The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-21
FIVE |NQUESTS FINISHED,
Coroner Hawkins and His
Deputies Were Very Busy
Yesterday.
The Verdict in the Lefevre Murder
Case Was Unsuitable HON.
iCide.

Coroner Hawkins had busy day yester-
day. The Morgue was crowded all morn
ing, and the general impression was that
the death of Blanche Lamont was being
inquired into. Five cases were investi-
gated and the verdicts in two of them
were little out of the ordinary. In one
Of them a husband met a man whom he
had warned to keep away coming from his
wife's room and shot him dead. The ver-
dict returned was justifable homicide. In
the other a teamster, after reading the ac-
count of the murders in the Emmanuel
Baptist Church, hanged himself and the
jury found that his mind was in an abb
normal condition from reading the news
paper accounts of the crime.
The first case investigated was that of
Mrs. NJ hobart, who took an overdose of
morphine with suicidal intent. The evil
dence showed that she and her husband
had quarreled and that he had accused her
of intidelity. The following letter from the
woman was read:
With my dying breath swear have not de-
ceived Gus hobart as his wife. We were mar
ried by Justice Gray in the new City Hall. No
more, only Gus told me not to come home any
more, and will not. So goodbye to all, and
any more, so goodbye. The room is dark-ex-
cuse my poor writing I cannot stand my hus-
bands abuse. He has treated me like O dog
through his jealousy God bless my two little
| tect them. l am sick and heart-broken.
The jury returned verdict to the effect
that opium, taken with suicidal intent,
was the cause of the woman's death.
a. q. Woods, a restaurant waiter, who
lived at 684 Ash avenue, took an overdose
of laudanum on the 18th inst. He had
been out of work for some time and had
OivQ RI Ho
moved to the Receiving Hospital, and par
TALLY recovered from the effects of the
drug, but congestion of the lungs set in
and he died. The verdict was that he died
from an overdose of opium taken with su-
icidal intent The saddest part of the case
is that his unfortunate wife gave birth to a
child on the morning he died.
In the case of Frank Clark, who lived at
the Potrero, the verdict was accidental
drowning" On his way home he stopped
to examine an open culvert, and losing
his balance, fell in. The water in the
sewer was high, and before help came he
was drowned.
Rene Lefevre was shot and killed by
Eugene Colman on the night of the 18th
inst The latter is proprietor of the White
House. $40 Jackson street, and Lefevre
was shoemaker and ex-convict. Colman
warned the shoemaker to keep away from
the house, as he had caught him on one
occasion with his wife. Lefevre in reply
threatened to "do Colman up" in less than
a week. On the night in question Lefevre
attempted to reach Mrs. Colmans room
and the outraged husband shot him dead.
He explained afterward that he thought Lee
fevre was prepared to carry out his threat.
The verdict of the jury was "justifiable
homicide"
Joseph E. McClinchy, teamster in the
employ of Wells, Fargo q Co., went home
seeming in good spirits last Monday night.
During the evening he read the newspaper
accounts of the murder of Minnie Will
liams and Blanche Lamont. During the
night he went into the cellar of his house
at 635 Locust avenue and there hanged
himself. He took the newspapers to
the cellar with him. The verdict Of the
jury concluded, "And we further find that
the deceased had no cause TO commit sui
side and that his mind was in abnormal
condition from reading the accounts of the
crimes committed in the Emmanuel Bap-
fist Church."
Never in the history of the city has there
been such an epidemic of murders and sui
cides, and in consequence Coroner Haw-
kins and his deputies are kept busy from
morning to night.