Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-02-24
SAD AND SOLITARY DEATH.
An Old Man, Placed in Jail IntOxi-
Gated, Dies During the Night
Of COnyuIsiOns.

o'clock for the purpose Of givinl
breakfast to the prisoner taken ther
the previous evening In an intoxi
Gated condition, and was horro
stricken to find the man stiff anC
cold In death, prostrated on hi
hands and knees inside of his cell
his face pressed hard against th'
iron door thereof.
DIR. J. G. Smith, the coroner, wa'
at the time visiting at Jefferson, and
was Immediately notified by tele.
graph. He succeeded in catching
an extra train and arrived here al
II o'clock. He proceeded to the
formation Of jury composed Of II.
A. Singleton, John Farrar, Ira Erb,
ID. w. Yoder, Hugh Lamoreux and
John Knight, who met ut o'clock,
p. M, at tho undertaking looms Of
A. VI. Clough, to which place the
body had been taken, and heard the
testimony OF Witnesses.
Harry Minto, captain of police,
testified that the first time he saw
deceased was Friday evening; he
was then intoxicated and Mr. Mimic
had him leave the street ear aud go
to bed. He next saw him saturday
afternoon, again intoxicated aud
again demonstrated with him. He
told the policeman he was In the
city looking for work at his trade Of
carpenter aud wanted To find a place
to board. He promised to keep off
the street until sobered up. Minto
next saw him about o'clock Satur-
day evening near the Bon Ton res
taurant, where he fell on the side
walk. He hlI money purse
and when he fell the
money rolled out of It. He said
he didn't want to be locked
up. az took him to the calaboose," !"
said the witness, "whither he walk.
ed with my help, but when we got
there | had to get Henry Price to
help me put him in. He didn't
seem to be sick any more than a
man drunk usually Is. We counted
his money and found he had $40.
When we put him in the cell he
couldn't get on the bed without
help and we put him on there. then
threw on couple Of pairs of blank
cts aud talked TO him little. He
talked all right. | know nothing Of
him from that time until a few min
utes after s O'Clock this morning,
when | went down to the jail to give
him his breakfast. / found him
dead on the floor on his hands and
knees. / brought DR.. Bird, who,
after examination, thought he had
been dead about four hours. The
only thing | knew about his name
was by small book which | took out
of his pocket, which contained an
entry of Pat Smith in account with
the Santiam LAUNDERING company,
but he spelled his name Peat Smith
on the hotel register. There were
Others present when l put him in
Jail, but do not know who they
WERE"
Q. W., Henline testified: Was
acquainted with deceased; he came
to Mill City about Is months ago
and went TO work for the Santiam
LAUNDERING company as a carpenter.
His name was Peter Smith, aged 90
years, and he claimed yesterday was
his birthday; he was "A Swede; he
was straight, honest, upright man,
In every respect; he didn't make u
regular habit of drinking or getting
drunk, but once IN while would
get on sprees; / was out of Salem
since he came here until this morn
ingi he has no property that know
of except his tool chest; / do not
think he used morphine or other
oplates; he claimed TO have never
had family and there are no rela-
tiYes Of his IN these parts that l
know Of; his health has been good
while up there; he fell OFF a house
about three months ago and II laid
him up for about two or three weeks;
the injuries were In his face and
breast; this might have had some
bad effect ON him, but did not
know of II.
Thomas Sims, of the Santlam
LAUNDERING company, testified;
Have been acquainted with the de-
ceased about eighteen months; he
came there and represented himself
AZ II carpenter aud worked for cur
about eight months; after
hat at times he has been house car
penterlng; the past three months
he has been hewlng ties for parties
N that neighborhood; he was a man
who would drink occasionally and
get drunk, but otherwise he was II
good, quiet citizen; his name was
Peter Smith; II is possible there
may be something due him on his