Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-27
THE SUICIDE.
His Body Washed Up by the
Waves Last Night.
HIS IDENTITY ESTABLISHED
He Proves to be Ashley Pratt-His
HistOry-Ruined by Strong
Drink.

AhO GOo saw up thO OOuy Vi Edtb lhb
night, his remains being found at the
mouth of the old Santa Monica canon
where it was washed in by the waves
rhe face of the unfortunate man was
entirely gone, but he was recognized by
his attire and general appearance. The
details of the sad affair, as they
appeared in yesterdays HERALD
proved to be all that was known
about him until about o'clock in the
afternoon, when, for the fourth time, his
identity was fully established.
The suicide is named Ashley Pratt
and is native of Illinois, where his
father and stepmother now reside. He
has brother engaged in the drug bust.
ness at Carlsbad, San Diego county, and
two brothers following the same business
in Colorado. Deceased, who Is % years
of age, arrived here from Denver on
January 29th last, and took up
his abode at "The Florence" No. 33
Turner street. Like his brothers, he was
druggist by profession, but failing to
readily obtain employment here in that
line, he started in as book agent. He
was fairly successful, being of good ad-
dress and appearance, and after few
weeks at the business he went down to
Anaheim, where he presumably followed
the same vocation. About ten days ago
be returned to town and reinhabited
his former apartments at the Florence,
soon leaving them, however, for he OBJ
tanned employment at drug store on
Grand avenue, near Washington. Atlast
he had secured the position he desired,
but he only held it four weeks, his crav-
ing for strong drink getting the upper
hand of him. He had been q hard
drinker ever since the day he reached
Los Angeles, and in fact, those who jour
neyed on the train with him from Colo
RADIO say that he was drunk when he
boarded the train at Denver.
On Tuesday last, therefore, having losl
bis position ON Grand avenue, he re-
turned to the Florence" and was evil
IDENTIFY in the midst of one of his big
sprees. His face was black and swollen,
as if he had been in some row, and he
acted as If suffering from an attack OF
delirium tremens. Throughout Tuesday
Wednesday and Thursday he was more
or less drunk, and on the last named day
he went out earlier than usual. II
was o'clock the next morning when the
proprietor of the house was awakened by
his return, for Pratt was making good
deal of noise, and was evidently very fal
| gone. Although he rcomed on the
ground floor, he started for upstairs, anG
the landlord followed him, afraid that he
would do some harm. Pratt turned
around at the top of the stairs and began
talking incoherently about his valise
and his room. He had evil
IDENTIFY got another attack of the
d. t., for he acted in a very remark
able manner, and finally went down
stairs and out into the street again.
The landlord locked the door on him as
he was afraid that Pratt would return
and probably set the house on fire by
overturning lamp or something Of that
sort.
That was the last that was seen of the
unfortunate man, and the good people of
the Florence were wondering what had be-
come of him as the hours of Friday and
Saturday passed by. Seeing in yester-
days HERALD the account of the suicide,
OF Santa Monica, they at once surmised
that it their missing lodger and the unfor-
tunate were Identical, and such proved
on investigation to be the case. The
authorities at the Ocean City had hard
tins trying to trace his identity, for in
the coat he left on the beach there was
not single indication to show who he was.
1t is supposed that he either suicided
while suffering from an attack of acute
melancholia, or else that he met his end
while in state of delirium tremens. The
Coroner was notified last night of the
recovery of the body, and will hold the
inquest to-day.