The herald., 1894-12-14
TOM SALTER HAS SU|C|DED,
The San BernardinO POisOner
Is Dead.
He Took Dose of the Medicine He
Gave Barnes.
How He Obtain sd the Drug Is = Mystery.
Mrs. Barnes Must Answer for
the Attempt on Her Hus-
banda Life Alone.


ter. indicted for assisting in the poison
ing OF s. W. Barnes, committed suicide
in Jail last night. He died at IL p. m.
with every evidence OF opium poisoning.
The sirst intimation which Salter's
coll mates had OF his condition was be-
tween 8 and o'clock in the evening,
when hs began to breathe heavily.
These long and deep. drawn breaths
were only occasional, and as he was
lying in his bunk, and apparently
asleep, no notice was taken OF it.
He got up once and left his cell for
q moment, just before 8, but said moth
ing to anyone, and soon returned and
again lay down. A little after s. Jsiler
Tabor Dame in to see how he was getting
along, and brought a hot brick and
placed it at his feet. At intervals oil
about halt an hour the jsiler returned
to see Salter. until nearly 10 O'Clock
when the mans breathing, which by
that time was becoming labored,
alarmed him, and it was determined to
summon physician. Tabor himself
went out to find one, and sent out alD
in another direction, but it was 10:D
before physician was found.
TRYING TO REVIVE HIM.
DR.. J. N. Bayliss was first or the scele,
and he instantly dispatched messengers
for DR.. l. W. Hazlett, with instructions
to bring an electric battery along. In Q
few moments the current waa turned
through the body, but Salter hal al
ready nearly expired. When the doc
tors arrived he was not breathing more
than four or five times q minus. and
the respiration gradually grew weaker,
and in 20 minutes alter the physicians
arrived Salter was dead.
HE HAD BEEN ILL.
Salter had been i'll for several days
with severe cough, and had teen taxi
ing medicine all the time. DA Bayliss
prescribed for him several tines, and
day before yesterday Sslter sent for him
again, but DR.. Hazlett answered the
call and again left medicine for him.
though at that time Salter vie particu-
larly anxious to see DR.. Bsyiss, saying
he had something private Il communi.
cate. ~
Saltsr kept his bed mos OF the day
yesterday, lying down all tie afternoon,
and when time for supper came one OF
his cell mates carried in some food, but
he took nothing save q littb sip OF tea.
The rest OF the meal was carried away
untouched.
A little after 8 o'cloct soms OF the
other prisoners came intothe cell from
the corridor, and fixed the blankets
over Sslter to make hin warmer. He
spoke to them and thanked them. and
then observed that they must think q
great deal OF him, for they were 30 kind
$ TO him, but he would be out In few
days, and then he would remember
them.
HIS LATEST WORDS.
This was the last thing Salter was
heard to say. The blsnkets were tucked
in about bim and the other prisoners
resumed their promenade in the corri-
dors, and little later his deep-drswn
breaths attracted their attention and
finally led to the calling of physician.
As soon as Saltef was dead word was
sent to Coroner Thompson, who at once
hastened TO the Jail and made thor
ough examination OF the cell which Sal
ter had occupied. Sheriff Booth also
happened to be on the street and hur-
ried to the jail, and with the coroner
the cell was thoroughly searched, but
not trace OF poison could be found. nor
anything which would explain Salter's
reasons for the act.
The bedding was carefully searched,
'salter's clothes examined, and every
place here il would be possible to have
concealed any trace OF the poison. but
nothing was found. The books and pa
pers with which be had whled away
the hours ia prison were gone over, but
no word OF any kind was found, or mss-
cage to any of his friends.
Salter had spoken about doing some
writing yesterday morning. but none of
the prisoners eaw him writing and no
letter was asiposted from the jail 40 it
see ms proba BILE that nothing was writ
ten. although it may still be found hid
den away in some spot which was over
looked last night.
HE HAD SPOKEN OF SUICIDE.
None OF the prisoners in the Jail had
ever heard Salter speak OF ending his
life. and they were all astonished at
such course, but Salter had intimsted
to DR.. Hszlett, when the latter had
come in response to a call, that death
was preferable to existence under his
present surroundings, and that he some.
times thought of that method OF escape
from his troubles. In addition to being
prisoner, with prospect of long
siege in court, even should he be finally
acquitted. he was now coneumptive
and in condition Of health that made
him constantly miserable. and he was
prey to himself, physically as we'll as
mentally.
s. +, WHO FURNISHED THE POISON?
The source Of the drug is the myste.
rious feature OF the case. Satsr has
been visited very frequently by few
friends in town, some OF them calling
almost every day, but the jsiler ia at
loss to know whether any OF them would
have smugged the poison to Salter if
he had AJAX ed them to do so.
One Of these friends called yesterday
and spent some time in jail. 1t will be
one OF the matters to be investigated by
the coroner. as to whether the drug was
brought in by some OF these persons who
were given the liberty OF the Jail on ac-
count OF their intimate relations with
the man who has thus written the final
chapter in a remarkably checkered
career.
BARNES AND HIS MOTHER AT THE JAIL.
At l. O'Clock this morning Samuel
Bafnes and his mother. Mrs. Sullivan,
drove to the county jail in a closed car.
Tieged and asked for admission, which
was denied. The messenger who had
been gent for Coroner Thorn pson called
hlso at Barnes house to communicate
the startling news. I'VE thought Kate