Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-21
JESSE 7. WELLS
SUDDEN DEATH
IS EXPLAINED
No Witnesses. but Wife, With
Whom He Slept. Had Lost
Her Reason.
NO ACTION CONTEMPLATED
snec,a, Dispatch From stan Correspondent

sneciai pispatcn From stan Correspondent
DElMAR, FEn. 81.
While no definite conclusion. based on
,ositive information. has been reached as
10 the death of Jesse +. Wells, at Whites
vile. eight miles from here, yesterday
morning, the apparent mystery is believed
to have been cleared up.
The wife of the deceased, II develops, ls
- unbalanced mind and her actions yes
t,rdav morning appear To explain the
.pparent mystery.
INFORMATION 10 this effect was given to
ihc coronrr's JURY, which made a thorough
investigation of the ease and while tho
i,;rv rendered Il verdict 10 the effect that
MIR Wells came 20 his death from gun
sbn, wound 6rcd in an unknown manner.
the authorities arc satisfied a. to what
happened and the cause.
SAD STORY
Mrs Wells who was between 80 and
- wears of age. two or three years ago,
according 90 information gwen by WIT
ncsscs 10 the coroncr's jury suffered
breakdown. Last wear her mental con-
,iition was such thar she was treated by n
<perialsr in Philadelphia.
Mr.. and Mrs " lis had no differences
and ntvlr qtarreled. Their bedroom was
Downstairs and they slept together. At
. o'clock yesterday morning a gunshot
was heard by Mrs Daniel Wells a
daughter in-law. who, with her husband.
was sleeping or the second fioor. Daniel
did not hear the shot He was aroused by
his wife. however, but before they could
investigate. Mrs Jesse Wells. wife of the
dead man ran upstairs. She muubled
some urintelliglblc sentences, mentioning
indicate what had happened.
Mr.. Wells children ran downstairs and
,nade ar investigation. They found their
father shotgun living on the floor. leaning
against the bed Mr.. Wells had been shot
or,ce. in the back uf the head. evidently
killed instantly
MIR. Wells was found dead IN bed and
not on the floor, as had been reported.
The children hastily summoned their
uncle, John w Wells, brother Of the de
ceased, who lives TOO yards away, Across
he Maryland line They also notified
Coroner Joseph T Warrington at George
town. and the ofoner came over vester-
lav. bringing three Georgetown jurors
with hIrh. -Four others were obtained at
WhitesshlIe. They were Frank White
George Dennis, Henry Nootten and
Charles Cordrey. The jury sat yester-
slav afternoon and heard the above testl-
nony from members of the family. The
Jury was also told by DR. Oliver V James.
he family physician, about Mrs. Wells
condition and her treatment IN PhIladel-
Ihia year ago. as he accompanied her to
the hospital THERE.
Coroner Warrington was accompanied
by his attorney and deputy, Howard
Cooke. The jury consisted of Roy G.
Hill. Frank White. Isaac II. Morris. James
T. Houston, Charles ID. CoTdrey, Henry
Wootten and George W. Dennis.
The inquest required nearly all of the
afternoon and it was early IN the evening
before the officers returned to their homes
In the house at the time MIR. Wells was
shot there were four memers OF tho family
Mrs. SalIie Ella Wells, his wife, Thomas
Birmingham, a son-in-law, and his son,
Daniel Wells and wife, Jennie Wells.
Mr.. and Mrs Daniel Wells and MIR
Birmingham occupied rooms on the upper
floor and the dead man and the wife slept
downstairs.
According to the story told yesterday
afternoon byI members of the family, Mir
Wells retired between 10 and ! clock.
lie had been talking 10 his son and daugh-
ter-in-law
Thomas Brittingham, the son-in-law,
was upstairs. being confined 10 the bed
with influenza. \ few DAYS ago his wife
died and at first it was believed Mr.. Wells
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