The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-28
A FIANCEE'S LOSS.
j. D. Spencer Found Dead
in His Bed.
MYSTERY OF HIS TAKING OFF.
He Was to Have Been Married Last
Night-An Autopsy Will Be
Held on Fiis Body.

The body of ]. D. Spencer lies at the
Morgue and Miss Nellie Ewing of 222l Scott
street, to whom he was to have been mar
ried last night, is distracted with grief
Besides the coincidence of his death a few
hours before the time set for his wedding,
there is slight mystery about his death TO
add interest to tine story.
Spepcer was tall, handsome man, about
So years of age His home was formerly IN
St. Louis and he has relatives living there.
He had been for a number of years Pacific
Coast agent of the Liggett q Myers To-
bacco Company.
He lived at the Grand Hotel, and was
found dead in bed in his room about
o'clock yesterday morning.
He had made extensive preparations Tor
his marriage TO Miss Ewing, and had even
gone so far as to purchase railroad tickets
for the bridal trip East His trunks had all
been packed in readiness for the journey.
On Tuesday he was around town with j.
NJ Gamble, who was associated in business
with him. and Gamble states that Spencer
was in high spirits, and frequently reIerIeu
to his approaching marriage. mat evening
he called at the home of his tlancee ana re-
manned for some time discussing the wed
ding.
Miss Ewing has invited a number OF
schoolmaies, who had since they left school
married, and requested as particular favor
that each attend the wedding in the gown
in which she was married. The request III
each instance was compiled WITH.
Before leaving that night he promised TO
return Wednesday afternoon at ) 6'clock.
but he did not keep his appointment MISS
Ewing and her mother looked Tor his APP
pearance all aftern Don and evening, ana
shortly after midnight, unable TO endure
the suspense longer, Miss Ewing teiephoned
to the Grand Hotel.
The bellboy was sent 10 Spencer's room
with the message, but got no response TO MS
! knock, and a second call later on was
| equally unsuccessful
1t was then suspected that something was
! wrong, and about 3 o'clock the door was
! forced open and Spencers dead BODY was
| found in bed. There was no smell oil
| escaping gas in the room and the body bore
| no marks of violence.
How long had he been dead?' was the
| question generally asked. Several OF his
| friends declared that he must have died
some time on Wednesday, but clerk at the
| MOTEL stated that he saw Spencer that even
! ing and he was seen BY others at quite late
| hour in the hotel bar.
! Among the causes of death suggested are
! heart disease and apOpleXy. The deceased
| was inclined to stoutness aud was very tull-
| bloOded, giving some plausbIllty to the
theory of apopleXy.
Suicide has been limited at, but there is a
| total absence of motive. He was prosper
| Gus in his business relations and was on TIE
eve of being welded TO an estimable and
charming young lady, two things which are
utterly opposed to the theory of suicide.
An autopsy will be made Oh the body and
an inquest will be afterward held.
| What suggested the suicide theory was
the presence of bottle of chlorotOrm on
| table in the room.
An autopsy held last evening showed a
clOt in the heart sufficient in Itself
10 have caused death. To more fully solve
the problem the Coroner sent the stomach
to a chemist for analysis. If an overdose OF
chorOform had been inhaled by Spen-
! Ger the clot of blood in the heart would
have been natural consequence.
1t was stated by one of his friends that
| he had been taking chlOroform for an inter
| nal trouble. and there is Il possibility that
death was tile result of an overdose OF
chloroform taken simply as medicine.
William Elliot, bartender in the Grand
| Hotel bar, knew Spencer very well. He
| scouts the idea of suicide and said last even
ing that he was confident he died of natural
| causes.
"For the past week" said Elliot, Spencer
has been com planning of pains back of his
| kidneys. He would come in here regularly
every night, drink one gin toddy and then
retire. 1t was then that he would complain
| of the pain.
"He was a handsome man and very regu.
lar in his habits. He was very seldom
around the hotel in the evening, aud it was
unusual to see him with any one. Every
evening ne visited Miss Ewing. and the
other evening when be told me he was about
| TO get married he showed me her picture,
which he lad encased in a silver dollar.
He was talking only last Monday might
of having his life insured in day or tive
for $4,000. He had plenty of money and
drew large salary from the firm he wa:
working for. He had been in the city of
and on, and the last time he came here wa:
about six weeks ago."