The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-23
ENDS LIFE IN
HIS DRUG STORE
WilfOrd A. S. VirmlIliOn Dies
Behind Prescription Case.
AFRAID TO FACE FATHER
STOPS WRITING A LETTER AND
TURNS TO DEATH.
tAIILFORD \. $. VIRMILLIoN fen
w dead behind the prescription case

itAIILFORD A $. VIRMILLION fen
w dead behind the prescription case
IN his drug store at 81 West Sec
! ond South street at 1880 clock last
night with a bullet through his brain.
The best evidence that could be OBJ
tanned indicated that the young man
died by his own hand. His own re-
Volver was found under his body with
two empty cartridges and the smell or
powder stiil issuing from the barrel
! The face was pOWder-bu burned there
were no signs OF d scuffie. the rear door p
of the drug store was found securely
locked. and no one was seen to issue
! from the store after the shots were
fired
Searching for motive FOR the deed
the officers found that the young man
had become involved in a financial
I way that he had not been regular In
his habits. and that his father Judge
I j. :. Nirmillion of Dillon Mont was
/ expected to arrive in the city today
/ The father had let the son have money
/ with which TO start in business last
May, and ne cOnfided to a friend few.
/ days ago that he did not know how to
I explain matters 10 his father. He was
also noticed 10 be Respondent and wor-
/ ried recently
One OF the dramatic features OF the
1 young mans death was that one miu-
ute before, he was engaged IN writing
/ 20 friend. In fact, the letter had not
/ yet been addressed, and the fountain
pen was found in the lifeless fingers OF
I the left hand when the body was
! found The letter was written on fhe
showcase in the store 1t was addressed
/ 20 college friend named Maynard iu
/ san Francisco. and was a pressing in
! vitaiOn to come to salt Lake TIE
/ letter was still on the showcase when
/ the body Was found
Murder First Theory.
People in the neighborhood jumped ia
| the conclusion that NirmilIlon had been
/ murdered and this impression could
not be removed from the minds Of his
| mother and sisters But after the most
/ dlilSent search the officers could find
no indications pointing TO foul play
/ When they arrived on the scene the
money in the cash register was found
/ undistuTbed- The register drawer was
/ open and one Of the bullets fired from
! the revolver had passed through the
/ drawer 1t was considered impossible
4 Tor any one 10 have murdered Virrnfl-
1 lion IN the rear room Of the drug store
and escaped through the front door
| without being seen by people in the
street.
| The bullet that caused Virmulious
/ ti-dtl entered tne side OF his nose PASSED
/ Upward and lodged iH-tRe brain. The
J other bali that hit the cash register .ETas
I shattered and found IL fragments Tfie
revolver vas cheap one. an imitation OF
] q smith x Wcsson of IS caiibre Viz
/ million was still alive when young Peter
| son reached his side His lips were mor-
! ing as though he were trying TO SAY some
tting- but he could not make himself I'M
derstood Ills heart was stin beating
| when Dr. Hazel arrived but it soon
ceased and the man was declared dead
: How Rodv Was Pound
/ Charles Peterson. who rooms above tie
| store and who was the first one on tie
| scene. says that as near as he can rerneTn-
ber the shooting took place at 1875
o'clock
IT was in my room. said AIr. Peterson.
| when ] heard running or sCuffiinE in
gtHfs- ~ ~ 1--ItS - ~
[ IlFec in quick SUCCESSION / ran out into
the hail. looked around and then ran
downstairs. ] stood IN front Of the store
/ a moment and yelled then went inside
! where I found NirmilHOns body lying n
/ n pool of blood in the rear Of the store
! Just back of the prescription counter he
! vas still breathing when L came On the
} scene. He tried TO say something, bus
| his words were not audible telepnoned
| SCI eral doctors in the neighbornood- DIS
/ Thomas Hazel and ]. ". Waite were the
/ 11rst to respond
George Ristine. who also lives above
7 the store. saw NiTmiiiiOn shortly after he
{ was shot. RfstiEe says the man had a
I fountain pen In one hand. but could not
remember which one II was He took the
l
/ it on the desk
What NeighbOrs Saw.
NJ and Mrs N 3. Smith ard their
daughter Miss Cora smith. VINO own the
candy store next 20 NeTmilli9n'S drug
store and live in the second story Of the
building, heard the shots fired The cor
, / pie were in bed. but dressed and fastened
i down to the drug store at once MIS-
: Smith remarked when the Sn0ts were
? fird: Il believe someone is holding I'D
e Nirmillion." Miss Smith was taking a
r bath at the time. She heard Tchning IN
- / the store below and then the Two shots
fired in Quick succession
Everett Little a carpenter who -Tssides
p I across the street from the drug store vas
= sitting on the fence in front of his house
q when he heard the snots fired ne saA
= no one emerge from the place afrer Ene
gun was discharged although he SAYS
/ that a man might have g0fLen away IS
! an eastbound street ear that vas passing
! INSTRUCTED his view for n moment No
to-man James Reed who was II charge
4 / of the car, heard the shots and looked
= toward the store but saw no one come
out of the store
Frank Gillian. a restaurant man living
y in the vicinity. SAYS THAI he heard lis
{ shooting and shortly Afterwards saw q
It man sneaking away under cover OK lIle
. bushes near the walk tIlliann seems 70 -
the only person who saw anyone rear We
: scene Of the shooting who was net after
- wards accounted for.
- Nf-htwafchnlan Irving passed the store
- about 1890 O'Clock and saw NlfIll,iioIi
!. There was no one around or INSIDE ne
! place at the time. and be had seen no
. suspicious characters in the Viclnit1- ths
. entire evening
!. Mother and Sisters Near.
virmiuion occuDied a room in the rca-
e OF the drug store. His mother Mrs i 3
i TirmiIion. and younger sisters He1fi-
i eta and Mary. lived around the corner -
south Fourth West street Trey had
: resided there for the last two n1oa5 fsi-
a s-nce coming down from their osd nome
e i'm Dillon. Young Nirmillion took his
l. meals with them.
IN VirmilliOn is a recent graduate 81 Lils
- San Francisco School of Pharmacy, t.-'
- father started him up IN business IN - l.
Il Lake last May. He was supposed To p.
doing a GOOD business He WIS Corsio-
cred an excellent chemist and pnarniaci=
by the physicians in the vicinity. y ~
/ gave him as much business as pcs4iets-
" HANDWRITING on The
= WALL CEFN ~ Mr. R00T