Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-09
aD,,rRERs OF Bob INGERsoLL.
The Two philadelphia Boys Who Ended
Their Lives Together,

I The Two 10Ia W nO
/ Their Lives Together.
Recent investigations into the cause of
the double tragedy in which the boys
Clayton and Baker died together, says a
Philadelphia special to the Baltimore
american, almost prove conclusively that
the lads had agreed to leave this world
together, and that Clayton first killed his
! companion and then killed himself. Clay
ton for the last two years had been en-
| plOyed by a gentleman whose place OF
| business is on NOrt1 Third street. Here
/ he showed himself to be good worker,
| always ready to do anything he was told.
1 About three months before the shooting
I he began buyIng lectures written by Bob
IngersOll. and after this he began talking
! Of his new friend Baker. l am satisfied
be was reading one Of these books when
under the lamp on the corner.
Clayton had twenty OF these lee
lures, which had the cOlOred paper backs,
similar to the yellOW-cOYered novels.
These he would read to Baker, and the
result was that both boys became, or pro-
fessed to be, Of the same opinion as the
writer. Clayton did not believe there was
a hereafter, and mad frequent talks with
his employer and shOpmates, who ridi-
culed his ideas and did everything POSI-
bic to get him to give up such reading
matter and get something more suitable
to boy CT his age. He would often reply
that he read books which neither of them
could understand, and, in support of his
assertions, brought them books which he
obtained at the Apprentices Library,
most OF which We're accounts of scientific
explorations in all parts of the world. At
times he Was one of the liYeliest of boys,
but at others seemed oppressed and mel
anchOly. One day he remarked to a shop
mate: There's nothing in this world
worth living for, and think I'll kill my
self. But when / do, am going to take
my best friend with me- This was cOnsid-
cred joke, and the man laughed il of
and the conversation d-ifted to another
subject. To the same workman he said
one day that he and John Baker, had
agreed to die the night before. Said Clay
ton on this occasion: Il put the pistol TO
his head. and he never flinched. 1t only
needed little pressure OF my finger and
| his spark would have gone out. but L
/ didn't have the neck to pull the trigger.
| 1 told John so, and gave him the pistol,
| but he didn't have the neck either"
Clayton was a pupil at Lewis Gymna-
/ SUM, corner of Ninth and Arch streets,
and could do almost everything known in
| the cOntOrtiOnists' line. He did not seem
I to care for anything, and had an utter
disregard for human life. He asked one
of the men by whose side he worked
whether he had any enemies whom he
wanted Ito get rid off," ''Ill fix them
for you If you want anything of this kind
DONE" he said.
On the very day on which the tragedy
occurred, Clayton said he wanted to get
the blues, ''because," he said, "when a
fellow has the blues he can do any amount
of shooting" This was in the morning.
[ In tho afternoon q said IN tho Same man
PPM going down stairs and get pie.
want to get the dyspepsia; and when a
fellow has that disease he gets melan-
chOlv. That's the condition l want to be
in" He went down stairs, bought a
small. mince pie aud ate it. He left the
shop at 6 O'Clock on that night, and at 10
O'Clock both himself and friend were