Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-24
TRAGIC DEATH
OF OLD RESIDENT
Daniel Alexander Sends Bullet Int
His Own Head.
WAS CLEANING THE PISTOL.
Went 60 Room TO Prepare 90 GO We
iIing Win His wife = Found n.y.
Ing la Pooi OF u ood.

Daniel Alexander, who has been CO.
millar figure In the business circles o
SALT Lake for many years, was acct
dentally shot ana killed last evening
he was In the act Of cleaning an ole
ij caliber Colts revolver, when It dis
charged, sending the bullet through hi
head. There was only one bullet In IN.
pistol and the apparently cWeles
handling of the gun by Mr. AleXandc.
can only be accounted for on the the
DRY that he thought the weapon con-
tanned no bullet There was, however
no eye witness to the affair but IN,
contention of the family that It was ar
accident Is strengthened In the FACE
that an open pocket knife and an old
rag were lying near the spot where
Alexander fell, Moreover the naples
victim was not in a suicidal mood HO
had been celebrating his wlfe's birth
day an day and was In 4 very happl
vein All of his children, eNcep
two We're present and he was prepar
ing to go out with his Wife to spcuu
the evening
1t was a little after O'Clock when
MIR Alexander babe his wife get ready
while he would 80 up stairs to his room
and clean the old revolver 30 that ]
might be In readiness for the tram
who had been lettering around hi
house for the past few days lie Won.
however, be ready as soon as she was
one Of his children laubhngly told hi.
not to get careless with the gun, az h.
vanished IN the stairs After a lapse
Of a few minutes there was loud re-
port of a gun emanating from MI Alex
ander's room and the entire family hui.
died together In mute terror as II they
already knew what had happened. The
report OF the gun was followed by O.
dull jar on the floor as II heavy body
had fallen upon IT, and unable To en-
dure the suspense longer Mrs. AleXan
der ran to the room on opening the
door the spectacle that met her ga2.
transhxed her with grief and horror
There, with his head lying in a pool %.
| blood and a CHASTITY wound over the
right eye, lay her husband. II needed
no examination TO prove that he was
| dead. aud her wild cries beseeching hiu
| to come back TO her were all IN vain
Dr. Mayo was summoned bur he AeN
| that Il doctor was not needed there, ana
sent for the police, who had the body
removed to Evans undertaking parors
A brief investigation was made by
| acting coroner Morris Sommer, ana the
conclusion reached that Alexander was
the victim of an accident a belief n
| which the police concur, ana OF which
| the family have no doubts,
Daniel Alexander was born In Ger
| many IS years ago and emgrated 70
America In 1874 settling In Nevada
Mo. lie was married at that place and
remained there year or 40 when ht
removed to Ogden, where he lived fol
eleven years He then came TO Sali
Lake ana remained here ever since. Al
one time he was well up In the financial
world but the crash of 1898 took nearly
all he had but by his ability ana fru
gaity he was beginning to recoup,
He leaves a wife and seven children
all of whom live IN this city except ONT
daughter, Mrs Steinman of Eureka
The arrangements for the funeral nave
not been completed yet.