Gilpin observer., 1910-07-21
COMMITS SUICIDE
!. N. WEIGH, DRIVEN TO DEs.
PoNDENcY, TAKES HIS OWN
LIFE.

worries, I. N. Welch, OF the Regis
ter-Call, sought to end it all Tue3-
day by committing suicide. He select
ed secluded spot at the spring
house on the ranch Of Ignatz Gundy
northwest of town. From a quantity
Of cyanide Of potassium he had with
him he dissolve1 enough OF the chem.
ical in water to make certain of his
attempt at self-destruction and drank
to his doom. An empty pint bottle,
which had contained whiskey was
found beside his body. AS he was a
man who never drank liquor the
whiskey in all probability was taken
to give him nerve to commit the rash
deed.
The lifeless body was found by
Frank ]. Knopke, OF Denver, who is
visiting at the Gundy ranch. He dis
covered Welch a short time after
he had taken the cyanide and seeing
the body lying on the ground thought
the man had tainted. He rushed to
the ranch house to get something
with which to revive him and when
he returned found that the body was
lifeless. Coroner Hamllik was notified
that a man was dead at the Gundy
ranch, but no name was given him.
When he reached the body he was
dumbfounded to find that it was
Welch.
The body was brought to Central
and five sealed envelopes containing
letters written by the dead man, ad-
dressed to relatives and friends, were
removed from the coat pocket. These
were addressed to the coroner, Thos.
Stribley, Mrs. Robt. Davey, Mrs. /.
N. Welch and G. NJ. Laird On the en-
velope addressed to Mrs. Davey was
the instruction that this letter should
be delivered first and then the others
to whom they were addressed. The
letter to the coroner read:
George Hamllik, Esq:
4 This is plain case: cyanide. 1
want a plain burial. No fuss"
Signed, l. N. .Welch.
The one addressed to Mrs. Davey
read:
Mrs. Davey:
Dear Friend: Please look after
Louie and do the best you can for
her. am sorry, but it's too late
now. Regards to ALL"
This letter was also signed, as
were the others. The letter written
to his brother-in-law, Thomas Strib-
ley. was substantially the same as
that written to Mrs. Davey. The let
| ter to G. NJ. Laird, employer Of
Welch, pertained to some accounts
Of the Register-Call. The letter writ
ten to the wife is Of a private ma
ture and for that reason is not pub
lished.
l, AS near as can be figured out the
suicide occurred between and 4
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon. Welch left
shortly after 12 o'clock and went
home to lunch. When he reached
home lunch was not ready and he
told his wife he would go back to
town as he had a business appoint.
ment with some gentlemen. The men
he had reference to were couple OF
officials OF an insurance company
which Welch represented in this
county. These men came up to make
the customary examination of the
agents books. The books were to be
brought down from the house by
Welch so that they could be turned
over to the insurance men at
o'clock.
When he left his house, Welch in
stead Of returning to the office took
a course up Eureka street and went
over Winnebago hill to the Gundy
ranch. This was the last seen Of him
until his lifeless body was discover
ed by Knopke.
This is but another Of the peculiar
, cases Of suicide, where the friends
and survivors Of the person who Is
dead are at loss to know the exact
reason for the act. 1t is likely that
Welch was short in his accounts with
the insurance company, but according
to the statements Of the agents who
were here to check his books. II a
shortage did exist It couldn't have
been Of sufficient size to Justify the
man In taking his life. He may have
had. other financial obligations which
were preying on his mind.
l. N. Welch was born in Cleaton
Moor, England, and was 40 years Of
age. He came to America in 1888.
For short time he lived In New
York and then went to st. Louis
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