The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-19

what the occupant of room 81 was doing or
who may have called on HIM while he was
in the house.
So nothing more was known about him
until on Saturday at about p. NJ, when
Charley. the oid-time Chinese servant of the
house, tried to gain an entrance to room 81
aud found the door locked from the inside.
The doors of all the rooms of the Burning
ton have double locks. one of which can be
manipulated from the inside only, and an
other which yields only to key inserted
from the outside.
Both doors of rooms 80 and 90 were locked
from the inside and Charley mad no means
of entering, although he heard Colon ell
Royee's voice, which Informed him that he
was wanted in the room.
Charley stepped out of the window of the
adjoining suite and walking along the cor
nlces opened the front window OF No. 50
and entered.
He says lie found the man, whom he has
since learned was Colonel Royce. lying on
the bed undressed, and that he was asked
by him TO call the clerk.
The room looked all right, with the ex-
ception of two beer bottles, one empty and
the other full, which stood alongside the
one glass in the apartments on the mantel
in the front room
Charley looked for Horace p. Burkett
the clerk and manager of the hotel, but OF
finding him delayed the delivery of the
message until about 6 p NJ, when he told
Mr.. Burkett that the man in 81 was i'll and
wanted TO see him.
Burkett Immediately called on Colonel
Royce. and found him heIplessly paralyzed
and suffering from scalp wound.
II am wounded. Please send for Dr.
Thayer. on Washington street, near Fill
more" said Colonel Royce, and Mr.. Bur-
kett carried out this order without asking
any questions.
After the delay necessary on account of
the long distance, Dr. Ihayer arrived, and
shortly afterward he ordered q conveyance
and removed his patient to his home,
That Is about all the Burlington people
know about the affair. except that br other
| of the manager. Dave Burkett. occupied
room 81, which is adjoining the suite in
which Colonel Royce was, and that Dave
says he heard no noise in the suite dur
ing the night intervening between Friday
and Saturday.
What happened in the daytime Dave does
not know because he was not at home then.
1t was said that Colonel Royce rang up a
messenger from box located on the second
floor of the Burlington shortly after he had
obtained the writing material he had asked
| for on Friday. but to whom the messenger
went is not known.
The fact that all the doors leading to his
room were locked from the inside makes it
absolutely certain that he himself locked
the door OF No. 81 and left the key in the
lock.
The door of No. SO has not been unlocked
for long time, and no key fitting the
inside lock can be found in the house.
That any number Of people could have
called on the colonel while he was in the
Burlington without their attracting the at
tention of any one in the house is also quite
sure, because there is no surveillance kept
over the patrons of that house.
The two bottles of beer, which he had
either sent for or gone ont to purchase. are
sufficient evidence that his goings or COM
ings were not watched, because no one
knew the beer was there until it was found
next day.
The question which puzzles the friends of
Colonel Royce most is what possible motive
he could have had in engaging and occupy
ing ia room downtown at all. such pro-
ceeding being an entirely unusual one for
him.
If he sent messenger cut, who was the
party he wanted to see? is another question
which arises, and of course the main CUES
ton is how and where did he receive his
injuries.
Ali these queries can be answered only
by Colonel Royce himself or by his physician
in whom he has doubtless confided because
if be did not desire the services of a con-
fidential friend us well as those of tor
he would not have asked of Clerk Burkett
that DR.. Thayer, who lived at loag dis
lance. be sent for.
Realizing as he did that he was seriously
injured the nearest doctor would have been
the one man in his position would call
for, unless he preferred to contide the secret
OF how he got his wound TO an old and
trusted friend.
Colonel Z. e. Royce Is prominent Grand
Army man, eX-commander of General
Thomas Post, &. a. r., director of the
Yountville Veterans Home aud a LAWYER
OF high standing.
In his Office in the Crocker building his
younger son, Robert M. Royce, meets all