The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-09-25
DEATH OF BART CERUTTI
His Sudden Passing Under Pecul.
lar Circumstances Causes An
Investigation By County
Officials

reka County for many years, died
last Monday afternoon at his ranch
home in Antelope valley, about 40
miles west of Eureka.
His passing wss surrounded by cir
cumstances that caused District At
torney N. P. Morgan and Deputy
Sheriff William Loofbourrow to
make a hurried trip out to the ranch
Tuesday morning to investigate the
cause of his death, and when the re-
mains reached Eureka in the after
noon Coroner l.. w. Cromer impan-
eled a jury and an inquest over the
remains was commenced. The Jury
did not conclude this investigation
as the cause of death was not salts
factorily explained and the examina-
ton was postponed to October 2
with a request that the District At
torney have the contents of de-
ceased's stomach and a flask of whis-
key, from which Cerrutti is supposed
to have drank from. be sent to the
Nevada University for analysis.
According to the testimony brought
out at the Coroner's inquest it seems
that aDout two days previous to his
death Cerutti found a two-bit flask
of whisky in the road near his gate,
about 200 yards from his house.
From parties he told of finding the
liquor, and of which he invited them
to drink, it appears he was suspi-
cious that it had been tanipered with
and perhaps poisoned. All refused
to drink and cautioned him regard
ing what the bottle might contain
and advised his throwing it away.
According to Linda Allison, ar In
dian woman with whom Cerutti had
been living for the past 35 years, de-
ceased informed her the afternoon of
his death that he had poured some of
the whisky on a piece of meat and
had given it to the dog. saying that
as it had not hurt the dog it would
not hurt him. She asked him if he
had taken any of the whisky, and he
gave her an evasive answer. Short
ly after, while she was engaged in
making a fire in the kitchen, she
heard him come in the house and
fall, and going to him found him on
the floor near the bedroom door.
She helped him on to the bed and
asked him what was the matter, and
he replied he did not know. She
asked him again if he had drank the
whisky, but he would not say. She
left him with Carlo Antonio, an old
man who lived with them on the
ranch. and went hurriedly on horse
back to the Morrison ranch for as
sistance. They quickly returned
with her ready to render help, but
upon their arrival found Cerutti
dead. The old man informed them
that he died about ten minutes after
the woman left, and before passing
twitched and jerked like one in a
spasm.
DR.. G. M. Roberts, who performed
an autopsy on the body, testified at
the inquest that Cerutti's heart was
inflated to three times it's normal
size and that death might have come
to him at any time. He also stated
that he could not tell from the ap-
pearance of the stomach whether he
had been poisoned or not.
While in Eureka about three
months ago Cerutti received a Black
Hand letter through the mail. which
warned him not to return to his ranch
and advising him to settle up his af-
fairs. as he was shortly to be put out
of the way. Although this letter did
not seem to worry him to any great
extent, he turned it over to Sheriff
James Mackey for investigation. but
it is understood no clue to the author
of the letter was found.
The deceased came to Eureka from
Italy about 1875 and for several
years was engaged in burning char
coal for the furnaces operating here.
Later, in partnership with two
others. he purchased his present
ranch property. where he has since
engaged in stockraising. About
three years ago he was offered $22.-
900 for his ranch and cattle. Upon
the advice of some of his friends who
knew his failing for liouor he de-