The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-10

hunt his wife. When he reached Wich-
tia he was unable to find her. That is
about all that is known of MIN here. He
was well liked young man and was re-
/ garded as entirely trustworthy. He had
no bad habits and his associates thought
well Of him.
Marion Wood, the Arkansas City man
who shot himself in the Rock Island
! yards, died yesterday morning at 2:15 a.
N. at CHS undertaking parIors Wood
/ never regained consciousness from the
/ time he fred the fatal shot until he ex-
pired. His brother, Fred WA Wood. and
his brother-in-law, DR.. Allen Dortch, come
/ up yesterday and took the body TO Ar
kansas City last night on the 4.5O Santa
Fe. It was not considered necessary to
/ hold an inquest, as the dead mans rel
atives were convinced that It was use
/ less and that the young man met his
death at his own hand.
Coroner McColister made a thorough
| investigation of the matter and decided
in Difference to the wishes of the de-
ceased's relatives, that an inquest would
not held. All obtainabIe evidence went
to show that Wood deliberately killed
himself with his own hand and that the
act had been premeditated for some three
or four days. The mere finding of the
empty pocket bill book lying under his
body was thought by some to indicate
that perhaps the man might have been
murdered, but these same parties had not
considered all details OF the case thor
oughly ana simply based conclusions on
the one fact. The fact that when the
body was found that handkerchief was
tied in choking tight knot around the
mans throat and another around his
right wrist, would be deductive evidence
that he took his own life, We're these
facts not supported by the other evidence
obtainable- To reason backwards, when
Wood determined to end his life, he must
have tied the handkerchief around his
neck TO stiffen his neck and prevent his
head from falling back The same prin-
ciple applies to the bandaged handker-
chief around his right wrist 1t was to
steady his hand for the rash deed. There
was no powder burn on his face. so the
muzzle Of the pistol must have been held
directly against his head. A hold-up in
the dark would have hardly placed the
pistol right against the mans head and
a murderer would not have stopped to
rife the mans pocketbook. throw down
the purse by the body of his victim and
also throw down the weapon with which
the deed was committed. So the hold-up
theory is out of the question. That
Wood committed suicide is plain and
shown by evidence Of parties that he told
that he would end his own life He
tried 10 pawn his watch at several places
Wednesday afternoon and wanted 50 on
nd
amount from some one. as the watch was
gone when the body was found He told
a party on fremont street that he wanted
s., as he did not want to be found dead
with 10 money on him. Wood came
from a good family and his relatives at
Arkansas City are considered among the
best people OF that town. They are OF
the opinion that he brooded over his
trouble with his wife until ne became tenn
porarily insane and IL ended in suicide.
Marion Wood was held in high esteem
by all who knew him. His associates at
the Santa Fe freight house. where he
worked until April .. all speak wen of
him. and he had excellent letters of ref
erence IN his pockets from the Ranney
& Alton Grocery company Of Arka nsas
City, for whom he worked as a wagon
driver and from one or two railroad com
ps,nies. Wood and his wife lived in this
city on South Topeka. for some time
when he worked In the freight house. and
he told an Acquaintance there that he
had been offered a better position bv
his father-in-law who was a contracting
stone mason at Oklahoma City. lie re-
signed his position in the fre5sht house
on April @ and left for Oklahoma He
returned in about FIVE days and told the
same friend that his vife's folks had
come up TO Wichita while ne was in Ok
lahoma and had taken his wife away
and that he was then looking fer her
lie stayed here a couple Of days and then
went TO Colorado. After he came back
from there be went down IN Arkansas /
City. He came up here sunday and met
q youns man named James stone who
works FOR the Rock Island ard who is
cousin " Wood's wife 8r stone SAYS
that when he saw Wood the latter was
very blue and 6ispondent ana from the
way he talked had evidently given W the
idea of a recon illiaton with MS wife
He said that Il those people. meaning his
wifa's folks, thought that Re wou'd go
10 the Gogs. that they were mistaken
ana thar he intended 70 brace up and
WIS goihg 70 Kansas Cisy % End posi-
tiaa. IIc also mentioned the recent sui-
ciass al Arkansas City and stated thar
he had seen plenty Of trouble but would
Ike to see the time he get that desperate. .
and ali the time he was evidentiy serious F.
IS considering IKE question * takias his .
own life.