The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-12-14

a Prominent Dallas Book-keeper
Tires OF LiEe and balances his
own Account.

Ow0 Account.
Inc startling news spread over the CITY
early yesterday morning that Mr.. j. D. Smith,
well'known citizen Of this city, had com,
mitted suicide in his room, at the CrutchRold
house. corner of Main and Houston streets.
AT the breakfast hour one of the employees Of
the house found him lying dead on his bed
In one of the ess. rooms of the building.
His outer garments we're on q chair. The
body was rested in diagonal position on
the bed. His left arm was thrown up over
his head with the hand grasping the pillow
beneath his head, while his rigb. lev pendant
oy MS side, the hand being
eline9ed' His features were calm
ana MS eyes were vide open. Thsre was a
ssIesH OF Oiovu extending from his mouth
AF'os. mis- right eheek, produced probably ky
q slight hemorrhage. On table near by
was Il large-sized pill.box labeled "mor.
phine in which remained a remnant of the
deadly drug he had taken to end his exists
ence. Besides this, there was package of
papers neatly tied up marked j. d. Smiths
private papers, He did not leave single
line behind to tell why no had
destroyed himself. Mr. Smith was up to
Saturday noon in the employ OF Messrs.
Padgtt Bros, wholesale harness and sAdalery
merchants of this city, and had been with
them five years and seven months. On that
day he had conversation with Mr. w. G.
Fadgitt, the senior member of the firm, in
which he stated that he was in debt, which
appeared to trouble him great deal. Mr..
Padgitt told him that he would advance the
money for him to liquidste his Indebtedness,
but he replied that il was too clever,
and while he appreciated his
kind offer, he would prefer that he pay Of
so much of 1t for him each week. Mr.. Pad.
gift consented to this, but when no returned
from dinner he told Mr. Padgtt that no had
rsconsidersd the matter, and that he would
resign his position, to which that gentleman
reluctantly consented. He then went to tho
Ctutchfeld house, where he registered, civ.
ing the name of the firm with which he had
been, when he WAS shown to his rsom, which
no kept not appearing at meals
or having any sent to his room, until
Sunday evening about supper time, when he
came down stairs, returning in few minutes
afterwards, and nothing more was seen Of
him until found dead.yesterday morning.
The deceased came 10 this city Gomo seven
years ago from New Orleans, where he went
from Canton, Mississippi, at which place hi
relatives reside. AT one time in life he was
the possessor of handsome fortune, but lost
it in specializing in cotton.
He was true gentleman, inheriting noble
qualities of heart and mind, and leaves behinf
him hest of warm friends in this city, wht
mourn his untimely and sad end. He wal
about forty-two years old. 1t appears tina
he was addicted to gaming, which brough
him in debt. His services commanded goo(
salary and he was thorough book-keeper
Those for whom he worked give him fin,
name for his honesty and faithfulness to thei
business interests.
The remains we're taken to the residence o
Mr. Booso, on South Main street, near th,
corner of Harwood, where he had BEEF
rooming, and from which place the funerA
took place, to the Trinity cemetery. Rsy
II. A. Bourland, of tho M. 4. church south
preached the funeral sermoh, which was fal
Of feeling. lie had on several occasion
within the past four months threatened t
take his own life, but his friends thought i
mere idle talk.
Before the removal of the remains an in
QUESTION was held ut the Crutchtield hous
by Justice w. NJ. Edwards, acting coroner
who empannellod the following jury Of in
quest: 4. Renicke, Thomas CadO, Thoms
Heating, J. s. Terry, j. p. Roberts and J
A. Kinuau.
The following testimony waa elicitedi
W. u. Padgitt, the first witness, beini
duly sworn testified MS follows: 81 have bee
up and examined the body Of the deceased
at the CrutchfelG house, and find il to be tina
of j. D. Smith, who has been employed b
US as bookkeeper for over five years; h
, came into the store last Saturday a. noo
and announced to me that he would give u
his situation; l have not seen him since unit
this morning, when l saw his bod
at the Crutchfeld house; ho hs
been boarding at Mrs. Colemsn's, an
rooming at Mrs. Booso's for the last tN
years or more, but for the past few days
has been boarding around town.
q A. A. Kennedy, tho second witness swor
testified: The deceased came to tho G,utc
field house on Saturday afternoon ;
8 seemed to DO drinking; l did not speak
Il him when he came in; he occupied roo
n in the house since he came there {; he W
heard groaning on Saturday night by t
IS boarders ho came down from his roc
d Sunday after supper and went right back,
q | am told; he was found dead in his b
n this morning about breakfast time; VIII
. he went to bed be said that he did not We
l. any meals; he did not cat anything SUI
r. day.
d DR.. j. NJ. Pace, the third with,
.s introduced, testified: have examined t
Il body of j. d. Smith, and it is my opisit
" that he came to his death by taking mt
v phine as his pupils are widely dilated a
bis features composed, and further to *
h roborato this statement, there was q ial
,s size pill-box on his table marked "mt
10 phine." =.
n After hearing the evidence, tho jury Of
: Quest returned verdict shat the decesse
d j. d. Smith, came to his death on the mig
ar of tho 18th or the msrning Of the l8th
d OF December, 1880, BY morphine admin
10 tered by his own hand"
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