Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-08
THE RESULT OF THE INQUEST,
Investigation of the Lauzier
Suicide.
Statement Made by the Woman He
Wounded.
No New Facts Elicited-The' Woman is
Very Seriously Injured-Two ver-
diets Returned by the
Jury.

Coroner Weldon yesterday afternoon
held his inquest upon the body of Jean
I.auzier, with jury of twelve.
In the forenoon he went down to the
lodging house, at 3O31a Commercial
street, where the suicide had attempted
to kill the Hubert woman and took her
statement, which was given with great
difficulty because of her wounds, which
are both in the lower part of the head.
The unfortunate woman presented
horrible appearance, the left side of her
face being swollen out of all proportion,
owing to the presence under the ear and
in the neck of the two bullets. Near
her mouth is small hole through
which entered one of the missiles, and
her face is badly powder burned. Her
nightgown was also blackened by pow
der, while it was dotted all over with
great spots of dried blood. She was in
great suffering, although perfectly con-
scious. Drs. McOarty and Choate are
more or less sanguine of being able to
pull her through, provided the bullets,
which can be felt distinctly from the
outside, can be extracted without delay.
Should suppuration set in, however, her
chances for recovery will be slim.
The gist OF her testimony is that che
fell in with Lauzier about three weeks
ago, and that he took her on pleasure
trip to San Diego. He had plenty of
money, which he spent royalty but last
Monday he became respondent and
tried to kill himself by taking some
poison out Of glass. She succeeded in
taking the drug away from Lauzier and
threw it away. He said it didn't mat
ter, as he would surely kill himself later.
On Friday he had been with her nearly
the whole day, and he tried to induce
her to become his wife. This che re.
fused to do. alleging that both were
married and that she was not in good
health. She requested him to go to his
clearinghouse and to visit her on the
following afternoon. He demurred, but
finally seemed to agree to her prayer,
and as she raised herself from
the edge of the bed to kiss him
goodbye be fired without warning two
shots at her, both of which took effect
as before described. Then he turned
the revolver toward his right temple
and fell upon his face. Her cries
brought the landlord and the police.
who procured doctor and the patrol
wagon.
Alfred Dion, the landlord of the lodp-
ing house, testified that he was asleep
at some distance from his lodger's
room about midnight, when he was
awakened by noise and means pro-
ceeding from woman's throat. Upon
entering room No. 2, he saw his tenant,
whom he knew as Lille Bailey, seated
e,,1 of h4 ho1 - 81,
blood, and next lying on the floor near
the door, the deceased. He did not see
any gun.
Officer Rohn was summoned by
police whistle to the spot, and saw the
the preceding witness. The man lay
turned him over, discovering the pistol
handed him by the coroner, under
Lauzier's foot. Three chambers had
been discharged.
DR.. Bryan, police surgeon, who at
tended Lauzier at the receiving hospital,
described the wound from which the
wounded man lost his life twenty
minutes after his arrival at the station.
He had located the bullet, but it was
not extracted.
The letters left by the deceased, which
had been translated by order of the
coroner, were read to the jury, and then
Ferdinand Lauzier, a brother of the
dead man, who resides in Boyle Heights,
took the stand. He said that Alfred was
born in 1851, at st. Jean st. Nicholas,
Department des Hautes Alpes. France.
He knew nothing OF his marital rela-
tions or of his ENHANCEMENT with the
Hubert woman, and chad not seen his
brother more than three times since he
came up some three weeks ago from
Yorba where he had herded sheep.
He was aware that his brother had sor
18 years old in France, and had always
believed that the relations between
Lauzier and his wife were happy. He
recognized his brothers. handwriting
upon the letters, and although greatly
surprised at the act had no doubt that
his brother had shot the woman and
killed himself.
Another witness swore to having
heard the three reports in quick success
sion and to having entered the room
among the first, discovering the pisto
where the officer picked it up.
It was discovered during the inques
that one of the jurors was carrying
disagreeable 81 know IL alp jag, anC
concluding that he knew better thar
the coroner how to run an inquest
made himself painfully numerous. He
especially deplored the fact that the cor
oner did not know any better than t.
select reporter as interpreter. ii,
seemed to be imbued with profound
contempt for reporters in general. Th'
Jurors conduct finally exasperated Cor
oner Weldon, who in chosen but ener
getic words informed the young gentle
man that he meant to protect those con
nected with the inquest, and propose,
to conduct the inquisition himself
More words from the verbose persol
caused DR.. Weldon to threaten him wit
fine for contempt of court, but thi
was Immediately followed by the rotor
that ii the coroner would kindly fine
he, the juror, would pay the fine: Il
fne-he was flush and showed it. Their
were some more antics which woul
probably have promptly ended with
call for police officer, but a truce We
obtained finally, and the jury retired
consider their verdict. After conside
able time spent in argument with tt
owner of the jag, a majority OF tt
eleven found that the deceased had die
from a gunshot wound inflicted by b
own hand. with suicidal intent.
w. HI. Hay, the juror who was som
what under the breeze, filed the folloN
ing learned document:
stMy opinion is that there was no eN
dence before this Jury that the gun b