The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-02-08
M. x. SIDES
 CRITICALLY
 SHOT TO-DAY
Prominent Local Resident Wounded by Discharge
 of Rifle : In Hospital

of Rifle : In Hospital i BULLETIN M H. Sides
 passed away in St. Ann's Hos
 pital at 1:2T o'clock this after
 noon.
 |. Myrven H. Sides this morning was taken to St. Ann's Hospital here, in very critical condition as result of a bullet wound from a rifle discharged by himself-possibly accidently.
 At noon today, he was reported sinking fast" and was not expect ed to survive more than another hour. The scft-nosed bullet, from an 8-mm German Mannlicher rifle, entered the lower portion of Sides face, damaged the brain and caus- led considerable immediate loss of blood
 The shooting occurred in the Sides apartment in the Assembly here, at about 8:20 o'clock this morning. Mrs. Sides, in another room of the apartment at the time, heard the shot, hurried into the living room of the apartment, where she saw her husband lying upon the floor of an adjoining bed- closet and immediately called the City Police
 still Conscious
 Sides was still conscious when police arrived He was able to move and, though appallingly wounded, was able to understand words spoken to him. The rifle butt was between his knees and the muzzls was clutched in his left hand Doctors w. P. Blanton and w M. Whitehead, responding to police call, ordered immediate re- imoval to the hospital. l Sides apparently suffered his wound while in the dressing closet preparing to go to his work in the U. s. Customs Office here. He was attired in trousers, shirt and shoes. The Sides had risen earlier, dressed and made their beds. Mrs. Sides reported her husband seemed in a cheerful mood this morning. There was no note or other indica- ton of intention to take his own life.
 The Mannlicher, owned by Sides for a long time, had rested in it's case in the closet, undisturbed dur ing the past 12 years, to his wife's knowledge.
 ! Tricky" Weapon The weapon, described by law officials as tricky, was found to have single, exploded cartridge in the firing chamber The mag azine of the bolt-action rifle was empty. A recess in the butt dis closed one unfired cartridge and empty space provision for second. The weapon is fired by set, hair trigger" A second trigger activates the safety" mechanism.
 Mrs. Sides related that her hus- band had for some time been suf- fering from and worried by a stomach disorder, but had refused to seek medical advice. He has been in highly nervous state and frequently has paced the apart ment floor through long hours of the night, unable to sleep.
 Tn Customs Seruice l Myrven Harvey Sides, one of Juneau's most respected citizens, has served with the U. s. Customs Office here continuously since his first appointment to the Service, January l, 1916. During that time he has received progressive ad- vancements until he recently took over the duties of Assistant Col lector of Customs as the recom- mended successor to M. s. Whittier, 
 retired.
 ! Sides was born at Roslyn, Wash ington, February ', 1894. He is a son of MT. and Mrs. w. B. Sides, who at present are residents of Ta- coma, Washington.
 Active in local affairs, MT Sides for IT years was secretary of the local Elks Lodge and currently holds the lodge office of Leading Knight. A veteran of World War F, Sides has also been an active member of the American Legion and until recently was an officer of the American Red Cross, in Alaska. He is an honorary member of the Juneau Volunteer Fire Department, having retired from active service with that organization.
 He came to the Customs Office here on a transfer from the U. S. Immigration Service, with which agency he served at Vancouver, B c. and in the Hawaiian Islands.