The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-04-09
INMATE OF LUCKY DIAMOND
SUICIDES.
TO KILL LOVER FIRST
Badgley Saved by Swift. Sprinting
and Woman's Poor Aim.
Inquest Last Night.

Hazel Collins, an inmate of the
Lucky Diamond, one of the hnuses of
%ill-repute, was found lying outside
the place in the snow at about 5
O'Clock Sunday morning and died
about five hours later.
The shooting took place at about
the time mentioned and although it
was not witnessed, the affair leading
up to it was seen by numerous people
who were thereabouts at that time of
the morning. 1t was between the
hours of 4 and 5 that loungers Of the
saloons and the houses heard several
shots fired and by the time the police
were notified and arrived on the scene
they found the woman dying from a
bullet wound in the head. Near her a
revolver was picked up, every load Of
which had been discharged.
People in the Lucky Diamond stated
that the woman had had a quarrel
with her lover, one Dell Badgley.
who Is a we'll known bartender, and
that she had procured a revolver and
after firing several shots at him had
turned the gun Oh herself, taking her
own life. Badgley was shortly after
wards arrested by the police and held
as a witness.
The inquest was held in the cor
oner's Office last night at 8 O'Clock.
Fannie Stapleton, prorrietress Of
the Lucky Diamond, was the first
witness. She testified as follows:
Have known Miss Collins for the past
two months, during which time she
had lived at my house. Saw her be-
} tween the hours of 4 and 5 O'Clock
Sunday morning. Last time | saw her
she was having a little argument with
a friends of hers-Badgeley. He ran
out of tho house with Miss Collins fol.
lowing. Didn't think of her having a
gun. She fred four or five shots at
him.. / then went back into the
house to attend a sick girl and when l
returned to the front room ] was told
she was lying out on the walk. /
went out and found her lying in the
snow, shot in the head. I started to
pick her up when a man told me not
to, as it was a case for the officers.
When I saw Badgley he was running
as fast as he could up the street.
Miss Collins wasn't dead; didn't die
until 1910 /. m. She never regained
consciousness and did not speak. Saw
her point a revolver at her head once,
just as / was drawn back into the
house. She had made numerous
threats to take her life. She promised
me that if she did take her life that it
would not he in my house. 1t is
thought that she had about $50 in her
room a day or SO before she died, but
we were unable to find more than
about "a, which was discovered in
two purses. She claimed to have nc
people, yet she told the girls in the
house on one occasion that she had q
mother residing at Fort Collins, Colo,
and was supporting a brother.
Dell Badgley was next called. He
rooms W. the Montana saloon. Says
he is a bartender. but has not been
working since the latter part OF
March. Had been acquainted with
Halle Collins for the past eight
months. Saw her on this morning
in front of the Lucky Diamond as he
passed along there with another girl.
Had seen her a short time previously
in a restaurant up town. As he passed
there she came out in her stocking
feet and said he shouldn't 60 any far
ther and asked him to come III. He
carried the girl up to the house and
while standing there talking to Miss
Stapleton, Miss Collins left them and
ran upstairs. She soon returned and
when she got out on the porch neal
him she began shooting at him, hay:
ing just a few moments before threat,
ened to kill him. When she began
shooting he started to. run and didn't
stop until he heard the last shot fred.