The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-15
SLAYER OF scHWlNk AND MARY
BURNS DEAD.
DEATH CAUSED BY HIMSELF
SeIf-Inflicted Wounds and Persistent
Refusal to Take Nourish-
ment the Cause.

When the body of John White is
inferred in the family plot of the cem-
etery at Ash Grove, Mo-, the last act
will have taken place in one OF the
most startling tragedies that has ever
occurred in eastern Montana. BY one
of those manifestations of irony on
the part of fate the man who delib-
erately ushered two souls, unshriven,
into eternity, only to follow them him
self later, will be given Christian bur-
ial with weeping relatives surround
ing the open grave, while the innocent
victims of his maniacal fury were
buried with scant ceremony and sleep
in pauper graves.
White died in the county Jail last
Saturday afternoon at 1:45 o'clock.
His death was due to the injuries he
inflicted up on himself last Thursday,
when he made desperate and repeated
attempts at suicide, by trying to bat
ter out his brains, first by hitting
himself over the head with heavy
iron lid and then with the bucket
from which the lid was obtained. Frus>
trated in this, he sought to accom-
plish his end by beating his head on
the cement floor of his cell. Hand
cuffed and shackled and man stand
ing over him constantly to prevent
him from injuring himself in the last
mentioned manner, White, still deter
mined to die, persisted in refusing all
food and drink The resulting feeble
ness and the wounds in his head
formed a combination that nature
could not overcome and he succumb-
ed.
Manifested Sanity.
Saturday morning Jailer Harding
looked into Whites cell and asked
how he was. The man who was
guarding him replied that he was "all
right" Mr.. Harding left and returned
again at IL o'clock and entered the
cell. He spoke to White and asked
him if he did not want some medicine,
the county physician meanwhile hav
ing been sent for. To this White re-
piled by saying, Medicine won't do
me any good; I'm about all gone.
This was about the last words he
uttered before he died.
Last Friday morning Mr.. aHrding
attempted to engage him in conversa-
tion by speaking of his people and
asked him if he had ever read the
bible. White replied that he probably
had never read dozen chapters from
the book in his life. He was then.
asked if he would like to have some
one read to him from it. His reply
was that it depended upon whom did
the reading. Upon this Mr.. Harding
asked him if he desired to see minis
ter, adding that one lived across the
street and he would be called if White
wanted a visit from him. At first
White asked that the minister be sent
for, but moment afterward said he
did not want him.
On the preceding day he asked that
A. J. Gilsdorf be asked to call on
him, but before a message could be
sent for Mr.. Gilsdorf he changed his
mind and said he did not want to see
him. In the same manner day or
two before he spoke of Martin Draper,
the man for whom he worked imme-
diately before his arrival in town.
He said he wanted to see him at once.
When told that it would be necessary
to write to Mr.. Draper, he replied not
to bother him, -as he could do him
no good anyway.
AS he appeared to be about as well
as usual when he spoke about a min
lister, Mr.. Harding concluded to wait
until he could speak to him again,
as White changed his mind every few
minutes and the jailer was fearful
that if he sent for him then, White
would decline to see him or at all
events would refuse to speak to him.
Had he realized that the end was so
near, Mr.. Harding says he would have
requested the attendance of the minis,