Obit: Scott, Robert W. (? - 1909)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: SCOTT BISHTON

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 02/25/1909

Scott, Robert W. (? - FEB 1909)

Last Sunday morning at about 2 o’clock the two little girls of Robert Scott ran up to Bolger Bros. livery barn and being unable to make anyone hear, went to Marshal Loughrin’s residence and told him their father was shot and killed. The Marshal then rung up Coroner Bolger and notified him by telephone and leaving the two little girls at his home, drove down to Hazelhurst for the rest of the family who were attending a masquerade ball there. Coroner Bolger empanelled a jury and in the afternoon about 1:30 o’clock an inquest was held and the following verdict rendered by the jury:

"That the said Robert Scott came to his death by a rifle shot from some unknown party unknown to the jury."

Some of the relations called for a postmortem after the above verdict was rendered by the jury, which was held by Drs. T.G. Torpy and A.C. Lucas. They found that the bullet had penetrated just back of the right ear, passing through the head and penetrating partly through the skull at the top of the head and that death had been instantaneous. The bullet was badly shattered and a number of small pieces were taken out of the brain.

While circumstantial evidence points strongly to murder, the facts all point to suicide as the cause, which is the verdict of nearly all.

Robert W. Scott has been a resident of this place for the past twenty years and was a man well thought of and liked by all, as was demonstrated by the large number of old friends who attended the funeral.

He leaves to mourn his untimely death a wife, one son, Joseph, and five daughters, Mamie, Myrtle, earl, Hazel and Mable, the youngest being nine years of age. Also a sister, Mrs. Bishton of this place.

Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church, Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 by Rev. E.W. Ware of Lac du Flambeau and the remains laid to rest in the Minocqua cemetery. (Minocqua Times)

Bob Scott was born in Clark County and made Colby his home for many year previous to his removal to Minocqua, and had many friends here who were shocked to hear of his sudden death. A private letter says that Bob had had trouble with some Indians, and it is the belief of the relatives that it was not a case of suicide.