Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-04
AN OLD STAGER.
Sam Washburn Takes His
Own Life.
A MOST DETERMINED SUICIDE.
Bis Previous Effort at Santa Bar
bara-Ill Health and Disceur-
agement the Cause.

Coroner Meredith held an inquest yes
terday evening upon the body of Samuel
Washburn, an old man about so years of
age, who committed suicide yesterday
morning by taking morphine. About 4
O'Clock on Friday afternoon Washburn
applied at August Volkel's lodging house
at 1501s Alameda street, for room,
and one was assigned to him, for which
he paid. Excusing himself upon the
plea that he was tired, he went to bed,
and as he had not vacated the room at
IL O'Clock yesterday morning, the pro-
prietor OF the place became uneasy.
After knocking on the door without 70
ceiving any response, he forced an en-
trance to the room, and found his lodger
stretched upon the bed.
He presented a shocking appearance,
being black in the face and unable to
speak; he had evidently suffered un-
speakable agonies of torture. 1t was i'm
possible to tell how long he had been in
that condition, as he had apparently not
undressed on retiring. Volkel shook the
sufferer several times, but his efforts to
revive him only ELECTED groan On
looking around the room a small paper
box labeled morphine" was found,
whereupon the lodging-house keeper
notified Officer N. B. Appel, who was
stationed at the Commercial street depot,
The patrol wagon was sent for, and
Washburn conveyed in it to the City Jail,
where DR.. Morrison worked upon him
for some time. His efforts were ineffect-
ual, however, for the suicide died about
2 O'Clock, p. m.
The jury rendered a verdict in &C.
cordance with the facts as stated above.
The deceased was we'll known in this
city and Santa Barbara, especially among
the older residents, as he was one of the
old time stage drivers who thirty years
ago drove the only means of transport
between this city and the outside world.
While engaged in this occupation Sam
was attacked by infammatory rheuma-
tism, brought on by the exposure he en-
dured. For the past fifteen years he has
been crippled in all his limbs, and has
suffered intensely. On recovering from
his first serious illness he found that he
was disabled from following his former
profession, and opened saloon at Santa
Barbara. The temptations offered by
this business, however, proved too
strong for him, and he engaged in the
widest dissipations, until his old enemy
once more attacked him. Since thas
time he has divided his time between
sickness and dissipation, and a few
weeks ago he developed signs of suicidal
mania.
His first attempt was made on the road
between Los Olivos and Santa Barbara
about month ago. He was seated on
the box of stage coach, driven by his
old comrade Bee Wheels, who noticed
that he was very respondent. On reach
ing point where the road leads along
the edge of precipice, Wheels natur-
ally gave all his attention to his team !;
but Sam, watching his opportunity,
waited until the steepest place was
reached, and flung himself headlong
from the coach and disappeared over the
edge of the abyss. As soon as practical
BILE the stage was brought to standstill,
and ropes being procured, Wheels went
down for his old friend. At distance
of 300 feet below the roadway, Sans
body WAS found, upheld by bush which
jutted out from the rocks. He was
hauled up and driven to Santa Barbara,
where medical aid was summoned. It
was found that in miraculous way he
had escaped injury, not a single bone
being broken; and next day he was
about again as usual. A short time
afterwards he came down here, and it is
supposed that he was driven to suicide
by physical suffering.