Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-24
COX'S SUICIDE.
Inquest at Anaheim by the COR0.
ner Ycsterdav.

ner Yesterday.
Coroner Meredith held an inquest
at Anaheim yesterday on the body o1
Thomas H. Cox, who committed sui-
eide in the Jail at that town the night
before. 1t appears that Cox had been
hanging about camp a short dis
tance from Anaheim, and had been
working for the contractor as la.
borer. About a month ago he went
to the foreman and calling him aside
eaid, "Well, | suppose you know they
are after me-"
The foreman said he did not, and
Cox said "Well they are, and l hear
that they are in California looking for
me-" He then told the foreman that
he had got into quarrel with man
in Dakota and in self-defense had
hit him over the head with a club.
He then ran away and had since
heard that the man was dead and
that there was reward Of 81 200 for
his head. The foreman advised him
to hide himself in the willows or else
to give himself up. Cox then went
away and was gone two or three days,
but returned to the camp TO be driven
away by the foreman, who thought he
was out of his mind. The remainder
of the story was told at the inquest
yesterday by the witnesses.
A. V. Fox testified: reside in An
aheim and am the Justice of the Peace
Of that township. About month
ago the deceased came to my office
and asked me ii I was Justice OF
the Peace. 1 told him that / was, and
he asked to see me privately. He
then told me he wished to give him
self up for crime that he had COM
mitted in Dakota. He said that he
had had a fight with man named
Carver, and had since heard that
Carver had died. He also gave me
to understand that he had injured
Carver in self-defense, and that he
had been foolish for leaving the Ter
ritory, and that he had had no peace
of IN nd since. turned the deceased
over to Mr.. Smythe, the Town Mar
shall. We telegraphed to the authori-
ties OF Lawrence county, Dakota, and
a reply was received stating that the
deceased was wanted for an assault
with intent to murder.
F. G. Smythe testified: reside in
Anaheim and am Town Marshal there.
About a month ago Judge Fox brought
the deceased to me. He wanted to
give himself up for crime committed
in the East. l took charge OF the de-
ceased and locked him up in the town
Jail. | telegraphed to the Sheriff Of
Lawrence county, Dakota Territory,
asking hi" if Thomas H. Cox was
wanted for crime committed last
November. The deceased told me
that he had beaten a man over the
head with club on the 18th of last
November. / have had him in
custody ever since. Yesterday evening
about ten minutes past nine o'clock,
[ went to the Jail to take the deceased
to supper. | opened the door and
called to him to come out, but l re-
ceived no answer. l called him sew
eral times by name, and then struck
some matches, but they went out
went away and got light and came
back, and found the deceased hang
Ing Dy rope Wulcn was tleu around
the bars of window. | felt of him,
and finding that he was dead, l cut
the body down. There has been no
person locked up in the Jail with the
deceased during the last week. Yes
terday morning when | took the de-
ceased to his breakfast l noticed he
did not eat very much. He has always
been very hearty eater. He ap-
peared to be somewhat respondent. 1
do not know how the deceased got the
rope. The children are in the habit
of giving prisoners fruit by cutting it
up and putting the pieces through the
window. When / cut the deceased
down from where he was hanging,
there was hay pillow and on top of
it was a small basket, that think he
had climbed upon to fix the rope to
the window, and also to Jump off when
he was ready to hang himself.
The jury returned the following ver-
dict: That the deceased came to
his death on March 22nd, by hanging
himself, with intent to commit sui
eide"