The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-05
RALsTON'S DROWNING.

when the latter first went into the water says
saw Mr. Raston about halfpast three o'clock com.
ing out OF one OF the dressing rooms, after he had
taken shower bath He looked as cheerful as ever.
saw nothing unusual In his manner appearance He
ontelcu tne water anu swan toward an olu boat lying
about 800 yards in front Of the Smelling Works lie
IL the best swimmer In town. In about fifteen minutes
alter he entered the water-he about half way be-
tween the smelling works and the boat-a at once
he seemed to throw himself on his side and dive
twice, when he seen no more. The bath
house keeper TO his assistance Immediately in
boat. then entered 10 dress myself which did as
quickly possible Amer dressing | ran along the
beach and jumped over the fence belonging to the
smelling works and when | arrived the other side
of the works | found three four rolling Mr.
Ralson a barrel great deal of water out OF
his mouth After while Dr. Newmark came up. The
Doctor and tried 10 stimulate artificial bIeathng
knet down and blew into his mouth, quantity OF
mucus issuing thereupon from his nose The Doctor
elected the air from his BODY by pressing on his
stomach We continued this for about an hour and
quarter Meanwhile others rubbing his hands and
feet and limbs with salt and sand TO irratc the skin.
Artificial respiration was also produced by elevatng and
lowering the constantly The first half hour sue
seemed to crown our work, his body getting warm
and his face recovering some oil IT'S natural color we
kept this treatment up until French physician ar.
rived who examined him and pronounced him beyond
hope. We then ceased our efforts TO rcsuscilate
him. My lips and lungs began smartng, and
| heard several in the crowd say that Mr.
Ralson had taken poison began to fear that had been
inoculated then went TO Churner, the druggist on
Bush street, who said that my symptoms of pain were
the consequences of too much exertion in forcing air
into Mr. Raston's lungs. Two other boys were bathing
at the same time that was.
Alfred Fanley, boy is the person who last saw Mr..
Ralston in life and conscious The boy was himself
entering the water ut the time Tor bath, and Mr..
Ralston asked him whether the water cold Fanlcy
remarked, mo, not very cold; 1t won't be very cold
after you get into it," Mr. Ralston plunged in and
swan considerable distance, and the boy kept
him company. About 100 yards or shore the boy
thought he had proceeded far enough and himself turn
ing, shouted to Mr. Raston TO return also. Mr. Rails
did not heed the warning but kept right on seem
ing to luXurate in the recreation, and the boy
him round the steamer Bullion and pass it, The
anchor directly the north the lead
works.
Mr. Ralston was in the habit of visiting our bath
house ut irregular intervals during the last three
months. He always reached the bathhouse at about
half past six in the morning Last Monday he did not
until about nine O'Clock A. NJ, which also
the last time he visited the baths until to-day. He
visited the baths in the afternoon He always
rode out large black horse To-day he reached the
baths at about halfpast three r. NJ and persprng
freely having evidently walked high sand hull
back Of the smelling works He into the dressing
and dsrobed. His general habit was to leave his
clothing in the dressing room but upon this OCCASION
after he had disobcd and donned his bathing costume
he brought his clothing TO my house and handed
with the remark that they contained vauables and
his usual good humor, and joked with me
and those present. His appearance in nowise
different from that manifested on previous occasions
He entered the water and swan about three hundred
yards straight line north from the bathhouse
then turned at right angles and about the same
distance towards the smelling works He then turned
and continued swimming toward the smelling works
When about $50 yards from the smelling works he
was seen TO sink twice; but | thought he was only
diving, which tavorite pastime of his But
noticing that he did not rise called my husband who
Immediately went to his relief but the engineer at
the smelling works succeeded in reaching the body
first.
HOW THE REPORT OF POISONING AROSE.
A careful scrutiny of all the circumstances refues
the supposon which nj first obtained credence that
Mr.. Rslston either attempted contemplated sui
eide On the day of the bank failure Mr.. lalston
us collected and free from it is possible
imagine TO be. and he cOnVerSpd with the
reporters quietly and in perfectly sefpossessed
tone. He had evidently made up his mind that the
crisis must be faced in manly way, and with much
To him, he carried himself through the ordeal
of communicating the banks shattered position with
fortitude truly admirable Yesterday Mr.. Ralston
at the bank giving all the assistance in his power
10 aid the investigation that Is progressing He seemed
little Hurried and worn out with excitement, if he
had passed the night restessy but temperate and
in his conversation and not averse TO
granting audience to visitors many OF whom called at
the bank during the morning There nothing in his
manner To warrant the slightest suspicion that the
thought of seidestruction had crossed his mind and
in the fact that he went to North Beach his
tom, the afternoon for bath, there is rational
ground 10 suppose that he went there otherwise than
with the object of enjoying swim and refreshing HIM
self No strong swimmer, such as Mr. Ralston was,
would dream of suicide in this fashion The probabli-
ties are the physicians suppose that he was seized
with apoplectic it, and losing consciousness foated
with the tide nerty until he picked up. IL Is posi-
bic that the drowning may have been due to cramps;
but of this the indications not apparent those
which suggest apopleXy
Frederick Gambon who reported the occurrence to
Richards at the bathhouse, makes the following state
ment, which seems to confirm the opinion of the
physicians II out at North Beach taking my daily
bath. / man swimming out from the bathhousc,
and swimming very strongly. He would raise his head
Of the ut intervals and shake it to get rid of
the water, Il strong swimmer does When he got
opposite boat that floating outside in the water
him jerk his head up and down very quickly, and
then heard say, THAT man Is drowning" |
to the keeper ofthe bath and told him So and he
said ''Great God that is William C. Raston ~
said ''You get the while shove the boat INTO
the water y The boat too small for two men to go
in the bathkeeper went alone Before he got
TO the body another man had picked it up and
when hailed him. and said Bring that man here; he
will die before you get him TO the wharf" He said,
He is dead already" | said, "Never mind, bring him
here" He did When the body landed
began to try and restore II according to directions that
had read to be followed such The heart
beat strongly, and he had good pulse We tried for
some time, about ten fifteen minutes, and then his
face got blue and we knew he dead.
The story that Mr. Ralston had poisoned himself
evidently had ITS origin in the following circumstance:
Near the spot where Mr.. Ralston put his bathing
dress boy picked up bottle containing Il dark mix
ture. The bottle examined by reporter and was
found To contain cough mixture. Mr.. Richards him
self had thrown il away, but the incident served
foundation for the report that Mr.. Ralston before
going into batfe had drank of some lotion from a
wal, and then going in to battle had succumbed to
its ELECTS.