Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-01
DID 1T AT LAST.
EDWIN H. BROWN ATTEMPTS TO
COMMIT SUICIDE.
Unhappy Domestic Matters Break His
Heart-The Letters He Left TO His
Wife-Morphine and Gas as Means of
Death.

An interrupted tragedy was completed
in room 20 of the Tononi block. on Up
per Main street, at an early hour yester-
day morning, when E. II. Brown took a
dose or morphine, and turned on the
flow Of gas, with the intent of suiciding.
Browns troubles were all caused by
his wife, tall, angular woman, who,
by her habits, has caused no end of
trouble to her husband, and finally
probably brought about bis death. The
readers of the HERALD will remember
reading in an issue of few days back
the account OF a quarrel between BROTH
ers-in-law in the Clinton block. Brown
was one OF the participants in the affair,
and his brother-in-law, E. j. Roach,
came out of the fight with badly
chewed-up face. The cause of the trou-
BILE was jealousy on the part OF Brown,
who believed that Roach and his wife
had been criminally intimate. Roach's
wife, who was sister OF Mrs. Brown.
had been dead some time, and it was
said that Mrs. Brown divided her atten-
tions between her own and her sisters
husband.
At the time OF this last domestic
trouble Brown was arrested for assault.
At the police station an account book
was taken from his person, and HER
AID reporter copied the following letter,
evidently written upon some former oc-
casion, when the man was on the verge
of suicide:
''MoLLY-Come at once ii you want to
see me, as am in a bad fix. Molly,
you have broken my courage and heart,
and want you to change your ways
and do better. don't care to live any
longer. So good bye all. My ring is. at
Mrs. Ferner's. :"
On the opposite page was the follow
ing:
"My name is Edwin II. Brown. My
folks live in Coxsacki, N. Y. Write to
Mrs. Alexander Day. and inform them
about me.'
Yesterday forenoon between 10 and
II O'Clock Miss Tononi, the daughter OF
the owner of the block in which Brown
resided, discovered fumes Of gas in the
hallway outside OF Browns room. She
told her father and the latter opened the
door of the room with pass-key. Brown
was found lying on the floor, alive but
unconscious, with one arm. on the bed.
Near his head on the floor was small
spot of blood, and Just above his head
the gas jet was pouring its deadly con-
tents into the room. On table near
the bed was lying the account book be-
fore spoken of, and to the letter to his
wife had been added the following:
"* On Commercial street for
$3.50.
Molly, you are to blame for all this.
VA,, tha 81 do hot ,f
the court did not get me you would. So.
wish you good luck the balance of your
days, SO goodbye. Ed H. Brown to his
wife Mary Brown"
An empty paper wrapper, which had
contained morphine. and which lay
alongside the book on the table, told the
rest of the story, Brown was removed
to the receiving hospital and unsuccess-
fnl effarts--mada---to-.. rAv;ua.s hi-.s--.-Ti,
poison was removed from his stomach,
but he had not regained consciousness
at an early hour this morning and death
was momertarily expected.
Mrs. Brown, who has been living with
friend near the Arcade depot since
her recent quarrel with her husband,
came to the station as soon as she heard
OF his desperate deed and wept copious-
ly when she saw him lying unconscious.
She would not talk to anyone, however,
and soon went away again. Her name
has been connected with that OF a prom
inent liquor dealer recently, and there is
perhaps foundation for other stories OF
her lack of virtue.
The case against Brown for assaulting
Roach was called in the police court
yesterday, but continued for obvious