The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-10-31
MURDER AND SUI
eide in REDL|CHT

district was enacted at a quarter to
three O'Clock this morning. murder
and suicide.
May Fisher, an inmate of one of the
houses Of tn edistrict and then put a
bullet into himself. Death was in
stantaneous in both cases. The shoot
ing was done with a nine shooter auto
matte 32 Colt 3 revolver. Matthews put
six shots into tn egirl, one into him.
self and the other three went wide.
But little could be ascertained as to
the cause OF the shooting, there being
no witnesses to the occurrence. Mat
thews, who prior to the shopmen 8
strike on the Southern Pacific, had
been employed as a car inspector at
Inlay, but had gone out when the
strike was declared, and the Fisher
girl had been going with each other for
some time. Since the commencement
of the strike he had been spending a
good deal of his time here in Winnie
mucca in the company of the girl. 1t
is said that they had quarreled svral
times, but that these differences had
been of no consequence and yesterday
he and his victim had been uptown all
afternoon, and returned to the house
about supper time, apparently in the
best of spirits.
A sister of the Fisher girl had been
visiting her for the past two or three
days, for the purpose, as it was learned
from other inmates of the house, OF
persuading her to give up the life she
was living, but without avail. The Sis
ter, finding her efforts fruitless, deter
mined to leave for her home in Califor-
MIA, and after bidding May fearful
good bye, left the house shortly before
sven o'colck last evening to catch
No. 3 of the Southern Pacific. Mat
thews accompanied her to the station
and put her on the train. He then
spent several hours in the company of
number of his friends from whom he
parted later in the evening with the
statement tnat ne was "going down the
line.'' Apparently he went straight to
the house in which May was an in
mate and remained there until the
shooting took place.
According to the other inmates both
he and May were on the best of terms
all during this time. At about fifteen
minutes to three he announced his in
tention of leaving. May accompanied
him to the front door. The other
women had retired to their respective
rooms May and Matthews stood at
the door for a short period of time in
conversation. None of the inmates
would admit this morning that they
had been able to hear what was said
though one of them stated that she
heard Matthews urging May to leave
the house with him. Whether it was
a request to merely accompany him
uptown or to leave the house for good
she could not say. Nor could she hear
Mays reply. But almost an instant
later, Matthews began shooting with
his automatic. The shots were fired
with such rapidity that they sounded
like the setting off of bunch of fire
crackers. The effect of the shooting
startled the other women so that not
one of them thought of going to tho
girls aid In fact the woman who
runs the house admitted that she pre-
cipitately crawled under the bed, while
girl by the name of Rose bolted out
of the rear door.
Rose. who had already been in bed
fled, scantilv dressed as she was
screaming to the neighboring house.
and gave the alarm, shouting for some
one TO get a doctor; that she thought
some one had been hurt. Drs. Swezy
and Giroux were hastily summoned, an,
also Night Watchman Lewis. All three
arrived practically at the same time
The girl was living just inside OF thu
front door. which was still open, he
feet stretched across the threshold
Matthews. before ending his own life
had apparently stepped off the porch
he being found in kneeling position
Al A. he tnQ N tut
ppainst the small fence enclosing thi
pathway. His hat had fallen back owe
tie fence. The doctors made hast'
examination and pronounced botl
dead. Coroner Dunn was then notified
and he impanneled jury, who viewe'
the remains after which both bodie
were removed by Undertaken Miller 4
his establishment on West Fourtl
81 eet. whre they are now awaiting tn
instructions of relatives.
The empty revolver was found at tn
side of Matthews and three d'seharg'
cartridges beside the body of the dea'
girl.
Of the six shots which Matthew
fred into the girl three entered tn
heart. Just above the left breast an
wee confined in space that could b
covered by fourbit piece. Matthew
must have held the revolver rignt u
to the girls breast, for around tn
first two bullet holes powder burns ar
clearly visible, and that death was IN
mediate is proven by the fact that Tn
girl never uttered sound. One of tn
other shots penetrated the right hreas
another the pit of the stomach an
the last. which was apparently hre
as the girl lay prone on the roo
entered the body just under the righ
arm. passing clear through and comm
out under the left arm. One OF th
bullets that missed the girl was foun
embedded in the woodwork near tn
bottom of the door leading to the rooi
occupied by the woman who runs tn
house.
The bullet with which Matthew
killed himself entered his body a II
tie to the right Of his heart.
Matthews was a well built youn