Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-13
SHOT HIMSELF.
Ed Preston of San Francisco
Commits suicide.

commits Suicide.
About half-past seven o'clock yes
terday morning the boarders at the
Montrose House, on Main street, cor
ner of Fourth, were startled by two
pistol shots, but no search was made
until about half an hour later, when
one of the dodgers, in passing along
the hallway, thought he heard some
one groan in one of the rooms. The
landlady was informed, nd the door,
which was locked, broken open. By
this time number of the lodgers had
gathered about, and as the door flew
open a. horrible sight met their gaze.
Mr.. Ed Preston was lying on the bed,
which was spattered with blood, and
over his right eye was bullet hole,
through which the brains oozed
Another bullet hoe was in his lett
left breast, and, while he was net
quite dead, he was SO near it that
there were no hopes of his recovery.
He was removed to the Sisters Hos
pital, where he died few minutes
after his arrival.
Conner Mele edith held an inquest on
ihe body last night at which Mrs. G.
NJ. Phelps testified: | reside at the
Montrose building and my husband is
a physician. Last friday morning the
deceased came to the Montrose and
asked for room. The landlady was
out at the time. l had care of the
house during her absence and rented
the deceased room. He seemed to
be sick and very tired. He went to
bed immediately. 1 last saw him
alive on Sunday morning in the DIN
ing room. This morning about quar-
ter after O'Clock, | was in my room,
which adjoins that of the deceased. l
heard noise and thought it was
blowgiven in the butchers shop below.
About half minute afterward heard
noise again, and l recognized it as
being a pistol shot and | heard the
body OF the person in the next room
fall to the floor. l could hear
him groaning and l went
to his door and tried to open it. /
called to d.. Mitchell and Mrs. Phil
brook and said to them that thought
the deceased was sick as could hear
him groanipg. The doctor brought
chair and stepped on the back OF it
and looked into the room. | saw the
deceased lying on the floor and noticed
the glass was spattered with blood.
The door was then broken open and
DR.. Mitchell went into the room. 1
went away and the deceased was af-
terwards removed.
DR.. Geo. FL. Mitchell testified: This
morning about a quarter after O'Clock
| was passing in the hallway of the
Montrose building and my attention
was attractedsby Mrs. Phelps to the
apparent suffering OF some one. L
brought step-ladder and looked over
the transap and saw the deceased ly-
ing on thBfioor. l broke open the
door and went into the room and
found the deceased lying on the floor
at full length, partially clothed. |
noticed a gun shot wound in the mid
die of the forehead from which
the brains and blood were oozing.
also noticed another wound in the
left upper portion Of the left breast,
about three inches above the heart
and near the armpit. l examined
the pulse and found very little at the
wrist. The wound in the left breast
was not fatal wound, but the wound
in the head was fatal. My opinion
from the surroundings is that the de-
ceased fired the shots himself. |
found a pistol lying on the floor near
the deceased. He was unconscious
when found, and think he suffered
no pain.
The jury returned the following
verdict "'That the deceased came to
his death by gunshot wound in the
head inflicted with a pistol in
his own hand, with intent TO
commit suicide, while laboring under
great depression. Six hundred
dollars was found in his trunk and
bank book showing 5000 TO his credit
in a bank in San. Francisco. Preston
leaves a wife and three children in
that city, who reside at 1919 O'Farrell
stree.
The following letter from his wife
was found among his effects:
SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 1888.
"MY HUSBAND, ED. PRESTON. In
the journey you are about to start,
you have my consent and best wishes,
and your children will be my care
while you are absent, and will sup
port and raise them with the means l
have and with what you have left me.
Hoping that your health will be i'm
proved and also that you may succeed
in bettering your financial circum-
stances and return to your loving
family, and that it will never be our
sad lot to part again. l will keepthe
children in loving memory of you, as
you have always been kind and in
dulgent father. I will close by send
ing you my love and best wishes.
Your loving wife,
"CATHERINE PRESTON"