White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-01
POPULAR MINING MAN
SUICIDES At HAMILTON

of Judge D. C. Mcdonald recorded
the cause of death as "self-inhicted
gunshot wound.
The news of the death of the min
ing engineer reached Ely by tele-
phone Christmas night when Carl +.
Muir of Hamilton called the officers
N Fly on the telephone and told them
that the body had been found in the
woodshed of the Nyce home.
Sheriff Nicholson. District Attor-
ney Walker and Judge ID. 4. McDon-
aid left Ely at on early hour Mon
day morning in the sheriff's car.
driven by Bud Bodell. Because of
the great quantity of snow which
had fallen Just previously on the
SUBMITS between Ely and Hamilton
The trip was made by way of the
Currant creek route by car to the
Six-Nile house, lwhere a sleigh was
procured to take the officials into
Hamilton.
Reaching the former county seat
thorough investigation was immedi-
ately inaugurated and jury COM
posed OF Carl F.. Muir, Peter Ander-
son and John Blair was selected to
hear the testimony. after which a
verdict was rendered as above.
The remains were then brought TO
Six-Mile by sleigh and from there To
Ely by automobile.
According to the story as told by
the witnesses who testified ut the in
quest, the deceased mining man had
spent Christmas day at home with
his wife and did not seem to be
greatly detected He apparently con-
cealed his feelings well and ate the
Christmas dinner with his wife and
Fred Allen, the Hamilton stage
driver, who has boarded at the Nyee
home for a considerable period. Dur
ing the dinner he conyersed freely on
various subjects and when the stage
driver suggested that travel was be-
ing made difficult by tn. heavy snow
fall he told interesting tales of his
experiences when staging though
Colorado on mining business years
ago.
After eating heartily he arose and
took from nearby shelf his pipe, as
was his usual custom at the con-
cluson OF meal. He then walked
TO the kitchen. where he kept his to-
bacco and from the kitchen stepped
into the adjoining woodshed. Mrs.
Nyce and Allen were still at the din
ner table when they heard two shots
tired in rapid succession. Running
through the two doors into the wood
bed Mrs. Nyce found her husband
s.ead with bullet wound through his
head, entering at about the right tenn
pie and taking but slightly upward
course. passing out the opposite side,
badly tearing the skull. The gun
used was 80 double action and be-
ionged to Allen. whose custom IL was
10 leave his gun and coat in the wood
shed as he entered the Nyce home
from his stage trips. That two shots
were fired there was left no room for
doubt. as the two shots had been dis
tnctly heard and the gun contained
two empty shells. Just what hap
pened 10 the first bullet fired from the
gun cannot he definitely determined
but II probably either missed its mark
due To nervousness or was fred IN
the ground In the woodshed. only
part of which is fioored. for the pur-
pose of making sure that the weapon
was In working order. All evidence
tended TO show that the shot was
fred with the gun firmly against the
head and the bloot spattered down
the barrel
The deceased was ~ years OF age
He was born in Denver. Col. and
came TO Ely in the boom days of
1906 He followed his profession
here. being connected with the engi-
neerng firms OF Half & Caldwell and
Watson & Nyce. He took up his
home in Hamilton about six years
ago and was until recently interested
IN the operations of the Jenny A
mine. He sold his interests to Judge
d. c. Mcdonald and associates and
was preparing 10 move to Ely for
the winter. He had already engaged
n house in Ely and paid a small sum
Is deposit 70 hold IL until he could
move in what he desired from his
Hamilton home.
Just what caused the respected
mining man to cut himself of in the
prime OF life Is considerable of a
mystery
He is survived by his wife, Mrs
Madge Nyce: also his mother. Mrs
Anna Nyce, and sister, Mrs. Ida
Gentry. who reside ut Boulder, COL
as well as another sister. Mrs. David
Decamp. residing at San Diego. Cal
The father of John Nyce. as the
deceased was famliarly known. met
sudden death but a few weeks ago
when he was struck by trolley car
near his home in Colorado, and the
son is known to have seriously
grleved over the matter. While on
visit TO Ely but short time ago he
spoke of the accident to numerous Of
his friends and referred with pride
TO some newspaper accounts when
showed the high esteem In which his
father was held. Christmas after
noon. while sitting at the window OF
his Hamilton home and gazing out at
the raging storm, he referred to his
father and Mrs. Nyce says that when
he arose from his chair by the win
dow che noticed tears In his eyes
IL Is her belief that extreme grief
coupled perhaps with ordinary busi-
ness worries In the mining world,
finally unbalanced his mind and
caused his rash act
The deceased was member of
Tonopah lodge OF Elks and was high
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