
completely skaters the skull
The murder theory IS secuted by the
police. II is thought by some that the
man may have been shot by some per-
son, who dropped the pistol at his vic
TINS feet and then escaped unseen by run
ming oack over the elevated driveway
There were two empty chambers and four
cartridges In the revolver. one she'll had
been hred Only one shot was heard
Neither Price. Gleason nor Yongren saw
anyone running away from the spot, and
+ the avenue Is sufficiently lighted to have
{ plainly seen anyone seeking to escape in
{ that manner This fact is considered as
giving support TO the theory OF despon.
/ dcncy and suicide.
! when searched at the morgue no papers
or anything else were found on the body
! that gave the slightest clew to the man:
identity The only things found were Z
& common pocketknife. several empty to-
I bacco sacks. a sack half filled with tobac.
{ co and silver watch with a leathe,
guard. The watch was worn In the upper
LEFT hand pocket OF the vest
AZ o'clock this morning the body va.
+ stll unidentified