The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-02-23
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iie Does II With Ils little PISTOL, hoHinr
Himself 1hf0anh the Tap ihp Head

Himself 1hfodah the Tap no Head
Yesterday morning, abou lcoct hc
dead body Of Alexander Jolnanu, swedo
was found In the water closet OF Adam
sohaub, on east Elm street a 'plorod
man who works near the saloon went into
the back yard to visit the closet, the saloon
having lust been opened, and found the de-
ceased, his head bent forward on his
breast and life extinct. The man ~ once
notified Mr.. SGhnub aud he called IN the
authorities. The body was removed ~ Mr.
Lnskie's undertaking establishments close
by, and Justice Edwards proceeded tohold
an inquest.
DR.. Allen testified that the deceased
came to his death from gun-shot wou nd
in the roof of his mouth, the ball pass ng
upward and penetrating the brain, causln 4
instant death. The deceased had i'll hls
hand, when found II small toy pistol, con
tanning cartridge shell and showing that
IL had been fired oil 1t was evident That
lac had put the muzZle of the pistol in lbs
mouth and fired. The pistol was So IN
significant in size and calibre, the ball y
carried being hardly larger than an English
pea, that II could hardly have caused death
in any other way than placing the muzzle
in the mouth, the ear or the eye. 1t could
not have cost more than
sIN-BITs,
| And no one would ever suspect another OF
selfdestruction with such weapon.
The first witness examined before the
| jury of inquest was
| SIMON REED,
| Who testified that he was a bartender for
Mr.. Schaub, and that he had gone on watch
| at the saloon at O'Clock in the morning.
| He then went on to tell of colored man
| going to the rear of the saloon and immedl-
ately returning, and asking him if the man
on the outside was living or dead. He then
went out and found deceased laying down
partly in and partly out OF the rrivy, dead,
not seen Johnson before since the
morning before about IL O'Clock, when
left the saloon drunk. At that time John.
son asked him for n pistol, and he refused
to give him one. He said he slept above
the saloon, but heard no pistol shot during
the night or at any time that morning
He said Adam Schaub told him Johnson
was in the saloon about S O'clock the night
before. The saloon generally closed ut IL
O'Clock every night. He had been intimate
! with johnson in his lifetime, and had fire.
| qucntly heard Johnson say that he INTENDED
! to kill himself Johnson was single man,
| well-to.do, owned farm about seven miles
from town, and also had u dairy about Il
| mile from the corporate limits. He knew
his own life except his habits of dissipa-
ton.
b. Hurst was the next witness, but his
testimony was only q statement of seeing
the body directly after the negro had found
it, and that he slept near where the body
was found, but had heard no pistol shot du-
ring the night or that morning.
Undertaken Linskie testified that he saw
the body very shortly after it was first discov-
cred and took charge of it shortly after
ward He was Of the opinion that johnson
had been dead about eight hours when first
found, as decomposition had set in and pro-
crossed rapidly.
Upon this evidence the jury returned the
| following verdict We say that Ale1an-
der Johnson came to his death i'll the city
and county of Dallas, Texas, some time
during the night of the 18th day of Febrt-
airy, 1852, or early on the morning of Feb.
ruary 18th, from the effects of pistol ball
wound in the roof of his mouth, pene-
trating the base Of the brain, and that the
pistol was fired by the deceased with sui
cida intent, in our opinion. In testimo y
whereof the said jury as well as the said
coroner have hereunto signed our hands,
this February Is, 1882:
lSgnedl