Gilpin observer., 1908-10-01

nesday morning at the home of Mrs.
Addie Hicks, in this city, when County
Treasurer Christopher Trezise danger
ously wounded Miss Vera Hicks and
then committed suicide. The deed was
committed at 1:3O o'clock.
Mr.. Trezise, who had been rooming
at the Hicks home the last four years,
went home reasonably early Tuesday
evening and after short chat with his
boarding mistress and her daughter, re-
tired at about 1920 o'clock. He occu-
pied front room in the house and Mrs.
Hicks and Vera slept together in back
bed room. Shortly after O'Clock Ire
zise left his room and went into the bed
room where Mrs. Hicks and daughter
were sleeping. His entrance awoke
Mrs. Hicks and she asked hin what he
was doing and what he wanted. He
first made threat that he was going
to kill himself and then demanded that
Vera leave her bed and go into his room.
He forced the young girl to OBEY his
commands at the point of gun. Vera
went into the room and Mrs. Hicks fol-
lowed. When the three reached Ire
Uses bedroom he demaned that Vera
get into his bed. She refused and he
again threatened her with the gun. Mrs.
Hicks came to her daughters rescue,
pleading with the man not to injure
Vera and to let her alone. The girl also
begged him to desist in trying to force
her to act against her will. He assured
the mother during the alteration that
ensued in the bed room that he would
not injure her, saying 81 won't harm
you, Addie.' Mrs. Hicks and the girl
thought that if they could get the gun
away from Trezise they might calm him
and induce him to go back to bed.
While trying to wrest the revolver from
his hand, he fired, shooting Vera through
the lung, the bullet coming out her
back. Mrs. Hicks and Vera then ran
out of the house and across the street.
AS they were going out the front door
Trezise fired another shot at them
which struck Vera in the right shoulder
but did not inflict very serious injury.
After the mother and daughter had
made good their escape Trezise went
back into his room, lay down upon a
pile of old clothing, placed the gun
above and to the front of the right ear
and sent a bullet through his brain.
The bullet came out near the left tenn
pie, making an ugly wound from which
blood flowed in streams. He never re-
gained consciousness after shooting him
self and died within an hour, or shortly
before O'Clock.
Ernest Carter, who is acting as night
marshal for Gus. Kruse who was indis-
posed, was patroling Main street when
he heard the shots. He ran to First
High street back of the Methodist
church and there found Mrs. Hicks and
Vera. The girl was leaning against the
front of the Leahy house and the mother
was supporting her. Mrs. Hicks told
the marshal what had happened and
that Trezise had killed himself He
rushed into the house but as Trezise's
bedroom was located off from the front
room he didn't observe the form of the
dying man. He came back to where
Vera and her mother were standing and
aroused Z. G. Green, an occupant of
the Leahy house. The injured girl was
carried into the house and placed in bed.
Marshal Launder had been phoned for
and arrived upon the scene shortly after
the arrival of Mr.. Carter. With Mr..
Carter he entered the Hicks house and
found the almost lifeless body of Ire
zise. All the doctors in town were
summoned. Their services were de-
voted to the wounded girl as the condi-
ton of Trezise was such he was beyond
the aid of medical skill. Justice of the
Peace J. w. Mccullough, who is acting
as coroner during the absence of Coro-
ner Asquith, took charge of Trezise's S
body as soon as life was extinct and
had the same removed to the under
takers.
Mrs. Hicks in an interview with an
Observer representative last evening
discussed the whole affair and said
Wednesday morning was time she
would least have expected Trezise to
become desperate and do anyone bod
lily injury. Although he was man
who at times drank to excess, he had
not been drinking for several days and
upon retiring Tuesday evening was per-
fectly sober. He was pleasant in his
conversation and talked of abstaining
from drinking from that time forth on
account of the approaching campaign
when he intended to run for reelection.
Mrs. Hicks could not give the remotest
reason why Trezise should want to