Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-19
AGREED 10 Be killed
Frank Quisley Tells Strange
Story at Inquest Over Mrs.
Vests Body.
She Was to Shoot Him While He
Slept and Then Sui.
eide.
Won an Carried Out Latter Part
of Agreement. But Quie-
ley Lives.

Kansas City, Mo-, Nov. IA coroh-
er's jury. which met yesterday morning
to inquire into the death of Mrs. Vera
Gertrude West of Aqua Caliente, Ari..
at the Phoenix hotel, last Friday night.
returned verdict last evening recon-
mending that Frank Quigley, who was
with the woman at the time of her
death, be discharged. After the cor
oner's jury had reported. Prosecutor
Hadley took the case under Amusement
for an hour and then decided to dis
charge Quigley He was released and
will not be prosecuted.
Quigley and Mrs. West went into the
rooming house Friday after they had
quarreled and the women threatened to
Kill herself. She had been with Quigley
&c. several weeks and he was trying to
get rid of her He had offered her
money to go away, but she would not
go. She wanted Quigley to die WITH
her and he says he agreed to allow her
to shoot him while he slept. II this part
OF Quigleys story is true, the woman
changed her mind at the last moment
and decided to kill herself and let him
live. One of the notes she left bears out
the theory. for in it she said she hoped
Quigley would lead a better life fer the
sake of his family.
Quigley told the story of Mrs. West 8
suicide in an impressive manner, ana at
one time, when his attorney objected to
question, Quigley said that he wa
willing to answer all questions. He said
he had become acquainted with Mrs.
West last summer Quigley told of his
acquaintance with Mrs. West from the
time he met her in September, after she
had left her husband, and brought his
storp up to the day OF the shooting. At
ter telling about an afternoon of dissi-
patton, he told of his friend, Brice, Hell
en- Van Horn. and himself being at
place near Eighth and Central streets
with Mrs. West.
Mrs. West" said Quigley, found
then that / had a pistol Then she and
l wrangled and she asked me to die with
her. There was a constant wrangling
about suicide and remarks were made
that 1t will all be ended tonight. We
left the Exchange, where we lost Brice
and Helen Van Horn, and went to the
Phoenix.
.She again suggested that we commit
suicide. / told her the idea of a person
killing himself was repulsive to me. She
then said: Would you let me kill your
I said: If you let me go to sleep WILL
I sent and got pencil and paper and
wrote a note, stamped the envelope and
gave 1t to her to hand to the maid to
mail lay on the bed on the side next
to the street I did not drop off to
sleep. / felt horror that it is impossi-
BILE to describe.
Then there was an interval Sud-
denly heard snap: then snap. snap.
and report. Istarted up. She was ~
ing on the bed. but her face did not seem
natural ] sprang up and leaned over
her and saw the blood on her right tenn
pie, and in the mouth. sprang over her
body and rang the bell.
DR.. Manahan, who was the first in the
room after the shooting, testified that
Mrs. West was lying on the bed. He said
that her arms were crossed over her
breast and the revolver YVES at her left
side. The wound In the heed was on the
right side.
The maid at the Phoenix Hotel testified
that she had found four unexploded car
tridges under the rug next to the side of
the bed, where the woman was lying.
Several witnesses testified that Mrs.
West had attempted suicide before and
had said that when she tried 1t again it
would be with pistol Others testified
that Mrs. West was confirmed user of
morphine and other drugs.