Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-03-09
[san Francisco Chronic.c.l

lSan francisco Chfonlcie
A few days since the mysterious
disappearance of Hood Alston,
under circumstances of q very dis
tressipg character, was described
in the Chronicle, and various expla-
nations were subsequently made
and speculations indulged in re-
garding his absence, none of which
were satisfactory or consistent.
The melancholy sequel is now re.
ceived, involving the death of the
unfortunate man by suicide, with q
sad story over his own name. In
which he reveals terrible afilic-
tion which for years had burdened
him with despair, and finally drove
him to cruel desertion Of his FAM
ily and the act of self-destruction.
For some years past he resided on
farm near Davisville, and be-
guiled his leisure with literary
work. Recently he disposed IF his
farm with the design of securing a
residence near the metropolis, and
accompanied by his
WIFE AND INFANT CHILDREN,
He arrived in this city on the lst
of February aud took quarters at
the Brooklyn Hotel. On the day
following, which was Sunday, he
went to Berkeley to inspect a piece
of property, the purchase of which
he had in view. He took affection
ate leave of his wife and children at
the hotel, though not in a manner
to indicate that he contemplated
more than few bours' absence;
but it proved final parting. Not
returning ii several days, Mrs, AL
ston became greatly alarmed, and
on Thursday, the 9Th Of February,
she went to Berkeley to make in.
quiries. She found that her hus-
band visited Berkeley on Sunday,
accomplished his errand and start
ed to San Francisco by the 2 P. NJ.
local train. No further trace could
be obtained of Alston, and as he
had some $4,000 on his person, his
wife was Frustrated with despair,
under the apprehension that he
had been murdered. After she
returned to the hotel she was visit
ed by a man named Mccullough,
who has the reputation of being a
faro gambler, who handed her u
watch belonging to her, which her
husband was wearing when he dis
appeared. Mccullough refused to
make any explanation further
than to inform the distressed wife
that her husband had gone away.
In subsequent interviews, when
Mrs. Alston implored Mccullough
to relieve her suspense regarding
the fate of her husband, he stated
that Alston lad lost his money in
q faro bank and had deserted his
family never more to return, aud
she was advised to go back to her
relatives and
ABANDON THE HOPE
OF ever seeing him again. McCul-
Tough appeared to be moved by
some unaccountab1e sympathy,
and several times he visited Mrs.
Aston, accompanied by his wife,
to join him in persuadiug the up-
fortunate lady to abandon the hope
less inquiry after her husband, and
return to her friends. Mrs. Alston,
! however, steadfastly refused to
credit any such explanation of her
husbands absence, asserting that
he never played cards or gambled
in any form; that be never drank
liquor; and the loss eff his money,
or any other misfortune, would not
prevent him from returning to his
family if he was able. To add 10
the mystery, and Increase the dis
nf fha tn ,,p1taa
officers assigned to the duty of in
quiring into the matter assured
Mrs. Alston that they had positive
information that her husband was
drugged on the Sunday night of his
disappearance, put into a buggy and
driven to the Vallejo boat, and that
he was taken on board in an insen-
sible condition and conveyed to
Sacramento. On what ground this
report was made by the police has
not been explained. 1t was also
asserted by the police that Alston
was in Sacramento on the Sd and
4th of February and that he gam
bled away about $500 in English
sovereigns, and that he was in that
city previously during December,
and on that occasion he lost nearly
$4,000 in gambling. On this in.
formation the theory was raised
that Alston having thus squandered
the money resulting from the sale
of the farm which originally be.
longed to his wife, and fearing to
meet her grief and disappointment
on discovering the loss, he
adopted the cowardly alternative
of bassly' deserting his family.
With these assertions, all traces of
the missing man were lost, until a
dispatch was received at the Chron.
icle office on Monday night an