Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-08
DAM0N,s DEATH.
Probably Murdered by an Overdose of
0Dope,o

Probably Murdered by an Overdose OF
dope"
The mystery surrounding the death of A.
G. Damon, who was found in dying con-
dition in the alley between L and NJ, Sec
ond and Third streets, Tuesday night, is
not yet cleared up, but enough is known
to convince Captain Karcher and officers
Franks and Ash, who are working up the
Ease, that the man was robbed, and that
his death was probably caused by an over
dose of some kind of dope" admins
tered by the parties who committed the
robbery. Much that has been ascertained
by the officers is withheld from publication
for prudential reasons
A. G. Damon, the victim, arrived in this
city on Monday night, and registered at
the International Hotel as coming from
San Diego. He deposited with the night
clerk, Nelson G. Willcomb, 500 in gold
and retained considerable money in his
possession. He said he had been at
work as a carpenter on the big fiume at
San Diego, which is being constructed by
earle d Croly, of This city. On Tuesday
morning, before leaving the hotel, he asked
Mr.. Willcomb for his money, saying he
was going out to take the town in " a
llltlc w tOtu nlIu IL He WAS going
out for that purpose he had better leave his
money in the safe, but he intimated that he
was able to take care of it. When the
clerk asked him if he should take the
charge for his room out of one of the 500
pieces he said that he had plenty of small
change, and drew out of his pocket hand
full of gold and silver, out of which he paid
his bill. Mr.. Willcomb SAYS he must have
had at that time from $175 to $500. AS
stated in our report of yesterday morning,
when Damon was picked up he had in his
pockets only two dollars in silver, and that
was in his right-hand vest pocket, while
his purse, which was in another pocket,
contained no money at ALL The night
drinking some the night of his
arrival and expressed desire to 90 out and
have little run" When he left the
hotel on Tuesday morning he said he would
come back and sleep in the same room that
night, but he did not return.
Damon was seen on J street on Tuesday,
about noon, by J. T. Walsh, steward
at the County Hospital, who had known
him when he worked as carpenter around
Auburn and Clipper Gap. He was then in
the company of a man named Grad and
was apparently sober. Mr.. Walsh says he
was always known in that section as
likely to get into any trouble.
At o'clock last evening DR.. White,
Superintendent of the County Hospital,
made post-mortem examination of the
deceased. His lungs, heart, liver and kid
heys were all found to be in normal con-
dition. The stomach was also in good Or
der, but its contents will have to be analvzed
in order to ascertain whether or not death
was caused by poison. For this purpose it
was Immediately sealed up in glass jar
and will be submitted to chemist to-day
for critical examination.
Manuel Strauss and Mrs. Kate Cooper
are still confined IN the city prison awaiting
the result of the investigation. The latter
now has her little four-year-old daughter
with her, and it is expected that her hus-
band will come and take charge of the
child. He is respectable railroad man,
and was absent from the city when his
wife was arrested. She states that they
have not been living together for some
time.
The time for holding the inquest has not
yet been decided upon by the Coroner. 1t
may take place this afternoon or he may
decide to postpone it until the contents of
the stomach of deceased have been ana
lyzed.
Further developments by the police will
be looked forward to with a good deal OF
interest. When Damon was found the
position in which he lay indicated that he
had been carried to the spot and that he
had not wandered there and fallen down,
and there are other evidences of foul play.
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