The morning call., 1892-11-07
K Stamp Out the Bosses. K
DIED FROM The POISON.
Was John Ashton Drugged
and Robbed?
Lizzie Valentine, Pitiable Morphine Wreck,
Held on Suspicion Of Having Com
mittsd the Double Crime.

John Ashton, the proprietor Of sailor
board ng-house who was poisoned in such
mysterious manner last Thursday night,
died in the Receiving Hospital at 10
o'clock yesterday morning. His remains
were removed TO the Morgue, where an
autopsy showed that morphine poisoning
was the cause of death.
Ashton was q handsome English sailor
and sbOut 80 years old. firing of life on
the bounding pillows and diet of hard
tack and salt junk, he left his ship at this
port two years ago and married the widow
of shanghai" Brown. With her he con-
Quoted the boarding house ats SIC Front
street, near Vallejo. Last Thursday he
put two crews aboard English ships and is
supposed to have received several hundred
dollars from the captains.
Soon after returning Ashton started out
with John LangfOrd. brother Of the police
sergeant.
The men drank considerable liquor and
during the evening they fell IN with Lizzie
Valentine, woman wrecked by the use of
morphine and Imprisonment in San
Quentin for larceny. Ashton was suffi-
ciently hilarious to imagine that the faded
female was beauty. He left Langford
and accompanied the woman to her room in
the Portland lodging-house on Kearny
street.
Two hours later Lizzie ran screaming
into the street and Informed policeman
that Ashton was SICK. In an UNCONSCIOUS
condition Ashton was removed to the hos
pital. IL was not until Friday night that
Ashton recovered his senses long enough TO
make a brief statement He said that
when he entered the wOman's room he had
S171 in his pockets, although he possessed
only 81 70 when searched at the hospital.
He remembered drinking a glass of beer
which the woman went out OF the 70 ON to
get or prepare.
This much he said with great difficulty.
Then he sank in.o ComatOse state and re-
NAMED in that condition until death.
Oheer Conboy. who arrested Lizzie
Valentine soon after Ashton was sent to
the hospital, has been working on the theory
that the woman administered the drug for
the purpose Of robbery. That she took the
money appears certain, but it is peculiar
circumstance that no trace Of 1t can be dis
covered.
For two days Lizzie has lain on a cot in
the CITY Prison Hospital in hysterical con-
dtion. She was in such a state of frenzy
yesterday that The prison attendants feared
10 Inform her of Ashton's death. When
questioned about the poisoning of Ashton
she wept wrung her hands, tore her hair
and begged for morphine.
Nv hen Ashton came to my ROOM" she
said, after being quieted somewhat, che
brought bottle of whisky, which we
drank. At last | felt that / needed some
HOIpuluP, Cut tueT6 was only enough for
one shot in the bottle that stood on the
table. As knew l would need more in the
morning went out TO get some Of the stuif
| was gone nearly half an hour before
l returned with the morphine Upon
entering the room / found Ashton
in stupor and thought that be
had taken the morphine | left in
the bottle. If l had poisoned him do you
think / would have called in the police
No. never. l didn't take any of his money
and had no intention Of robbing him. Ii it
hadn't been for John LangfOrd | would
never have met him. Oh, for Gods sake
give me some morphine" and the woman
went into another paroxysm of weeping and
despair.
She is about 40 years old and looks at
least ten years older. She has been married
several times and says that her present hus-
band is pantryman on one of the Sacra-
mento River steamers.
AS 1t is the belief of the police that the
woman did not leave Ashton TO buy NOR
phine, but to conceal money she had stolen,
she Will probably be charged with murder
or robbery An inquest on Ashton's re-
mains Will be held to-day.