Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-10
JAMES R. SMITH. JR.,
Tells Why He Attempted Suicide, ar
How He Did 1t.

AChib w hc >ufCiue, ant
How He Did 1t.
James Rogers Smith, Jr.. whose hat an6
coat were found on the barge Yolo on the
morning of November Doth, with note
expressing his intention to commit suicide
has written the RECORD UNION long letter
from Woodland, under date of December
9TH, in which he gives the history of his
life in Sacramento from October 1883, until
the close of last November. He attributes
all his trouble to young lady, who
originally became angry with him because
he did not think certain young man and
woman were proper company for her, and
expressed himself vigorously to that effect
He asserts that she estranged his family
from him, and goes on to say
AS had no money nor work, and was
getting tired of borrowing money from
Allie Thomas, thought | would end my
life, as | had nothing in particular to live
for. will here say that did not room
with Allie Thomas year and half, but
for about six months, and then not steadily.
He did support me for about six weeks,
but no more; and did not take As cents
out of his pocket on leaving that night nor
did | take the quantity of yen shee he
spoke of. l did take a handful of yen
shee, which l will speak of hereafter
ION the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day
saw -- and spoke to her. She would not
give me any satisfaction in regard to keep
ing her tongue still. told her then that
was tired of fighting her, and if she did not
quit would take my own life. | saw her
again Saturday, the 9th, and spoke TO her
again, with the same result SO | then de
termined that | would have peace any way.
| first intended to blow out my brains, but
on after-thought thought would get Al
lie Thomas in trouble if | did, as it was his
revolver intended using having none of
my own. / wrote the first part of the let
ter that was found on the barge in our
room Sunday afternoon. then intended
to blow out my brains, but could not find
the revolver. | then remembered that a
friend of Allies had been speaking of 60
ing for a walk with him, and taking some
cartridges with him, so / knew he was
using the revolver. When 1 came home
that night the revolver was lying on the
wash-stand. 1t then struck me if | took
my life there he might get in trouble over
it. so l thought l would take some ven
shee (which / knew would act the same as
morphine), and go down to the railroad
and get in box-car. / put the letter in
my top coat pocket. l did not have on my
vest. | then went into the Mint Restaur-
ant and ate. This was about o'clock. |
sat there about an hour. l then went over
to the Mississippi and ordered coffee and
toast. l took the yer-shee with the coffee.
l then walked over to the railroad. but
vomited up several times before got there
l took too much yen-shee. 1t was about 4
when l left the Mississippi Kitchen l
stood in front of the RECORD UNION a few
minutes, then went in and got a paper in
the folding-room. While standing there |
think it was officer Farren that passed me,
and went in and got paper before did.
There was someone with him. After | got
the paper | started to look over it by the
lamp-post, when l began to feel sick. l
then started for the cars, and as there were
men moving about, switching cars, /
crawled down on the barge, and lay there
for about half an hour, when | began to
realize that the yen-shee would not kill me.
then picked up a heavy piece of iron,
which l judge would weigh about fifty
pounds, and after taking off my coat and
hat, and adding about the poison, pro-
ceeded to fasten it to my waist. AS / was
doing so noticed boat coming down the
river, and wishing to get in before I
would be seen, l did not get the
weight fast properly, and when l went
down it slipped loose, so l came to the top
in time to be grabbed by the parties in the
boat, who saw me drop it, but as it was
dark at the time, and they were about half
drunk, they did not know whether fellin
or not, and did not notice the rope around
my waist 1t was on the outside edge of
the barge where | jumped off, although |
at first intended to go off next to the dock,
but was afraid it was not deep enough.
When the young fellows pulled me in the
boat told them l had been fixing line
that secured the barge, and that lived ON
Second and o. They insisted on pulling
me down to o street in the boat, and as /
did not wish them TO notice my coat and
hat with the note pinned 10 it, | did not
object. After they let me out l started
back for the barge, but as there were men
working around the cars, / was afraid |
would be noticed with my wet clothes, and
without coat or hat | waited around, dodg-
ing everyone that came along, till it began
breaking day. Then, almost froze, made
my way out the Stockton road, and getting
to a clump of trees, made a fire and partly
dried my clothes, and then slept till night.
l had by this time changed my mind about
committing suicide, and thought l would
leave town. l thought now - will
think me dead, and will probably leave my
name alone. 1t was for this reason, coupled
with the fact that did not like to show up
after they had found my coat and hat with
the note, that made me leave town. The
reason tell this now is, because that -
maigned my name even after she
thought me dead. One party told her that
he did think she ought not to talk of her
cousin that way. She instantly replied,
He is no relation of mine; his mother Is
a distant relation to my mother by mar
rage The fact of the matter is, my
mother is her first cousin, her mother being
my mothers aunt, and consequently my
grandaunt, and that, think, makes us
second cousins, although l deplore the re-
lationship. This is why said in my note
that had no friends-iny brother, father
and sister have been estranged from me, and
which is the true reason | thought to take
my life"
BAsEBALLERs IN TRoUBLE.-About 8
- II Ioot d. Co.. !, n