Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-18
ALIVE OR DEAD.
Thomas s. Ruddock Drops Oil
in q Hack.
HE IS SUBJECT TO FRANCES
The Physicians Pronounce Him Dead
but the Inquest is Postponed
Until Today.

Among the passengers on the Califor-
MIA Southern train which arrived at the
First-street depot at 8 O'Clock yesterday
morning was Thomas s. Ruddock, of this
city, who was returning from his ranch
at Covina, near Azusa.g On leaving the
cars, Mr.. Ruddock, who in spite of his
IS years was apparently hale and hearty,
walked across the depot platform, and
hailing James Culp, the driver of hack
No. SO, seated himself in the vehicle and
asked to be driven to the residence of
Hon. L. ]. Rose, on the corner of Grand
avenue and Fourth street. The hackman
drove to the house as directed, and as his
fare made no motion to indicate his in
tention of alighting, he dismounted from
his seat and rang the bell. The sum-
mons was answered by Mrs. Rose in
person, and Culp informed her that a
gentleman wished to see Mr.. Rose,
whereupon the lady asked him to tell the
visitor to come into the house. Culp ran
down to his hack and spoke to his pas
Eenger, who was apparently asleep in
the corner of the carriage, but receiv-
ing no response he attempted to
rouse him by shaking him. Failing in
this he made closer inspection and
came to the conclusion that his fare was
dead. Culp climbed up to his seat and
drove as fast as he could to the under
taking parlors of James Cussens, on First
street, where he was we'll known, and, ],
after he had explained the circumstances,
the body was removed from the carriage
and the Coroner notified of the occur
renee.
Upon his arrival the identity of the
dead man was established by some let
ters found on his person. In addition to
these bank-book of the Farmers and
Merchants Bank was discovered. In it
was an entry of the date of January 7th,
showing that on that day Mr.. Ruddock
had deposited SAL 1915 with that insti-
tuition. Some difficulty was experienced
in ascertaining whether or not the un-
fortunate man had a family. 1t was at
length learned that he resided at 317
South Grand avenue with his wife and
three children.
Mr.. Cussens notified Mrs. Ruddock of
the death of her husband, and at
O'Clock in the afternoon that lady, ac-
companied by her brother-in.law, visited
the undertaking parlors to view the body
On their arrival they found that DR..
MCGOWAN was already on the spot, ex-
amining the body. He stated that in
his opinion there were no signs of death,
although the pulsations of the heart
were imperceptible. A mirror which
was placed over the mouth of the un-
conscious man, showed q slight damp
ness after it was removed, and as his
relatives informed the physician that
he was subject to frances, one
of which had been known to last
three days, some doubt was expressed
as to whether or not life was actually ex-
tinct. At this juncture, q magnetic
healer named D. S. Wildomath, who was
acquainted with Mr.. Ruddock's family,
made an examination. Mrs. Ruddock
and her mother-in-law watched by the
side of their unfortunate relative, hoping
for signs Of returning life, but at O'Clock
DIR. McGowan, in company with DR.. Ell.
ID. Maynard, made a second examine |
tion of the body, and both agreed decis- |
lively that Mr.. Ruddock was dead. The
mirror test was again applied, but with
out effect, and since the FIRST examina-
ton the body had become cold and rigid,
and the lower jaw had dropped percept-
IDLY. Mrs. Ruddock, who had watched the
movements of the physicians iAtently,
in the hope Of reading in their faces the
result of their ultimatum, was informed
that there was no longer any question
about her husbands death, ard shortly
afterwards she was conveyed home. AS
there still seemed to be some doubt in
the minds of the relatives as to Mr.. Rud-
docks condition, Coroner Meredith al
lowed them to remove the body from the
undertaker's to the house on Grand ave-
nue., and the inquest was postponed until
Mrs. Ruddock and her family are satis-
fed that there is no longer any hope of
the recovery of their relative.
Mr.. Thomas s. Ruddock was formerly
engaged in the lumber business in Chi
cago, but owing to poor health he was
compelled to seek a more temperate eli
mate. Accordingly, five years ago he
sacrificed his interests in the firm OF
which he was a member, and at once
came to Los Angeles, accompanied by
his wife and family. He invested largely
in real estate, purchasing among other
tracts ranch at Covina of 1000 acres.
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