The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-31
DIED TOGETHER.
A Newly Married Couple
Asphyxiated.
THE DEADLY GAS-BURNER.
Three of Its Victims Are Now
at the Morgue.
SUICIDE OF CONRAD HELsLEY.
A Mummified Body With a Pistol
by Its Side Found ON q Sand
Dune Near the Park.

The Coroner's black horses had little
time for repose yesterday. Two cases of
| accidental aspbyxiaton were reported
early in the day. An hour or Two later
the shriveled remains of man who had
blown out his brains ON sand dune south
of the park were found. and early in the
Afternoon the body of man who had been
| suffocated by inhalng coal gas was discov.
cred in an Eddy strset lodging-house.
Sunday Is known as "asphyxialion day"
at the Morgue, tor Sabbath seldom comes
without case of suffocation by coal gas.
Many Of such cases come from lodging
houses. where no attention is paid TO gas
burners. The fuddled or ignorant tran
| sient retires late Saturday night, turns out
the light and goes to bed ignorant of the
fact that he has turned the stopcock too
far. and the deadly fluid Is filling the room.
Next day his body is discovered, and the
Coroner's deputy reports that be found gas
flowing from burner in the apartment
A Dewly married couple. John Smith
and wife of Berkeley, were among the
burners victims yesterday. They came to
this city Saturday afternoon and spent the
the evening at Michael Mitchelps saloon,
1923 Howard street. Smith was railroad
employee and was related to the saloon
keeper. He was married one week ago to
buxom girl, and took her to the city with
him for the purpose of introducing her to
his friends. Late at night the Smiths made
their way 10 the ferry only to find that the
last boat had crossed the bay. They re-
turned to Mitchelps and were invited to
pass the remainder of the night in fur
Dished apartment adjoining the saloon.
The invitation was gratefully accepted,
and Mitchell went homo leaving the gas
burning in the room In which the young
couple had retired. When the saloon
keeper entered his place yesterday morn
ing the light in the room occupied by the
guests was out, the apartment filed with
gas and bride and groom lay dead togeth-
er. The stopcock on the burner had been
turned little too far.
A physician was SUNNI oned by Mitchell.
and he declared that the Smiths had been
dead two hours.
by low bushes, two hunters yesterday
morning STUN Dled over the body of man
apparently about 55 years Of age. The
place is at the intersection OF < street and
Forty-Seventh avenue, south of Golden
Gate Park, and the remains had evidently
lain there many weeks, for the BODY was
shrunken TO skeleton and Dlackened by
exposure. A rusty revolver lay near one
OF the shriveled hands and there was
bullet hole In the forehead.
notebook was found 10 one of the
dead mans pockets. but its leaves were
sodden with rain and the writing was so
badly blurred that the deputy who exam
ined it was unable to read the contents
The unknown was poorly dressed and
penniiess.
Late Saturday night a portly, we'll
dressed man, clean-shaven and neat in
ing-house at 214k Eddy street and retired
without registering his name. The land
lord while passing the door Of the apart
ment yesterday afternoon was almost
stified by the Odor OF Illuminating gas.
He knocked loudly upon the door, but
there came no answer from the man
within, and upon mounting to the tran
som he saw his guest lying dead upon the
bed. The gas was flowing freely, and as
the stopcOck is moved with difficulty, the
landlord came to the conclusion that his
guest had committed suicide. From cards
found upon his person it appears that the
deceased was Conrad Helsley, son of
Peter G. Helsley. a switchman, who re-
sides at 1851 st. Charles street, Alameda.
The body was removed to the Morgue and
Helsley's relatives were notified of his
death.
Conrad Helsley was the SON of Peter C.
Helsley, the veteran switchman of the
broad-gauge line in Alameda. He was f fop
a time a salo0n-keeper on OFnrrell street
in nartnership with his brother-in-l.w
Perry Withrow, who, with his wife. lives
with the elder Helsley at 1851 st. Charles
street. Alameda. Con" Helsey. as he is
known across the bay, is described by w.
Ii. Noy of Alameda as a man of splendid
physique. the last man he would suspect
of committing suicide. HI had seen him
in San Francisco on last Friday, when be
looked well.
Mrs. Godfrey. who lives next to the
Helsleys IN Alameda, said that "Con" had
besn sick for a week or two with some
thing like rheuma tism.
Family troubles were probably the par
tial cause of Helsley's suicide. His father
is described as of rather cranky DISPOSE
ton, and his son has not visited home
often. He lived in San Francisco. He
told MIR. Noy recently that his father. who
has small competence. was going to
leave his property outside of his family
when he died.