The roundup record. [volume] (Roundup, Mont.) 1908-1929, 1913-11-14
YOUNG BULGARIAN
COMMITS SUICIDE
STEVE kOLOFF BLOWS OUT HIS
BRAINS WITH .3e CALiBRE
REVOLVER.
Foul Play Is Discredited

0TaPn Sov. stewart Requesting IN.
vestisation But Without Reeult-All
the Evidence Submitted at coroner's
Inquest Tended to Prove Case 4
Suicide.
Steve Koloff. one of the most prom
inent of the young Bulgarians of this
vicinity. last Saturday evening about
$3.50 o'clock committed suicide by
shooting himself thru the head with
a .3S calibre revolver on the Bert
Ames ranch about FIVE miles north of
the city. Mr.. Ames Immediately re-
ported the matter to Sheriff F'isco,
who. together with Coroner O'Connor
went out to investigate, and finding it
apparently suicide, brought the body
to the morgue. An inquest was held
Monday afternoon, the jury finding a
verdict of suicide on the evidence sub
mitted.
Young Koloff was in town on Sat
urday afternoon together with Tex
Rickard. He twas driving a four
horse team and was to haul a load of
lumber out to Richards homestead.
Rickard testified that they had few
glasses of beer together, but that Ko-
loft was not the least drunk, apparent
ly. Later as they started for the
country, the four horse team driven
by koloff as we'll as the team driven
by Rickard ran away and he testified
that he did not know what became of
Koloff after that. 1t was supposed
koloff then went on out to the Ames'
ranch on foot and that becoming sud
denly remorseful over his misfortune
in having the team run away and
damaging the property in his charge,
and having had enough drink to make
it possible for him to exaggerate his
difficulties, he had determined to end
his life and his troubles.
Mr.. Ames testified, and his testi-
mony was corroborated by the testi-
mony OF two others, that he was call
ed to the front door by Koloff about
$3.50 Saturday evening after he had
retired. and when he answered the
call, he saw Koloff standing about 80
feet in the front of the house with. a
gun in his hand, and that the man told
him that he intended to shoot him
self. Ames tried to reason with him,
telling him that the fact that the
team which Koloff had been driving
had run away was nothing to worry
about; that he would dress and go
along with him to hunt the horses.
Koloff still reiterated his intention of
killing himself and Ames again ask.
ing him to wait, partly shut the door
to go back and get his clothes. Just
as he closed the door, young Koloff
placed the gun to his head and fired.
Mr.. Ames Immediately notified the
sheriff and came in to town and
brought the county physician out.
When they reached there, they found
that life was extinct.
The testimony of Georgiana Carroll
who was staying at the Ames ranch,
corroborated Mr.. Ames' story and a
little brother Of the girl testified that
on trip to Flatwillow which he took
recently with the deceased, the young
man had fired the gun and intimated
that he would one day commit suicide
by means of it.
Tuesday afternoon, two of the lead.
ing men among the Bulgarians of the
county, Peter Evanhoff and Dion Re-
potz-sent telegram to Governor
Stewart asking him to send a detec.
tive to investigate the case as they
did not believe that the right verdict
had been rendered, or if he did not
send detective to notify the Bulgar-
Ian consul. A telegram was received
by them from Governor Stewart on
wednesday morning, advising them
that the state had made no appropria.
tion to cover the employment OF de-
tectives and that they should properly
take this matter up with the sheriff
and coroner Of the county.
Rumors have been rife since the in.
quest of further Investigation of the
case but it is difficult to see how, un.
der the circumstances. any other con.
clusion could be arrived at. Because
of the one-sidedness Of the testimony,
a number have expressed themselves