Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-13
DEATH From MORPHINE.
The Sad and Strange Suicide of a De-
sp0ndent Stranger in Gainesville,
In a Letter to His Children He Assigns No
Cause for His Deed, But Tells His
Son to Change His Name.


Special to the Gazette.
GAINESVILLE, Tex, August PA
very sad tragedy occurred to-day at the
Laclede hotel in this city, it being the
suicide of John T. Sullivan. At noon
the clerk of the hotel discovered Sullivan
in his room in an unconscious state from
the effect of morphine. Doctors Gilcrist
and Scott were at once summoned,
but their efforts for the relief
of the unfortunate man were unavailing.
He died about l O'Clock. He was
stranger in the city, having regis
tered with a companion at the hotel
Friday morning. The two registered as
James Lewis and j. T. Sulli-
van, Norman, I. T. Sullivan
has been drinking heavily during
the three days he has been here. He ap-
peared very gloomy and much depressed.
Sunday he borrowed pen and ink from
the clerk and wrote a letter, found upon
his person after his death, addressed to
John G. Palmer, Fremont county, Col.
The following is the letter:
My friend hand this letter to my boy, and for
Gods sake help my daughter always. oh,
John, please do for my daughter, and my dying
prayer will be for you.
Here Is the letter inclosed with that to
Palmer and intended for the dead man IS
family:
ny Dear Darling Little Folks:
/ think of you all the time and I am
nearly crazy I would like to see mYa
lovely children awful well. Tell pays
darling daughter to be good woman. and
my dear boy l want you to change your
name, and oh, my dear child [ want you
TO take awful good care of your darling
sister. Tell her daddy always loved her
and it broke his heart to have to go off
and not see her any more, and see John
Palmer. he can tell you all about nv
affairs. Oh, my darling boy. be good,
honest man, and please forgive your
papa.
The dead man appeared to forty-fiye
years of age, was well built, muscular,
and would weigh about one hundred and
seventy-five pounds; horid complexion
with red beard slightly touched with
gray. There were found on his
person some business letters about
cattle IN Colorado. His trunk
was opened and was found to contain a
great deal of heavy clothing, which,
taken with such letters as were found,
indicates his home to have been in the
mountainous region of Colorado. A
bank check book showed that he
had several months since $1,000
on deposit in Pueblo bank
all of which had been drawn but S50-.ssI
His pocket-book contained S15 in money!
There were four photographs in This /
trunk. one of himself and two that weFes9
probably his children, pretty little boys
about three years old, and the lasta&ue
gentleman, perhaps the friend to'wRom
the above letter was addressed. Every
thing points to the fact that the dead
man was well connected. His let
tiers Indicate refinement, some |
culture and warm, affectionate
nature. In his letters as far as open at
this time no mention is made of his wife.
His dependency and ultimate death, it |
is thought by some, were caused by grief |
over some family trouble. Many letters |
IN his trunk have not yet been read, |
whice may throw some further light upon
this suicide.