San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-06
A SUICIDE.
WHISKY AND MORPHINE TAKEN
TOGETHER.
The Two Deadly Agents Employed
Successfully by a Member OF
the Paid Fire Depart
menr of the City.


ment of the City.
This morning about 10 O'Clock the
vicinity of the Second Ward Hose
House on the corner of San Pedro
avenue and Romano street, was all
excitement, caused by the report that
one OF the mem bers OF the fire depart
ment, stationed there, had committed
suicide. The report was investigated
and it was learned that VIM. Watson,
aged about "a years, had been found
during the morning in his bed up
stairs over the hose truck, suffering
severely from the effects of whisky
and what was plainly judged by
| several friends to be an overdose of
morphine. DR.. Oldham, when too
late, was called in and quickly
| learned so, as the man died at IL
o'clock. DR.. Oldham did all he could,
but when called in the patient was
nearly expiring. Justice Heron was
summoned and held the inquest. He
learned from Foreman Miller that
yesterday was Wstson's day off,"
and as had been generally his GUS
| tom, he soon began thanking up" on
whisky and at night was quite drunk.
He is known to have visited q woman
OF sporting tendency during the even
| ing. This woman, it seems, he was
| very much in love with, and last
month gave her bis months salary,
drawn in advance, with which she
went to Dallas, returning only re-
Gently.
Miller says Watson came In late
| last night, pretty we'll under the in
| huence of drink, and went to bed.
This morning he was noticed by one
of the firemen to be frothing at the
mouth. This was reported to Miller,
but he, knowing that Watson was
addicted to the use of morphine, and
that before its use had acted on him
in the same way, supposed him
| to be in the same condition,
and paid no par ocular attention to it,
In short time the friend going by
his bed again saw that Watson was
| beginning to turn black in the face
and on this being reported to Miller.
be called in DR.. Hicks, who happened
to pass DR.. Hicks, who had Watson
| for a patient, did not deem it worth
1
it was only the effect of the morphine
and Watson was turned over aud
left. DR.. Simpson next was told of
the young mans condition, and he
followed DR.. Hicks in his thoughts of
the case, as he. too, had treated
Watson and knew him to be addicted
| to morphine The firemen kept q
watch over their comrsde, however,
1 Ana llxyh
| labored that they determined to tele-
| phone for DR.. Oldham. the assistant
| city physician. He came, but was
| too late.
In deceased's pocket was found q
half empty flask of whisky, and be-
| low stairs, at the washstand and
box labeled morphine. This had
| COR tanned sufficient of the drug to
cause the death OF two men.
Watson Is unmarried and came
from Memphis, Tenn, where 1t is said
he was born and reared He has heen
in this city about 6 years ard has
been a member of the paid fire de-
psrtment of the city for the past ten
months. He was formerly assigned
TO the hook and ladder truck, but on
II VI . IVCohO illhOoo, 90
transferred to No. hose company for
service
A reporter of the LIGHT, detailed to
look up the woman in the case, found
her to be Matte Owens, who works at
the Olympic theatre and rooms at the
"French Laundry" on Monterey
street. She says that Watson tried
to pay her attention aud had written
many letters to her, but she always
refused to answer them, or have any-
thing to do with him. Watson, she
thinks, was jealous OF more favored
rival. She did not know II he said
last night he would kill himself. She
did not remember to have heard him
say that.
He did not call upon her, butit was
learned he did call at Sadie Rays
bawdy house and saw Mamie Hill.
This Mamie seems to have been fond
of him, or at least had heart in her,
as, on hearing of his death, she
posted off in hack and viewed his
body, weeping many tears and de
clarlng she would also kill herself. 1t
is said by her intimates that she had
twice attempted suicide about one
month ago, but whether about him
or not is unknown.
Invitations are out to meet Maj.
and Mrs. Haskell at the Post hop