The Life of Fred Archer 281 
illness. He conversed with witness, and spoke rationally 
enough but at times his mind seemed to wander. 
On Monday he appeared very much better, and there 
was every appearance that he would recover. Witness never 
heard him express any intention of committing suicide, nor 
did he think he was a man likely to do such an act. Witness 
left him about noon on Monday, and on his return, shortly 
after two o'clock, he found that Archer had shot himself. 
Witness did not notice anything unusual in his conversation 
during the morning. 
Mrs. Coleman, his sister, after relating the circumstances 
attaching to the early part of his illness, said : " He wandered 
a little during his illness and seemed to forget things. He 
appeared better on Monday morning, but during a long 
conversation I had with him he occasionally forgot the subject 
and frequently expressed himself anxious about his recovery. 
At his bidding, a little after two, the nurse was sent out of 
the room, as he said he wished to speak to me alone. 
" I noticed nothing unusual about this circumstance, as 
he had done so several times before. When the nurse went 
out I was looking out of the window, and he said, ' Are they 
coming ? ' Almost immediately after I heard a noise, and, 
looking round, saw that my brother was out of bed, and had 
something in his hand. 
" I ran to him, and when I saw it was a revolver tried to 
push it away. The revolver was in his left hand, and I hurt 
my hand in trying to push it away. He then threw his right 
arm round my neck and fired the revolver with his left hand. 
I saw him doing it, but could not stop him. He seemed awfully 
strong. 
" He then fell flat on his back close to a chair. I was scream- 
ing, but he never spoke. The door was kept ajar, but in the 
struggle he forced me against it, closing it, and so my screams 
were not heard. I had no idea there was a revolver in the 
room ; it was in a pedestal by the side of the bed." 
