Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-03-08
Family Quarrel Results in
Murder of John Higgins
at Garage
ENGINEER TIRED OF LIFE
Emaciated by Illness and With
out Funds B. j Ball
Ends 1t All.

and bicycle repair shop, so it was re-
ported this morning. Thomas Insley,
the proprietor of the shop, in fit of
rage, killed his brother-in-law, John
Higgins. Insley had found it neces-
sary to chastise one of his children.
Mrs. Insley coming into the shop re-
monstrated and Higgins, so it is said,
cursed her. Higgins then interfered
and Insley rushed out. He returned
with a shot gun and discharged it at
Higgins, blowing off the top of Hig-
gins head.
Hall an hour later Insiey was Occu.
pying a steel cell in the county Jail,
with formal charge of murder hang
ing over his head Higgins was 26
yecrs old.
The shooting was witnessed only by
Insley's eighteen year old wife and
their small baby, one year old, Hig-
gins died instantly, the entire right
side of his head being torn away by
heavy charge of buckshot, evident
ly fired from a distance not greater
! than five feet.
! Immediately after the shooting Mrs.
Insey became wildly hysterical and
was unable to give any accurate story
! regarding the affair last night. Insley
refused to make any statement what
ever regarding the tragedy.
UnGersheriff Heyn and Policeman
Hynds searched the shop for Insley,
They finally found him sitting on a
box behind an automobile. His year
old baby was clasped tightly to his
L!east.
When questioned by the officers
Insley asked time to think.
81 dent know anything about this,
said Insley. 81 don't know anything
about it."
We'll your wife says you killed her
brother and 1 will have to take you
to JAIL said Heyn.
There's plenty of time; plenty o
time" said Insley. Il want to fine
some one to take care of my baby
first. I want to find my wife"
Two Salvation Army lassies were
yeinly trying to comfort the hysterica
woman Mrs. Insley was evidently
la ahoring under the impression tina
some harm had been done to her baby
81 want my baby; I want my baby,
she shrieked
When her husband appeared witt
the baby, Mrs. Insley seemed to grow
mere excited.
My God, Tom, my God, what dit
you do it for?" she asked over ant
over again.
She then reached over to the bab!
cart and picked up the baby, whicl
she pressed closely to her breast.
Before being taken away by Under
sheriff Heyn, Insley went over ant
kissed the baby. Then he attempted
to kiss his wife.
Go away. l don't want you t.
touch me-" she shrieked.
''All right" replied Insley. Il JUS
wanted to say goodbye"
Tom Insley, who is charged witt
the murder of Higgins, has lived il
Albuquerque for about twenty years
being a machinist by trade. For seI
eral years past he has conducted
bicycle and automobile repair sho
down town. He is about so years oil
! and his wife is 49, Insley and a fol-
mer wife were divorced about fou
years ago.
: Tired of Life.
5017 Trombley Avenue, Detroit, Micf
March 2-Good-bye, dear nephe7
2 Ed, and your dear wife. I could nc
l stand the pressure. Would like t
t have been able to leave you some
: thing. but l am about broke mysel
Y Notify Frank at Merma, Wyoming
e don't regret what have done excer
. for the sake of the others. / starte
this thing at 1:30 p. m. 1t is now
:, "P. S. Six O'Clock p. m. Had t
= open vein again"
r The above note. scrawled on
r cheap tablet with a lead pencil tell
$ plainly the gruesome story of the su
s eide Of Benjamin J Ball, forty-thre
= years old, said to be an expert civ
! engineer, who came to Albuquerqu
from Detroit Mich, a year and
half ago for his health.
The cause of Balls death was plail
. ly evident. On the right side of tn
neck. deep cash indicated wher
J., the external jugular vein had bee
severed. And gashes in both the rigf
= and left wrists, told that the ma
: had decided to take no chances j
: making sure that he would die Poo
Il of blood about' the bed and on th
y floor showed plainly where Ball
:, life-blood had slowly gone out of h
= body.
small pen-knife believed to hay
been used by Ball to open the veins
: in the coroner's possession.
: Balls body was much emaciate
His face plainly told story of ST
q fering and of the fight that he h;
- made for victory over the Viii
a Plague before he had decided to el
a. his sufferings.
:. The farewell note left by the suici
is in all probability an indication
Il Balls character. The note simply sa