The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-25
BISMARCK Man
TOOK HIS own LIFE
FARGO MORNING PIPER MAY BE
SUED FOR LIBEL FOR
GARRLED AND UNTRUE
ACCOUNT OF AFFAIR

bismarck, n. ~, jan. %V'~-~r SSAih5
runs high here as the result of sem
sational story that appeared I'm re-
cent issue of Fargo morning paper
which i'm substance wcs that this city
| is rendezvous for lawbreakers and
further implied that !, P. Sheldon who
was found dead In a hack few nights
ago may have been murdered
1t would be no surprise to those who
are conversaut with tn true facts
concerning Sheldon's death that libel
suits would be started against the pub
fishers, and dsmages asked for at
least $4,000,
Bismarck liz sympathizing with Far
go since getting a taste itself OF the
unwarranted abuse the morning paper
handed out In connection with the
Sheldon tragedy. People who pride
themselves on law enforcement in this
city denounce the article in tot and in
sist that the charges made against
their city are with foundation and that
they are as groundless as the story
that Sheldon met his death by foul
means.
Sheldon, who was found dead in
hack. according 10 the coroner's in
quest, was a suicide and no suspicion
| is attached to anyone for the manner
! in which he came to his death The
whole story of probable murder fell
| to pieces when brother Of the deceas-
ed, who lives twenty-five miles north
of Mckenzie, put in an appearance at
! the Coroner Fields Furniture store
and showed a letter that h, had receiv-
ed from the suicide a day before the
! tragedy, in which he bade the former
| goodbye. The same day another broth
err from the east arrived and remark
ed to the coroner that the tragedy was
no surprise to him as he had been ex-
pecting it long time.
Spent Money in Fargo.
At the inquest IL developed that
Sheldon had come to Fargo few days
before the tragedy with several hun
drsd dollars, and that the greater por-
ton of 1t was spent on a spree, al
though something over $14 was invest
ed in a new suit of clothes, When the
body was searched S22 in cash and
check for 81 was found in the dead
mans clothes and rot the reverse as
the sensational Fargo paper stated. Not
one cent Of Sheldon's money was spent
with Joe Higgins for beer according to
the witnesses at the inquest and am
davit was made to this effect before
the states attorney. The reference
to Higgins that he runs a place in one
of Ed. Patterson buildings is likewise
inaccurate as it S Understood on good
authority that stock company is the
Eowner of the building occupied by Hig-
gins.
The hack in which Sheldon suicidec
was driven by a young man named
Bentley and the statement that he IL
, irresponsible and bad character Is [
cruel injustice to him Ever since com
ing to Bismarck he has conducted him
self in a creditable manner and thit
was substantiated by both Sheriff Nc.
ellis and Chief of Police Mcdonald
Bentley is we'll connected i'm Bismarcl
and has several married sisters living
here and we'll thought of.
Held Body Two Days.
When the County coroner was shown
! the Fargo dispatch that nothing wa
} done to sift the Amystery in a system
attic manner and that the body wa
! hurried away, he merely smiled am
said i'm reply that the body was he'll
: two days and two nights; that cor
oners inques4 was held and the state
: attorney called In to cross examine tn
= witnesses and verdict was given tina
Sheldon suicided. The police testifte'
: that the affair happened i'm broad day
light and that two men of good repu
tations were near the hack at the tim
of the tragedy ard when they reaches
the hack Sheldon was already dead an
the revolver was still clasped in hi
hand with one chamber emptied; an
that they were beside the body as 500
as Bentley, WHO stopped his hack upo
hearing the shot
The implication tina Sheldon ma
have been murdered is everywhere re
garded as collossally ludicrous.
The greatest mystery attached to tn
affair is the identity of the writer 9
the sensational article that the Farg
morning paper gave front page posi-
ton The regular correspondent ha
emphatically denied he had aEythin
to do with its publication. + is tn
concensus of opinion that the purpos
of the article is entirely Of a polite;
significance and intended to viliify an
nisrepresent. Sheriff NJ. McGillis an
Ia Chief of Police Mcdonald have openl
"a denounced the whole affair as both ur
sr fair and unwarranted.
"a CANARlES
For sale the very best Ben Hart.