Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-21
you think 10 deserving and know would
appreciate same. Yours truly,
BLACK JOHN.

Mr.. MARsH's STATEMENT.
O. E. Marsh, roomer in the house,
stated to HERALD reporter that when
he was called into the mans room he
noticed an empty whisky bottle on the
washstand, and naturally con-
cluded that the man was in
toxicsted. I'VE shook him and
tried to awaken him, but could not, and
thinking there was nothing serious, left
him I noticed large envelope on the
table near the head of the bed, but did
not look at the inscription, nor read the
contents, as we thought the man was in
toxicated; we rolled the man over two
or three times, placed him on his side,
raised the window and left him."
THE CHAMBERMAID's STORY.
Annie McClelland, colored, stated that
during Saturday the man told her that
he was from San Francisco; he was then
writing letters in his room. "When
went to fix up the room next morning."
said Annie, II heard heavy breathing,
and when listened at the keyhole,
knew it was not breathing at all but the
'death-rattle,' and called to Miss Lewis
that somebody might be dying in there"
THE LETTER TO THE EXAMINER.
The letter referred to as lying on the
table near the head of the bed of the
suicide was in an official envelope, ad-
dressed to the San Francisco Examiner,
prepaid with five cents in postage, but
not sealed. The letters are as follows:
Los ANGELES, CAL, Nov. 10, 1892.
To the Examiner, San Francisco;
Herewith find enclosed a statement
from man who will be dead ere this
reaches you, but he wishes you to pub
lish the same for the good of humanity.
Trusting that you will see that my body
ie delivered to the best medical school
in your city, as per request, l am yours
truly, BLACK JOHN.
LoL ANGELES, CAL. Nov. 10, 1892.
To all whom 1t may concern:
This, my last act, except to swallow
the poisonous drug, is to certify that
this ends the career of one of the
blacklist criminal that has ever enjoyed
life.
Pm 40 years old and a native born
American. have q string of assumed
and have operated from the Atlantic to
isthmus of Panama. I have crossed
and re-crossed the Atlantic several times
and am familiar with all the leading
cities of England, France and Germany.
/ speak eeven different languages, all of
which l have learned since I was 19
years old, except my native tongue,
American. I'm of one of the largest
and most prominent families of the
United States. My descendants (?)
were among the first settlers of
family record shows Pm the only traitor
to the name all the rest being good
citizens and have figured prominently
in all the different avocations of life,
from the highest to the lowest.
To my certain knowledge I have new
er taken but one life-no, Pm not an
assassin, for the ono life which did
take was done in self.defense, and was
tried by 12 good and honorable citizens.
who all said that they would have acted
as 1 did under the same circumstances.
But, nevertheless, my dark record be-
gins at this point, when was still in
my teens.
My crime has been in altogether a
different way to that of the assassin or
highwayman, but I'm sure if the public
could near my verdict pronounced by
Is good and noble women it would say
that was much worse in my mode OF
action. During q period of about 81
years have been married to 13 differ
ent women, and in every case except
the first my sole object was money, not
love or affection.
have three children by the first, and
one by all the rest except three. One of
the women to whom I've been married
had $500, 1000 in her own right; three
others had from $3.50, 900 to $200, 600 and
none of the others was worth less than
$4,000. My rule generally has been to
stay with my wife until got the money
in my control, and then + was off for
new fields to win another fair bride. I
always had plenty of money and went in
the best of style, and only operated in
and among the aristocracy of the coun-
try. In this way my vain and giddy
victims was easily captured, and it was
often the case. .t'love at first sight,"
All went well with me until about two
years ago-then come my death stroke.
1t was not to be arrested and confined
in a dungeon, or compelled to don the
stripes of convict and work at hard
labor in q coal mine, or on e
rock pile the balance of my life.
escaped all this, strange to say,
for there has been some handsome re-
wards offered for me, and officers of the
law and Mr.. Pinkerton's most true and
tried followers have been put on nv
trail, but outwitted them all; after
passing them right on the main thor
oughfares in some of the largest cities in
this country and in Europe.
Yes, I've done more. have on sew
eral occasions wined and dined with
those so-called watch dogs of the coun-
try. But as said my trouble came in
an unexpected way it was loathsome
disease, which by the help of the most
prominent physicians and all the natur-
al remedies ever known or recommend
ed that money could secure have failed
to relieve, and know that it is only q
question of time when / shall have to
succomb to the inevitable-hence I do
not care to live any longer.
In most all cases of suicide I have
known or read of it is claimed they, the
persons, were insane; but wish to say
to all those who read or know of this
case that Pm in my right mind and
know as we'll what I'm doing as ever
did in my life, and it is no rash act
done on the impulse of the moment, but
on the contrary it has been duly consid-
cred in it's every phase and bearing for
the present and the future.
I've had some hesitancy about leaving
statement, but for several reasons
have decided to do go.
First-Those around me of course
Il ~