Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1902-02-14
Fred Lavell. an Old Soldier, Buys Gun
With Intention Of Committing
Suicide.
WOULD DIE ANY OLDWAY
After Being Relieved of Weapon the Old
Veteran Offers Money to Secure
His Taking Off.

ED Olcott had d chance to kill a fellow
yesterday morning for Il dollar and Il
half, and came very near accepting the
offer. The fellows name who was SO
anxious to have somebody end his career
is Fred Lavel, who last week went to
Livingston to be examined for an in
crease Of pension. Lavell served in the |
civil war with q Michigan regiment and
has been resident Of Red Lodge for 4
number Of years. He is a German by
birth and patches in a cabin on the old |
baseball grounds. He has been out of
employment for some time and evidently
has become Respondent.
Yesterday morning he appeared at
Olcott's hardware store and asked for
cartridges for a revolver. Mr.. Olcott, |
not having cartridges TO tit the gun
which Lavell carried, showed him a six
shooter out Of the case. Lavell pur-
chased the revolver and q box Of cart
ridges and loaded the gun. As soon Us
hc had done this Tie declared that he was
tired Of living and was going To kill him
self. MIR Olcott, seeing that the fellow
was apparently determined in his pur-
pose, adopted 4 rusc whereby nc hoped
to get possession Of the siX-shootcr. He
told Lavell that he believed the trigger
was broken and asked to sec The gun for
i moment. Lavcll, however, wouldn't
part with the weapon and Mr.. Olcott
then asked Lavcll II he wouldn't 60 over
town with him and get drink. The
offer was accepted and the two men
started for u saloon. On the way over,
Mi. Olcott met Under Sheriff Gebo ana
told him that Lavcll had just purchased
!. gun with the intention Of killing him
self and that he wouldn't give it up.
). The officer followed the men into the
saloon and Immediately searched Lavell
and took both weapons from him.
About two hours later Lavell again
appeared ut the hardware store and
! declared that he was in earnest about
wanting to shuttle off. This time the
i. old soldier was considerably under the
!. influence of liquor, and Mr.. Ocott en-
dcavored to get the suicide idea out Of
the fellows head by joking with him.
Tic said "lf you want to die, Fred, TT
: tell you what I'll do; I'll just kill you
right here for a dollar and q half
To this proposition I1avcll readily con
. scnted and laid the money down on the
desk and asked Olcott to geta gun and
do the job Olcott told LaVcll that hang
:; ing was the easiest kind Of Il death and
said he'd fix him that way. He then
4 secured a rope made a moose in one end
and threw the other end over Il ceiling
: support in the store. lie adjusted the
Z moose in proper shape around Lavcl's
: neck and drew down slightly on the
loose end. AS he did so LaVcll set his
), teeth and braced himself for the ordeal
{. In order to test the fellow still further
threw his entire weight on the rope anG
! drew it down until Lavcll's toes barely
! touched the floor The fellow remained
!, perfectly motionless and rigid and gave
every indication OF being Of the opinion
s that he was going to be hanged until h,
u was dead. Seeing that Lavell actually
desired to die Olcott loosencd the rope
whercupon the would-be suicide beggec
Olcott to make the rope fast to the cell
y ing support, stating that if he would dc
7 this he would get up on chair adjust
the moose himself and Jump off.
After talking with Lavell in a moro
. serious strain, Olcott allowed the fellow
to leave the store, watching him as ht
disappeared down the street. 1t is pre-
=, sumed that Lavell finally went to his
=. cabin and, as nothing further has beer
heard from him, it is supposed that ht
has not yet accomplished his suicida
. desire. Layell's sudden freak is not at
. tributable to drink, for he was perfectly
sober when he first appeared at Tho
:, hardware store and purchased the gun
He is not much of Il drinking man any
way, and yesterday was the first tim,