Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-25
SUICIDE OF D. F. CALLAHAN.


suicide at the Golden Eagle Hotel. "Uncle
Dan,' as be was Familiarity called by most
everybody, wss one Of the best known and
respected old gentlemen in this section. For
several months he has resided on small
ranch, which he had christened "Csten
Home" situated not far from PenIyn, in
Placer county. Ever since last election, and
even several months previous to that his
friends noticed thst he was getting TO be
Respondent; that his former Jolly laugh aud
familiar jokes were getting 60 be infrequsnt.
He never was tie came cheerful, light-hearted
old man shat he was before, after ne was in.
posed upon by q "sack, said to contain
"certain amount which was deposited in
the county treasury in the interest If q GER
tain official, and which. upon inspection,
proved to be "a sBindle" upon the public.
He from that day thought politically he was
ruined, and that his friends suspected him
of officially recognizing fraud. Last Sunday
he arrived in this city from his ranch, drove
up to Payne's STABLE, put up his team, and,
taking a basket that was Ia bis buggy, went
to the Golden Eagle Hotel. It wss late il
the afternoon whsn be arrived OF the hotel,
and stepping to toe counter he asked to BE-
conducted to rear room where ne could
retire and rest, complaining that ne was very
tired. The next morning be arose early
called around town to see several parties, and
upou leaving each would give q cordial shake
of the hand and say Good-by." He called
at the county treasury to see Treasurer
G-eenlaw and Chairman Smith, Of the Board
of Supervisors, relative to communications
which they had written him concerning Ger.
tain of his official acts. Mr.. Greenlaw was
quite busy at the time, as was also Chsirman
L - pOA
them at o'clock the next morning. While
at the Courthouse he was told by Supervisor
Bailey that q couple Of errors in the swamp
land fund had been discovered that
would make the cash short in the
neighborhood of 81, 100. MIR. Callahan
exclaimed, MY God, if that is the case
might SIS we'll 90 and shoot myself, for l can
never pay It," Mr.. Bailey tried to reason
with him, saying that it might On investigG-
ton prove TO be a clerical error, and no one
suspected him of dishonesty in any manner
He seemed, however, TO be very respondent
He stepped into furniture store!dow town,
and remarked to the proprietor: :" l feel
very bad to-day; in fact | sat down while
ago and had good cry. l went into one of
my old rooms at the Golden Eagle, and saw
the furniture, pictures and other things
bought by me when | was in fine ciIcum-
stances. / sat down in the room, and when |
compared those wealthy, happy hours to
these poverty-strieken, miserable days, l
sobbed and cried like child" He went TO
saloon where his son was working, gave him
the name of parties to whom he wss
indebted, called for drink, and as he
held it in his hand, said, This is the last
drink I viii ever take. l shall not return to
the ranch" Shortly after that he returned
to the hotel and went to his room. About
o'clock yesterday morning some one called to
see him, and getting no answer to the knock
on his door. it was forced open, and there on
his bed, rigid in death, his right hand clutch
ing murderous. looking revolver, lay Dan
Callahan. He had evidently laid down, and
aseertaining the exact position of his heart,
had fred a ball through that organ. The
pistol had been pushed against the body, as
the clothing and flesh were badly powder
burned. From the position of the body
and features it was evident that death was
instantaneous. The bedding was saturated
with blood. In the room on a stand near the
bed lay large.sized derringer, beside which
was an unopened bottle of strychnine and
one of morphine. He evidently ct one time
had contemplated committing suicide by
taking poison. The body was Immediately
taken charge of by Coroner Clark and re-
moved TO the Morgue. There are many ru-
mors as to what caused him TO commit the
rash act Many think that it was entirely
owing to the 81, 100 swamp land transaction
spoken Of above. This, however, should nos
have bothered him, for it is learned that
while a certain fund was short some $1,l00,
there had been left q surplus by the ex-
Treasurer of over 81, goo that remains unap-
portioned. The newspaper reporters, at
any rate those of this paper, have
been aware of the facts in this case
for upwards of two weeks, but have RETAINED
from making any statement until MIR. Gala
han came to the city and had the matter
Strengthened out. No one believes now, or
ever has. that he was indebted to the county,
or ever in any manner misappTopriated one
cent of the public funds. Mr.. Callahan was
ca yesrs old, a native of Pennsylvania, and
came TO California in 1S49. He was one of
the first to engage in the hotel business in
Sacramento, and continued in that business
until 1874. He built the Golden Eagle Ho-
tel furnished it in elegant style, became ia
volved in so doing, and finally had to surren-
der that fine property to the mortgage. the
O3d Fellows Bank. The inquest will be
held at the Coroner's Office this evening. The
deceased was Pioneer and a member Of the
Masonic fraternity.
THE STRIKE.-Advices from Portland, Or,
by letter state that every man went out when
the strike commenced, and Superintendent
Lamb was running toe offics alone. Later
advices state that Superintendent Lamb had
secured two inferior operators to help out.
At San Francisco the strikers are firm. and
have received assurances of sympathy and
financial aid from the operators at various
points in California who are still at work,
Superintendent Jaynes sent an operator to
Portland by Mondays steamer, who took
with him the accumulated business of four
days for Oregon points. The operator was
driven to the steamer in s. hack, accompanied
by two policemen. In Sacramento the strik-
ing operators organized yesterday by choosing
Treasurer TO receive contributions which
are constantly proffered. and business com.
mittee to attend to the general interests of
the strikers. Two more men joined ths force
on duty hare yesterday, one of whom had
previously failed to hold down a position
in San Francisco. a third, one Lasheil. from
Biggs Station, offered his services very cheap.
which were declined, as he was too well
known OF the wire already as an atrocious
"plug."
MARKS REMANDED. Yesterday the Su.
preme Court rendered decision in the Gaze
of E. Marks, on hsbeas corpus. The
prisoner was remanded to the custody Of the
Warden Of the Folsom prison and the writ
dismissed. It will be remembered that
Marks is the Ukiah murderer who was
pardoned by Governor Perkins on condition
that he leave the State and never return.
The prisoner when released refused TO comply
with the conditions of his pardon and was
rearrested in this city by the order OF
Warden McComb of tie Folsom prison.
A Bold CHINESE RoBBER.-Wm. Close,
section foreman on the railroad. stopped for
a moment on the corner of Second and
streets about u o'clock last night, when q
Chinaman accosted him with, what you do
here?" and approached. Mr.. Close made
some off handed remark and the Chinaman
grabbed his watch chain and with that and
the watch attached ran up I street. Local
Officer May was in the immediate neighbour
hood and gave chase, bat che celestial.
eluded him among the slums and opium dens
on the souIharn shore of Lake Como.
SALVADOR TRoAL-Win. J. Davis, official
Court reporter, has Gnished writing ont his
notes in the Troai examination, and all the
testimony, four neatly-bound volumes, has
been ilsd in the Office of the County Clark.
Troai's case will be set for the September
term. He, as well as bis counsel, is anxious
for speedy trial. At on early day his sttor-
neys will apply to the Supreme Court and
ask that he be admitted to bail. They claim
that thav ara rae9v and can of 20 or aov mo-