The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-03-29

Hood Aston,

The Dixon (Solano county Cal Tri-
bune OF the 6th inst. publishes the fol-
lowing statements concerning Hood AL
stop, whose recent sensational suicide ut
| New Orleans was reported in the Times,
alleging them to be facts: 1t declares
Hood Aston to have been an utterly
unprincipled adventurer, and to be so
vet, if he is still in this world. It says
that several years since Aston, being
in Utah, and presumably penniless,
made over $1,000 by lectures on the
infalability OF the mormon church, and
wickedness of the Gentiles persecution
of it and its saints, -Four years ago,
when he won the affections of Mrs.
Aston, then the young widow of Mr..
Werner, of Yoke county, recently
deceased, all her relatives and friends
protested against her marrying him,
alleging that his nefarious object was to
obtain possession of her property.
After marriage, Mr.. and Mrs. Aston
went to San Jose, where they resided a
year During that time a suit was
instituted against them by others claim
ing to be legal heirs of the deceased
Werner. Aston was all the time MAIN
tanning a running and costly fight with
faro and other financial enemies ger
main thereto, but the suit was finally
determined in favor Of his wife, and he
accounted to her for the deficiency in
the budget by dividing the deficiency
by two and dexterously adding one-half
of it to the fees of attorneys. When
they returned to their original county
Aston obtained an appointment as a
public school teacher, and gave great
satisfaction to rural parents for the
successful way in which he made the
Young Yolo ideas shoot along the
grooves of the four requisite RS. But
with all his salary and all the income
from his wife's farm, he could not yet
so skillfully play on the green cloth as to
leave enough in the general fund to
pay the household expenses. Last De
cember he contracted to sell the farm
and received $500 in gold to bind the
contract, under the statute of frauds.
That very same day he fastened
down to the Riverside, and that night
he dropped the whole amount, every
cent, at draw poker, having unwisely
called upon four queens with only full
on jacks. Upon the receipt of the
balance Of the purchase money he
spceded to Sacramento and deposited
one thousand eight hundred dollars in
a capital faro bank. A few days after
he came to San Francisco. and, return
ing, told his wife he had bought a lot
at Berkeley, paid portion OF its price
and deposited with Frank Pixley the
remainder Of the money. When he and
his wife came down their furniture had
been packed and sent down also. This
furniture has been recovered. The day
he abandoned his wife he offered her q
twenty dollar gold piece, but she de.
ciined it because she had four bits,
which was all she had, and which, she
said, would be all she needed till he re-
turned the same evening. The watch
returned to her was a comparatively
worthless one. Aston retaininga val
liable gold one. 1t was known he had
a 500 check, being the balance of
$500 paid him by Eppinger & Co., for
his wife's wheat. His recent ncighbors
object to his ante-mortcm jcremiad
that it does not explain why he left his
wife a stranger in a strange city with
out a cent and with his children to care
for, and they arc still Grm Of the opin-
Jon that Hood Aston IS too consnm-
mate a rascal to commit suicide in
Mississippi or any place else, in a
cemetery or under cedar, Hood Aston
himself and the postmaster of Bay st.
Louis to the contrary notwithstanding.