The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-09
SUICIDE IN NEW YORK.
A Dealer In Birds and Dogs Cuts His
ThrOat-He Lies Dead Among Them for


ThrOat-He Lies Dead Among Them for
Hours. .....
For several years past man named Lawrence
Dalton has resided with his wife in the base
ment rooms OF the premises No. IL Thames
street, where he was engaged in business as
dealer in fancy birds and dogs of the purest
breeds. Although known to be man OF con-
siderable wealth, he resided as well as carried
on his business in this basement, using the
front room as his stoTehouse and salesroom,
and the rear room, which was the only remain
ing apartment, was used for family purposes.
The street itself was one OF the most crowded
and least inviting in the city, and the house is
tenement building In no way superior to its
class; and in its two most inferior rooms Dalton
lived with his wife, carrying Oh thriving trade,
constantly increasing his riches. but never bet
tering his surroundings. Aside, however, from
the fact that he was considered penurious,
there was nothing to be found to his prejudice;
he was attentive to his business, kindly in his
department to his wife and neigh bors and never
a drinking man. .H..f a.r. f..
week ago the wife died quite suddenly, and
the event seems to have worked radical
change in Dalton. He grew moody and irrlta-
BILE, and to the great astonishment OF his neigh
bors took to drinking to excess, which soon told
upon q constitution unused to stimulants. Seve
raj friends demonstrated with him upon his
course, but he replied that he must drink to
drown his troubles, and continued to grow
worse On Wednesday afternoon, however, it
was remark ed that he was entirely sober, and 1t
was hoped that the paroXysm was over, and he
WOulQ Settle down l0JO MS ola naOlVS again. Ou
yesterday morning it was remarked that he did
not open his place, but 1t was supposed that he
had gone away on some business, and the cir
cumstance, although remarked, did not lead I'M
mediately to any investigation. Later IN the
day the place continuing closed, and the animals
beginning to be heard as if clamoring for atten'
tion, the neighbors began making INQUIRIES as
methodical man in all his habits, and 1t had
been his custom for years every day to go to a
bank in the vicinity where he kept his deposits,
iY,Cr1 HV1di ha ho6 nt haa fhaTo
| suspicion was awakened that something was
| wrong. About o'clock in the evening the
| uproar in the closed room had become so great
| that it had attracted a considerable crowd upon
| the street in front of the house. The dogs were
| bowling and barking, the parrots squalling, and
the other birds each in their peculiar way
adding to the din. At this time the police were
notified, and Roundsman Mullen, of the 7 TWenty-
seventh precinct, despatched TO the scene. On
| his arrival the officer at once broke open the
street door and entered the room. The atmo-
sphere was lntolerably close and hot, the odor
almost sufocating, and the dogs and birds
| breaking out into chorus of redoubled vIgor
| upon his appearance the officer for q moment
| was scarcely conscious.
] After a moment, however, he saw before him
stretched out upon the floor, the feet under a
| stove. and the head under table, the dead body
| OF Dalton. The throat was cut from ear to ear,
every vein and artery severed, and beside him
| lay the bloody razor, which he had used with
such force that death must have been instanta
! neous. The body was dressed in the usual
clothing worn by the deceased, and was stiff
and rigid, showing that he had not gone to bed
on Wednesday night, and that he had been dead
for hours. The condition of the birds and dogs,
however, attested this latter fact still more
strongly than the body; they we're all evidently
suffering intensely for food and water. Shortly
after the discovery was made, one of the dogs o
black-and-tan terrier of not more than five
pounds weight, which in common with its fel.
lows was tied up to the wall, managed to gel
loose, and before it was noticed it had buried
Its head in the yawning chasm In the deaC
mans throat aud had begun to feast upon the
flesh. 1t was instantly discovered, however, anC
taken away by the officers, and ultimately re
moved to the Twentyseventh Precinct Station
House.
officers Hays and Mcdonnell, of the Twenty
seventh Precinct, were placed in charge of til,
premises, and everything left as it was found
to await the arrival of the Coroner, except tina
water and food were supplied to the birds an(
dogs Dalton was man about forty-6Ve YEAR
of age, was an American by birth, and Is saiC
to have two brothers residing on Staten Island
but further than this nothing appears to b,
known of him, even by those among whom h,
has lived for years. An inquest will be hell
to.day.-M Y. Times.