Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-25
DALLAS.
S. e. Lane Prefers Death to Five Years
In the Penitentiary-Deadly Drug.
Legal Investigation VIII Be Made as to Row
He Got It-c!iff cots chances
Of Recovery.
LANE SUICIDES.
Special to the Gazette.

confined in the county jail, convicted o
diced last night BY the use OF morphine.
The public ia familiar with the killing o
Wilson by Lane near the News Office il
this city over a year ago. Lane wal
tried in Judge Burke's court and con,
vicred of manslaughter and sentenced t
the penitentiary for five years. His at
torneys, Messrs. wooten s. Oliver, carr
Red the case TO the court of appe ais ant
there the decision of the lower court was
sustained and a motion for re hearing
was pending. Ever since the court OF
appeals rendered its decision Lane has
shown restless disposition aud n ore
than once remarked that 81 will
never go to the PEN At one time he
asked his attorney, Judge Wooten, 10
aid his escape from going TO the peniten-
tiary and when asked in what way 4,
stated that he did not mean by gettin g
out of jail. When asked If he meant by
suicide he said that he did. Judge
Wooten then notified the jdilors of his
request and since that time close watch
has been kept over him. Lane occu-
pied a cage with man named Strich-
land. Last night Strickland thought
Lane acted sios and said, ''you are
sick. Lane; what Is the matter with
you?' -
Lane: "Oh, nothing; I've got RS
nightmare, l reckon
Lane was soon breathing heavily M&pd
Strickland got up and found Lane neaSfA:
unconscious. Aid was called, but in a
short time Lane was dead. The doctors
said morphine was the cause. Yesterday
Mrs. Lane called at the jail and wished
to see her husband. She had no permie
and the keeper would not admit herE
She had a box of candy and oranges, ana
note to her husband, and requested
that they be given him. The keeper read
the note and the contents OF the box was
thoroughly examined, pronounced all
right and given to the prisoner. After
aw lille Mrs. Lane returned TO the jail
with a permit aud was given en- interview
with her husband. She remained q short
tune, and when she departed was cry
ing. On yesterdays train she went to
Fort Worth and said she would return
to-day or to- morrow. She came back to
Dallas this morning to find her husband
dead. The general impression is that
the morphine was contained either in the
oranges or candy sent to his cell on yes
teriay.
y Various reports are afloat as to the
method of obtaining the drug, but as
legal investigation Will not be made until
Friday it will probably not be until then
that any light on the matter will be
given. The following letter was left to
the jailer By Lane:
DALLAS, Dec. %. 1880.
Mr.. S. A. Rhodss:
l feel impelied once more TO thank
you, Mr.. Tanner and Mr.. Lewis, for the
continued kindness received ut your
hands, and to assure you that you have
to reproach yourselves for in the
matter of diligence. 1 have never in
tended to have ignominity heeped upon
me, and had resolved long ago that, if
l would put an end to every
thing with my own hand. Your special
watchmen have been very faithful, but
L have, nevertheless, managed to outwit
them in two attempts already, and if l
had not made miscslculatons myself
you would have received note similar
to this some days ago. II would have
been useless for you to try to prevent
me. All the officers in Texas could
not have done it. 1 do not care
to live prisoner, and l am tired of
this uncertainty. [ do not relish the
idea of lying here until the court of ap-
peals reconvenes. My poor, heart
broken wife will return from Fort Worth
to-day. She viii be much shocked, and
| hope you will do all IN your power to
tighten her burden as much as possible.
Again thanking you for your many kind
nesses, bid you farewell.
s. E. LANE.
2. S.-Please hand the two letters to
nv wife, with my love and prayers for
her welfare. S. E. L.
Letters were left for his wife but the
could not he learned. The
remains were taken charge of by the
Dallas Typographical Union and to-
will be sent to Fort Worth for
burial along by the side of his dead
child.
S. Z. Lane WAS native of Alabama.
BE came to Texas from Wilcox county.
His father was a circuit judge In Ala
oama. Lane was well educated aud
nan well liked by his asso' iates. He
.dited a paper at Madisonville in Madi-
son county, Texas, and afterwards in
Robertson county. At the time of the
Killing OF Wilson he was at work as q
on the News. He left
'imilar position on The Fort Worth
GAZETTE to attend his trial in Dallas.
lie has a married sister living in DAN
,ilie, Va.
Mrs. Lane, formerly Miss Barbara
came to Dallas from Bslti-
more, where her mother and brother re-
ide. She was engaged by Mr.. E. Bau-
nan In the millinery department. She
net Lane in Dallas and they loved.
Finally it SO happened that Lane, Wilson
md his family and Miss Sanders were
at the Shuford house on Patter-
on avenue. 1t was there that the trou-
de arose between Lane and Wilson, out
# which grew the shooting of Wilson by
.ane, Wilson 3 death from the wound,
-aue's confinement, his release on bail,
lis trial and conviction, and last night
lis self obstruction.
Those who are in a position to know
ay that Lane has been stubborn in his
determination never to go to the peni-
entiary, and his rash act was probably
lone TO keep from being confined in that
Institution.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
Last night about 10 O'Clock q bold |
highway robbery was committed on
hawkins street near Pacific avenue.
George Cook, q man we'll known in Dali !
IA was apnnsfad by thraa man