Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-03-12
SUICIDE
TO ESCAPE ARREST
Clarence SmeItzer Blew Top Of
Head Of With Shot Gun.
DEED WAS PREMEDITATED

Had cashed An Alleged Forged Check
on the Valley Hotel, Where He Was
Previously Employed - Went to
Cumberland, But Returned Here 20
Commit Observation-Disclosures Well
Known, and Ills Death Mas a Sad
One
Rather than face the disgrace of ar
rest and possible Imprisonment on the
charge of alleged forgery of a check,
and dreading the effect of exposure
upon his aged parents and young
sisters and brother, Clarence Smeltz-
er. the young son of Mr.. and Mrs.
John Shelter, shot and almost In
stantly killed himself shortly after
10 O'Clock this morning at the home
of his parents. on East Martin street.
The deed was committed In the bed
room OF the young man, in the real
of the second story, and the shot
which sent the soul of the unfortunate
youth into eternity was heard by his
parents, who hastily investigated and
found him stretched upon his bed.
with his head shattered aud his brains
and blood spattered about the oon.
Although stricken with borrow and
grief at the awful deed, the parents
We're able to summon DIR. NJ A. Nc
Cormack. who resides a few doors
away, but the physician found young
Smeltzer beyond medical aid, uncon-
scious and with life rapidly ebbing.
Headquarters, and officer Pitzer
FASTENED to the scene of the distress
ing affair and remained on guard IN
til the arrival of Coroner Kline. The
young man survived about an hour
after firing the charge into his head.
Used a Shotgun.
The weapon used was a single-bar-
rel shotgun, the muzzle of which vas
placed just above the right eye by
young Smeltzer. The heavy charge
entered diagonally to the left, tearing
and shattering the skull on the latter
side in a frightful name and scatter
ing the contents of the Uranium over
the bed and adjacent walls. The
weapon was evidently discharged by
his right foot. When found by his
parents, the almost ~lifeless body of
the young man lay in a fast-gathering
pool of blood, which soaked his gar
ments and the clothes Of the bed.
Crowd Gathers.
News of the tragedy spread quickly
and in a few moments a crowd gather
ed about the house and many of these.
actuated by a morbid curiosity, forced
themselves into the chamber Of death,
ignoring the pathetic grief of the
stricken parents. The sisters Of the
young suicide were away from home
at their usual employment at the time
of the affair, and were summoned by
telephone. they We're not aware of
the extent Of the tragedy until they
arrived at the stricken home, and 1t
was many minutes before they realiz-
ed the true situation.
Coroner Kline arrived a short time
after the fatal shot was fred and took
charge. After making a complete in
v~estigation the coroner decided that
an inquest was unnecessary, the deed
being so palpably a ease OF self-de-
struction that no other verdict could
have been rendered by a jury, had he
summoned one.
The direct cause OF the suicide is
believed to have been the fear Of ar
rest on the charge of forging a check.
and the consequent humiliation and
disgrace to the members of the sui
cide's family. For the past six
months young Shelter had been en-
ployed at the Valley hotel in the ca
pacity of porter and hostler, but on
Monday OF this week he left his po-
sition. On Tuesday he presented a
check for s27.50 to the Peoples
Trust Company, which bore the sigma
,ture of Manager George Seibert, OF
the hotel. The check looked SUSPECT
Gus. and the officials turned it down.
Young Shelter then went to the
Bank of Martinsburg, where the check
was cashed. The check was drawn
upon the EeOpie iiuSV So-HpdhJ
and when presented there the next
day, in the usual course OF business,
was pronounced by Cashier Harley as
a forgery.
He Feared Arrest.
In the meantime. evidently becom-
ing alarmed by what he had done,
Young Smeltzer left this city for Cum.
berland. where he remained until last
night. The Valley hotel was notified
OF the check by the bank, and an in
v~estigation led to the conclusion that
the young man had deliberately plan
ned a forgery. A warrant for his ar
rest was secured and given to Capt.
Frank Hardy, of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad force, and he went 10
Cumberland after the young a The
lafter's presence in Cumberland was
established by a glimpse the officer
"a - AhA DO