Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-02-07
FOUND DEAD.

J. Y. Creighton. Guest at the PlcS
House. Found Dead in the Yart
of the Hotel-A Fractured Skull
Tells Mysterious story-Th'
Coroner's Inquest.
This community was violently shocket
at an early hour yesterday morning, b,
the report, which rapidly thrilled tn,
city, that man had been found dead il
the rear ourt-yard Of the Pioo House
The pantry-man Of the Hotel, wher
coming on to his days work at half-pas
five o'clock in the morning, was horri
fed by the spectacle of man lyine
prone in pool Of blood. He rushed uI
to the PROSTATE figure, hoping agains
hope that the man had merely faller
down in q swoon, but had no soonel
touched him than he recognized that the
human form before him was one from
which the spirit had fed, He called th,
night clerk, Mr.. 8. True, and with bis
assistance recognized the deceased as q
boarder at the hotel, who had come to
the city on the first Of this month, and
had registered as J. Y. Creighton, Of
San Francisco. They lifted him up VI
ascertain, If possible, whether life was
entirely extinct, and noticed, in 30 doing,
that the mans skull had been fractured
and his left arm broken. The coroner
was notified Immediately of the matter,
and under this gentleman's instructions
the remains were removed to the under
taking establishment of Messrs. Ponet &
Orr. DR.. Nadear summoned jury at
eleven o'clock in the morning, and the
investigation of the circumstances and
manner Of Creighton's death commenced.
There were no witnesses to his fall or
the cause Of his death. The pantry man
and the night clerk were summoned be-
fore the jury, and 4estified to all that
they knew about the deceased, which
has been recited above From letters
found upon his clothes, it was learned
that the dead man had father living in
Kingston, Canada, and wife at Seattle,
Washington Territory. The Coroner's
jury brought in verdict that J. Y.
Creighton, deceased, had como to his
death from fracture of the skull, caused
by a fall or leap from the window of
room in the Pico House, the reason for
which was not known to the jury. Mr..
Joe. Gassmann, the Coroner's Clerk,
took an inventory OF the effects belong.
ing to Creighton, found in his room in
the hote' They consisted of an excel
lent wardrobe, in which everything was
of the best quality. Twenty-Five scarfs
or neck-ties, and dozen pairs orso of kid
gloves, were part Of the contents Of Q
trunk which was in the room.
A Herald reporter visited the scene
of the fatal catastrophe yesterday after
noon to obtain some clue to the reason
for the sad casualty. The room occu-
pied by the deceased was in the third
story, looking out upon Chinatown. 1t
opened upon court yard and was fully
sixty feet from the ground. To the left
of the window and touching il, was a
gallery running the length of the build.
ing, at right angles TO Creighton's win.
dow. At an elevation of some twelve
feet from the ground and directly under
the window of the room referred to,
was frail wooden shed. A careful ex-
animation Of the shed disclosed the fact
that no heavy body had struck il. The
SCOT and dust upon it was undisturbed,
and, moreover, the shed was too fragile
to have borne the shock of SO heavy
body falling upon it. These facts, added
to that of the dead man having been
found at distance of at least fifteen feet
from the wall in which the window of
his room was, destroyed the theory, at
first advanced, that he had thrown him
self out Of his bed -room window. Every
circumstance led to the conclusion that
he had in some manner climbed out Of
his window to the gallery before men
toned, and that he had leaped, fallen
or stumbled from that to the ground,
thus causing his death.
Persons about the premises say that
the man came to the hotel on the first Of
February; that he was extremely retic-
ent and uncommunicative, and, the night
before he met his end, seemed to be
under the influence of either morphine
or liquor. His behavior. 1t seems, was
peculiar enough to attract attention,
and he appeared dazsd or stupifed. 1t
could not be learned that he had been
drinking heavily. No one about the
place knew anything Of his history or
of his intentions. "A
The deceased was man OF about IS
years of age. He was Eve feet nine
inches tall; hair a light brown, and
moustache and whisksrs OF a red
dish brown color. A gentleman who
viewed the remains at Ponet 4 Orr's
after the inquest, stated that he was
convinced he had seen the deceased in
Portland, Oregon, last year, where he
was then engaged in auctioneering and
in general furniture business. Tele-
grams were sent Immediately to the
father and wife of the unfortunate man.
His remains will be kept at the under.
takers pending an answer.
Thus is another human creature hur
ried before bis Creator, and human ken
will probably never know whether
Creighton, addicted to sleep-walking,
stumbled down to his death, or whether
crazed by drink, he threw away his life
in fit Of temporary insanity.
Memorial Services.