The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-12-02

EMPLOYE
YIELDS
RIFLE
LOCAL COUPLE FOUND SHOT 70
DEATH AFTER FAMILY
QUARREL ,

Jack Hutchins, employed as q
hostler by the Tonopah and Goiu-
field railroad, and his wife were
found at 5:15 p. m. yesterday by
a grocery delivery boy lying on the
floor of the kitchen of their home
at 1908 Broadway, the wife shot
dead and Hutchins, still alive, but
with a CHASTITY wound in the heat
and in . hopeless condition. they
were lying side by side with their
heads turned in opposite directions
and with Il rifle between them.
Hutchins died at 3 o'clock his
morning in the county hospital with
out ~regaining consciousness.
At the side of the wife's body
was found a Derringer pistol. The
tragedy is supposed to have Oeen
the result of continual domestic
turmoil, extending over a long per
iod, and was not a surprise to peo-
pie who knew conditions in the
household.
Whether Hutchins shot his wife
and then committed suicide or whe-
ther she shot him and afterwaId
took her own life is not definitely
known, but it is supposed that he
shot her with the rifle, a high-power
United States army weapon and
later turned it on himself. What
use was made of the pistol, if any,
is not known at the present time.
The front of Hutchins' head was
blown off and his wife was shoI IN
the front of the neck, supposedly
while she was in a STOPPING position,
as the bullet left the body at a
point about the middle of the back,
lear the spine. One empty shell
from the rifle was found on the
floor and in Hutchins' pocket was
found a long dagger. Neither of
the bullets has been found ana
no holes where they entered the
walls of the room have been To-
Gated by the authorities.
Hutchins is supposed to have
killed himself while lying on the
floor at the side of his wife, plac-
ing the rifle to his head and pulling
the trigger while in thai position.
The rifle was found at his side,
with the muzzle turned toward his
head.
When the bodies were found din
ner was cooking on the kitchen
stove and the table was set. 1t
was evident that there had been
a serious row, as a lamp was found
on the floor of the front room
ard firewood and kitchen utensils
were scattered over the house.
Both Hutchins and his wife were
in the habit of going hunting and
he had told neighbOrs that he was
expecting "a new rifle. Before the
tragedy he was seen by n of the
Chase boys, who live next door,
walking along at the side of the
house with a rifle in his hand and
when the shots were heard it was
thought that he had received the
new rifle and was trying it.
There was an interval of about
10 minutes between the two shots,
during which Hutchins is supposed
to have contemplated his own des-
tluction in the house with h body
Of his wife. The peace officers have
concluded that Hutchins feared the
consequences of his act and decid-
ed to put an end to his own exis-
tence.
Everything in the house was Gov
cred with dust, shaken from the
ceiling and walls by the concus-
sion caused by the two explosions
of the high-power rifle.
The Hutchins were married IN
P~lacerville, Cal, about 10 years
ago. He was 80 years of age and
she was about "a. The only known
relative of either is an aunt or
Mrs. Hutchins, a Mrs. Coombs, at
Placerville. She has been notified
Of the tragedy and word from her
is expected today.