The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-21
TOOK HIS OWN LIFE
John MitChe Committed Sui
eide in RoOming House.
BUSINESSW0RRYCAUSEDIT
Came Here From St. Joseph
Three Weeks Ago,

J. H. Mitchell lies dead at GilFs under
taking parlors. he died from the effects
of a shot from a twenty-five calibre re-
volver, very evidently fired with his own
hand. 1t was such plain case OF suicide
that Coroner NcCollister decided to hold
no inquest
Mt. Mitchell came here about three
weeks ago and bou ht a considerable
amount of stock in the Johnson arimer
Dry Goods company. He has wife and
two daughters in st. Joseph No. from
which place he came TO Wichita. He was
trying to rent suitable house with the
intention of moving his family here
The John-Larimer people were shocked
when they heard of the tragedy. They
knew that for several days past Mr..
Mitchell was more or less nervous AMI
seemed to be bothering himself needless
" about some of the business -transac-
tions but they had no idea that his mind
was sufficiently unbalanced to cause
him to take rs own life. He was filing
the place Of assistant credit man and had
=, been out on the road two or three times
Mr.. Mitchell had a pleasant room at the
home Of Mr.. G. E. Hartman who lives
in the cottage just north of the Sedg-
wick building on Market street It was
in this room that he shot himself in the
mouth the bah ranging upward into
the head The shot was evidently fired
between one and two o'clock but 1t was
nearly three before the family discovered
what had been done.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hartman went to bed at
their usual time and did not hear M
Mitchell enter his room from the door
which opens from the front portch.
About midnight the police officer called
and reported that a horse out by the
alley was down and could not get up.
MIR. Hartman told the officer that it was
not his horse but belonged to some one
at one OF the restaurants over on Main
street a shot was heard some time az
ter the officer left and Mr. Hartman
allayed the fears of his wife by telling
her that the horse probably had it's leg
broken and they had shot It.
Some time after that Mrs. Hartman
heard some one groan and she got UP
and walked in to the front room. She
made up her mind that the sound must
have come from Mr.. Mitchels room and
she aroused her husband Mr.. Hartman
said perhaps the man was sleeping and
was talking in his sleep and not to dis
turb him. but he went over to hose
house No ! and called Roy Dennis who
wis on night watch at the hose house. |
After Mr.. Hartman left the house Mrs
Hartman heard another groan and this
time she was convinced that there was |
something wrong She did not wait for |
her husband to return bit rang up police |
headquarters on the telephone The Of |
ficers got there about the time Mr.. Hart
man returned with Roy Dennis.
They entered the room after knocking |
and getting no answer and found Mr. Nit !
chel lying on the floor In pool of blood |
ht was unconscious and died shortly after |
1880 o'clock. The body was sent to Gilrs |
undertaking rooms and the coroner noti- |
fed
When the body was laid out at the I'M
dertakers it had the appearance of a
man forty-five years or age He had
auburn hair smooth face and nose slight
" inclined to be Roman. His forehead
was high and slightly retreating and his
whole appearance was that of a man of
a good deal more than ordinary intel
iigence and courage. He was five feet
six inches high and would weigh about
16o pounds.
Coroner McCollister notified the family
at st Joseph and sent two dispatches,
one TO a brother w. T. Mitchell at Knox
City. Mo. and one to Mr.. NJ o. Kinon,
Exeter. Neb. After a thorough invesd-
cation the coroner decided that there was
when relatives arrive they may have an
inquest if they desire it.
Mr. Mitchell had pleasant room at
the Hartman home. He could enter 1t
only from the porch as the door that con-
nected with the rest of the house was
bolted on the outside next to the sitting
room The room was nicely furnished
and considering the fact that Mr.. Mitchell
had secured an interest in one Of the
best wholesale houses in the city and
was preparing To bring his family here
Il would seem that he had much 10 live
for but ne left unmistakable evidence
that he was in his own mind planning
his destruction.
He had laid out his nice gold watch on
the commode and in his pocket was thir-
ty-two dollars and five cents and a check
drawn by the John 5. Brittian Dry Goods
company OF ST. Joseph. No. for City
dollars Besides n note fer S475.5l made
payable 10 him and drawn by merchant
at Altoona. Kan. Coroner McCollistcr
found a sheet Of paper in the room IN
which the merchant took his life and
written in a bold hand It was as fol-
lows:
August Is.
Dear Edna:-I enclose you al the
money I have. May God forgive this
awful thing I must DO What is to be
come OF YOU and the children he only
knows"
This was evidently intended for his