The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-22
THE JURY SAID
A SUICIDE
BODY OF WILLIAM LA NEAR
FOUND IN CABIN WITH TOP
OF HEAD BLOWN OFF.
WAS BROTHER OF JOE LA NEAR
AND FORMER RAPID
CITY CITIZEN.

Lead, S. D., Jan. 21.-Lying OF
the floor of his cabin with his heaC
near the door, his gun by his side
and the top of his head practically
blown off, William La Near, and ole
timer in the Black Hills, was found
yesterday afternoon by his son
Louis La Near. The old man had
been dead several days, and the sight
which met young La Mears eyes was
frightful in the extreme. The body
was lying on the floor, partially
dressed, with the head almost
against the front door which was
locked, the gun at the side a few
feet away, while bullet from the
1870 Springfield rifle had entered
the forehead, taken an upward
course, practically splitting the head
open, and had gone through the
roof. So fearful was the force of
the shot that fragments of the skull
had been carried upward by the bull
let and had lodged on the top of the
canvas ceiling.
Louis La Near had come up to
his fathers cabin yesterday after
noon from Deadwood. Upon arriv-
ing there and finding the door lock-
ed, he went to one of the windows,
and looking in beheld the CHASTITY
sight. He then made his way to
one of the other doors where he eff
fected an entrance. Seeing that his
father was unquestionably dead, he
went to Cyanide, where he arrived
out of breath, and apparently much
excited At the postotfice, kept by
Mrs. D. c. Hansen, he told his story.
Word was then sent to the Mont
gomery's at the Reliance and they
came to Deadwood to find the Off
GERS of the law. The sheriff and
a few men went up, forced open the
front door, and found conditions as
described. The opinion Of the doc
tor was that the man had been dead
from three to four days. He could
not determine the time definitely.
The body was brought down to
Booths undertaking parlors here
and the inquest was called for this
afternoon at three o'clock. In the
meantime Louis La Near was taken
into custody and held on suspicion
of having been the murderer OF his
father.
While the evidence has not been
made public, yet it is understood
that there are many people who
believe that this was a case OF sui
eide. They base this belief on sew
eral circumstances, chief among
which was the position in which the
body was found and the course taken
by the bullet 1t would have been
difficult for the gun to have been
fred by any one else, unless ne was
on the floor, so that the bullet should
have taken such direction, having
had almost a straight upward course
IT. is also stated that William La
Near had received number OF let
tiers lately from his oldest daughter
who was his favorite, and that they
mad seemed to depress him very
much. He was often heard mutter'
ing to himself about them, as he LEFT
the postoffice, and gave evidence II
MANY ways of being much disturbed
nv their contents. He had llvec
alone for a long time, and had falle1
into a morbid condition mentally
and in addition to these misfortune'
was a hard drinking man and dis
posed. when under the influence O
liquor, to be very quarrelsome.
Those, on the other hand, who be
lieve that it was a case of murde
cite the fact that there were no pow
der stains on his face, as there Wou!t
likely have been had he shot him
self as in that event it would hav'
been necessary for the gun to b.
very close to his face. They ais
claim lack of sufficient motive TO
suicide and recall the fact that whel
Louis La Near and driver brough
back William La Near from Dead
wood on Saturday last, that the oil
man had been drinking and was Il
q uuarrelsome mood. He and tn
driver are said to have had troubl
and Louis finally separated them
Louis and his father are known t
have had several rows when the
we're both under the influence c
drink. After bringing Mr.. La Mea
back to his home in Cyanide on Sal
urday, Louis and the driver 'returne
to Deadwood, and Louis statemeI
is to the effect he had not been bac
to Cyanide since then until yeste
dav when he found his fathers dea
body
William La Near was man ;
about sixty years of age, and ha
lived in the Black Hills since eight,
two, For some time he was portt
at Mike Russell's saloon in nea
wood, but about four years ago
quit there and moved to Spearf.
canyon, where he prospectea AZ
worked for different mining cor
NAMES. At the time of his dec
he was the only resident in the o.
busy camp of Cyanide, where t
old Spearfish Mining and Mill Cc1
pany operated successfully for So
eral years. H was not thought
have been seen since last Satnrd
night, but one man was found w
claimed to have seen him in S
loon in Portland on Sunday aftt
noon. William La Near in his es
Her life lived on one Of the Ind