The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-30
"Cale" ki.ch,II Shoes Him.
self at Saratoga Springs.
HAD ALSO PLANNED MURDER.
State Senator Brack,it's khssuc, From
His Saratoga Office Proh.hJ Pre-
Vsatsai q Lsuhls Tragedy.

Saratoga Springs. n. Y. Jan. oo.-Caleb
Weeks Mitchell. former president of the
village of Saratoga Springs. and known
10 sporting men all over the United
States as Gale Mitchell, committed sui
eide yesterday by shooting, the ball pass
ing through the temple, at the entrance
to the law Offices OF State Senator Edgar
L. Brackett in the town hall.
The act is believed to have been that Of
an insane man, and II Is also believed
that Mitchell. his reason gone through
long broodIng over real or fsncied wrongs
for which he held Senator Bracket part
ly responsible, intended TO kill tho sena-
tor before taking his own life.
Many facts brought out during the day
show that the suicide. and msyhap.
murder had been planned with some care.
When he left his house he must have
gone directly TO the hardware store OF o.
ID. Town, where he bought a revolver os-
tensibly for killing cats. He asked the
clerk to load IL, but the clerk refused.
Taking up a box OF cartridges Mitchell
loaded all the chambers. and, paying his
score. walked out. leaving the remainder
of the box OF cartridges on the counter.
With the loaded pistol i'm his pocket,
Mitchell walked across Broadway 20 the
undertaker's shop OF j. II. Burke.
'Is Mr.. Burke in?" inquired Mitchell of
an attendant. When told that Burke had
not come down yet, Mitchell remarked:
I'm. I'm sorry. wanted to see him on
a matter OF business"
DOOR WAS LOCKED.
1t was 10 or 20 minutes after o'ciock
and Mitchell must have irnmedia tely
or h.. GA nd lad IN
Senator Brackets office, which is on the
ground floor OF the town hall He tried
the door. found Il locked. and turning 10
go away. saw Henry Parmenter. the as
sistant janitor.
Senator Bracket hasn't come down
YETI" said Mitchell to Parmenter. what
time does he usually get here?'
Don't think he'll be here for some
time" replied Parmenter.
when do the clerks get DOWN." asked
Mitchell.
''oh, some of 'em ought to- be here
most any time now" was the answer,
and the tanitor walked away.
While he was standing there the man
he sought was driven past the building
on his way TO take the early morning
train for Albany. Two men entered the
building and noticed a man standing near
the door to Brackets office. The men
had gone only q short distance down the
a
through the building.
In a few moments dozen men were
hurrying In the direction from which the
report had come. There, lying at full
length on the mat in front of the ofYice
door. was Mitchelrs body. with the blood
pouring out OF a great hole in the temple
The man was dead when found but IL
was some time before those who gather
ed around the body recognized IL. Mr..
Parmenter was the first TO make tho iden-
tiicstion. Later the body was removed
TO the Mitchell residence.
HAD PLANNED MURDER
II was not long before It was known
from one end OF the village to the other
the circumstances OF the suicide became
known Il was the generally expressed
opinion that Mitchell had planned TO kill
Senator Bracket before killing himself
The reason for this generally expressed
opinion is not difficult to fix.
Until last summer Mitchell had for
years an interest In some kind of a gam
bling venture here. Until four or Ave
years ago he had a saloon and gambling
place In his own building on Broadway
During most OF the time that he ran this
place he was president OF the village.
The more conservative OF the citizens
felt that the only way TO rid the town of
the head Of the village government. But
tney saw no way To 40 that by ordinary
means.
In their dilemma Senator Brackett and
others proposed a plan by which the VIII
lage charter should be amended, and that
Mitchell should be legislated out OF office.
That was In the winter OF 1895 The need
ed legisla ton was obtained and Mitchell
was ousted.
Following the period Of reform. a con-
servatively liberal administration came I'm
and the fiat went forth that there should
he no gambling on Broadway, and that
only a certain number Of gambling places
should be allowed 20 run anywhere I'm
town.
One OF these was the Saratoga club.
conducted by Richard A. Canfield. Of New
York and another was a pool room oppo-
site the race track. built by Mitchell,
which was conducted by him and Dan
The new management of the race track
let II be known 10 the village authorities
that they would be more than pleased III
The pool room was not allowed TO be
open last summer and Mitchell was
forced TO close.
MITCHELL'S CHARGES.
Mitchell made no bones OF stating that
Garfield and the other open gambling
places In SARATOGA were protected through
Wnnm M inuevGe WorSen w ena1R RepaSlican % state
committeeman. Both these men he hated
and II was not unnatural Tor the people
OF Saratoga, WHEN they heard that he
had i-seied himself I'm front Of the door
OF Senator Brackets oftice, to conclude
that he might have gone there 20 com
NIT murder ae well rs suicide
Albany. y. Y, Jan. D,--Whst may be
termed A singular coincidence with the
shooting of Gale Mitchell by himself In
Saratoga occurred in the senate ycster-
dsy, and was a reminder of one Of tho
causes that may have led ~ the former
"kins of the Springs' ending HE life.
n was Senator Brackets bill. which
provides that warrant issued by JUS
fice 81 tho peace IN Saratoga county out
side tho village OF Saratoga Springs cam
not be served I'm the village unless In
dorsed by tho police Justice OF saratoga
Springs
The bin wae designed - nut an end 20
Mitchelrs neht against Dick Canheld's