Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-15
Puts CHARGE 'DB'
SHOT THRU H[AR1
George McLane, Well known
Bangor Farmer, Ends Life
in Tragic Manner
si...s
LEANS OVER GUN; PULLS
Fans OVER GUN; PULLS
Charge Tears Big Hole just Below
Heart, and Pellets sever tho Aort..
Death Following Instantly Wife
Hears Shot and Puts Out Fired
Clothing With Own Hands.

one half miles south of Bangor, adopt
ed a tragic method Of ending his life
at s o'clock Sunday night. Taking MS
sons shot gun from the house he
stepped out on the front porch, placed
the weapon butt downward, leaned
over the muzzle and pulled the trigger
with his hand. The charge, shell
loaded with "BB' shot. used for hunt
Ing wolves, tore great hole just be-
low the heart, and the leaden pellets
severed the aorta, causing instant
death. -
Wife Extinguishes Fire.
Mrs. McLane, who heard the shot.
and reached her husbands side only a
few moments after the weapon was
discharged, extinguished with her own
hands the fire that had ignited the
clothing when the powder exploded.
Even then. however, McLane was prac-
tically dead, as he Was gasping his
Hast, and was too far gone to even ut
ter q word or make sign of recogni-
ton.
No Cause for Tragedy. +
! So far as Coroner Nichols was able
to learn, after an Investigation that
began early this morning and was corf--
Guided by the middle of the forenoon.
there was absolutely no cause what
ever for the deed excepting that Mc7
Lane was temporarily deranged. His
"a Ky 10 ya1o q Mt a nd
the home was happy one. McLane
loved his wife and children, and all
We're fond of him, McLane was of a
suspicious nature, however. and APP
peared to be continually fearing that
some OF his neighbors were trying to
do him harm. He brooded over his im-
aginary troubles, and at times was very
much depressed in spirits. One OF these
spells OF dependency took firm hold OF
him Sunday, when he seemed to be
particularly morose.
Act Undoubtedly Premeditated.
That McLane's act was premeditated
is shown by a question that he put to
his son Sidney, aged 15,s while on his
way home from Jack" Welchss Sun
day afternoon. McL4ane asked the boy
if. he thought, providing he. & McIAane),
were not there. (meaning at home,)
would he be able to run the farm. The
son thought but little of the question
at the time, knowing his father to be
in low spirits, and only recalled 1t
when summoned from a neighbours af-
ter the shooting.
Story of the Tragedy.
Mr.. McLane, in company with his
l,,o y ~ 49, Too Jo1,s
Sunday. McLane and Welch are hunt
ing companions, and both owned packs
Of hounds that have become famous in
the county in their quest qf wolves that
terrorize the farmers stock. The Sun
day visit was only a risndiy call, and
the father and son returned home to-
ward evening. The chores were the
first duties to look after. and as Sidney
was anxious to go to- the home of a
neighbor, s. Males; a quarter of a mile
distant, he asked his father il he could
finish the chores, the feeding of the
cows. McLane replied that he would
do the rest of the work and the young
man left Mrs. McLane told her hus-
band that she would feed the calves If
he wanted her to, but the husband re-
piled that he would look after them.
He went to the barn, and returned
shortly afterward, saying that one of
the calves had got out Mrs. McLane
asked which one, and the husband re-
Piled, going back to the barn to try and
get 1t in. In the meantime Mrs. Me-
Lane went to an outbuilding near
the house, and from there heard her
husband return to the house. She also
heard him call her twice. She replied,
SIN coming" but before she had had
time to reach the house she heard
shot. Hurrying in the direction Of the
report. but compelling herself to be-
lieve that Mr.. >McLane had shot at some
animal she was horrified to find the body
prone upon the ground at the foot of
the porch steps, with the life blood
pumping itself out upon the ground.
MeLane's clothing was on fire, and
Mrs. McLane put out the flames. She
then ran to a neighbours for help. It
was only few moments after the shot
had been fired before Mrs. McLane
found her husband, and even then he
was practically dead.
Coroner Investigates.
Coroner Nichols was Informed Of the
suicide by telephone and left for Ban
gor at 8 o'clock this morning. He
looked over the ground carefully, in
vestigated all the circumstances, and
impaneled a jury Of j. c. Lowe, A. A.
Arney and G. p. McKinnon. The cir
cumstances all pointed eonclusively to-
ward death by his own hand, and such
was the verdict returned. The gun
used was one belonging to Sidney Me-
Lane, and there could have hardly been
any one near enough to the man to
have shot him and then escaped before
Mrs. Mcynne arrived. With McLane
in the position he fell. the gun beside
him, and one shell empty, told the story
SO conclusively as to ridicule any idea
of murder, theory that had been adj
vanced by some Of the neighbors. Mr..
WEIGH identified the she'll as one of a
load of "BB" shot used by him and
McLane in hunting wolves.
Leaves Nice Family.
Mr. McLane was a man 50 years Of
age, and leaves nice family. composed