Lloyd Lovett

YOUNG RANCH EMLOYEE MEETS UNTIMELY DEATH

19-Year-Old Boy Drops Off Horse Dead; Cause Unknown; Officers Seeking Relatives

With his hands still clutching the reins of his horse, a young man believed to be Lloyd Lovett, about 19 years old, was found dead along the Lance Creek roads, about two miles from Lusk, Tuesday night, by Lee Starks, of Lance Creek.

While the circumstances surrounding his death indicate suicide, the coroner's jury composed of Frank Knittle, Lyle Berry and Wm. Reuter, returned a verdict of "death from unknown causes," and the body is awaiting words from relatives, believed to reside in Seattle, Wash., and is being held at the Universal Undertaking Parlors.

Either heart disease or strychnine poisoning is thought to be the cause of the young man's death. On Tuesday afternoon he purchased a quantity of strychnine in Lusk, saying he was going into the country to poison some coyotes. None of this poison was found on his person after death.

The boy has worked at the Dr. Hassed ranch, where he gave the name of Jack Carter. For the past few weeks and at the time of his death he was in the employ of Lawrence Johnson as a ranch hand. He came in town Tuesday, and Mr. Johnson sent him back to the ranch to take a work team. He left town riding one of the horses and leading the other. Nothing more was seen or heard from him until Mr. Starks found him by the roadside and brought him to town.

Coroner Armstrong immediately impaneled a jury to inquire into the cause of death. County Attorney Barrett and Sheriff Hassed are endeavoring to locate his parents but up to noon Thursday had not succeeded. He is believed to have a father who is employed as a machinist in the railroad shops at Seattle, but wires sent there have not been answered.

Those who worked with the boy say he always acted queerly, and tried to conceal any information as to his parents or his home, but he is known to have mailed letters to a Mr. Lovett, in Seattle, believed to be his father.

Unless word from relatives is received in the next few days, interment will be made in the Lusk Cemetery.

The Lusk Herald
September 15, 1927
POISON VICTIM IS BURIED HERE

Lloyd Lovett, they young ranch hand in the employ of Lawrence Johnson, who apparently met his death last week from an overdose of strychnine, was buried here last Thursday afternoon with appropriate funeral services, interment being made in the Lusk Cemetery.

Every effort was made by county authorities to get in touch with the boy's parents, but their telegrams remained unanswered.

Coroner George J. Armstrong received a telegram from an undertaker at Tacoma, Washington, saying he represented the boy's father, inquiring how much it would cost to ship the body to that city, but repeated wires sent there failed to get any other reply.

Rev. Coggin of the Baptist church officiated at the brief services at the grave, and Mrs. Armstrong, Mrs. Godfrey and Mrs. Joss supplied flowers.

Note: Some research (US Census, 1920) seems to indicate that this may be the Lloyd Lovett, born around 1906, that lived in Shelton, Mason County, Washington in 1920. At that time he was 14, which would have made him around 21 at his death. According to the 1920 US Census, his parents were George W. Lovett, 45, and Blanche Rieter Lovett, 41. His father was born in Missouri, and his mother in South Dakota. His father was a machinist. He had a brother, Ralph Rieter Lovett, who was 4 in 1920.

The Lusk Herald
Sepember 22, 1927
RELATIVE SEEKING INFORMATION OF BOY WHO DIED HERE

While no word has been received from the parents of Lloyd Lovett, who died from strychnine poisoning on the Lance Creek road on September 8, Coroner Armstrong has received a letter from Mrs. Laura R. Hillyard in South Tacoma, Wash., which may lead to locating the parents of the boy.

The letter is as follows:

Mr. Geo. J. Armstrong,
Lusk, Wyoming.

Dear Sir:

In a Seattle newspaper of September 8 we see the death of a boy of 20 in your city by the name of Lloyd Lovett. I fear from the description given, it is my nephew whom we haven't seen in two years. When last heard from he was in Wyoming, working on a ranch near Lusk.

Any information you would kindly give me as to the cause of death would be greatly appreciated by his aunt.

Thanking you, I am, very truly,

Laura R. Hillyard,
S. Tacoma, Wash.

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