The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-17
LATEST OAKLAND NEWS.
The Mystery of Sidney Smiths
:: Death Fully Ex-
=: planned.
HE sTRANGLED HIMSELF.
" commencement Exercises at the
HE. sTRANGLED
HIMSELF
commencement Exercises at the
California College-Collins'
Trial.


was travelling from. Scotland to meet, has
been solved TO the satisfaction of those who
were interested in his fate.
Dir. E. NJ. Paterson, who wrote to Raw
Inns regarding the matter, received an an
swer yesterday, which removes all doubt
that Smith committed suicide, and clears
the Union Pacific of all blame regarding
his demise. The letter was as follows:
RAVENS. wyo., May IL, 1895.
DIR. E. " Peterspn-DEAR- SIR: Your cour-
teousletter OF inquiry of the 9TH inst. at hand
The mystery which the Associated Press dis.
patches. speak of in relation 10 the death OF
Sidney Smith does notexist,
The man. jumped through the WINDOW OF
passenger-car just as 1t pulled into the yard at
this place about 2 p NJ, April 20, landing, as
. understand 1t. on his head and shoulders. He
Immediately sprang to his feet and ran through
the town shouting t'Poice, police
Reaching stone building, which was being
torn down, he seized large rock in each
hand: and, backing up against wall, faced
. the crowd which OF, course followed him. Upon
the approach of a policeman he dropped the
rocks and went with him TO. the depot, secured
- his coat and, getting into wagon, went to the
County Jail, the only available place OF deten-
ton here. was called and examined him,
saw the slight cuts and Commissions on his
head, felt his pulse, talked with him and de-
.termined that he was suffering from mania.
= He told me that he had been drinking quite
hard up to the night before and said he pre-
ferred Scotch whisky. L sent him some and
such- other remedies as the case required. He
was quiet and tractabfe, but after tasting the
whisky would have none of ii or the medicine.
The jail was closed as usual and during the
night he tied his suspenders around his neck,
producing death by strangulation.
= heard .ef the affair the next Saturday
morning just,as was leaying town. did not
attend the. .Goroner's inquest held because of
absence, but returned in time to make the
certificate required by the railroad company
TO accompany the. remains: There was no
date, and the idea that the mans death
2 occurred In any way except by suicide by
strangulation~ is simply absurd. I would
gladly make affidavitif l had time before de-
II desirable. These facts are supported by IN
THOMAS MIG. MAeHEE.
The first news of Smiths death came
from a railroad official at Laramie, Wyo.,
who stated that he had been killed by one
of the company's trains. The subsequent
messages received here said that he had
committed suicide, and the contradictory
statements created a suspicion that he had
been killed by a train and that the COM
pany was trying to hush up the matter.
Smith was not. a member of the st.
Andrew s Society, as has been stated, but
was buried by that organization simply
because he was Scotchman, the mem bers
of that society being all of that nation
atty.
D. Edward. Collins, president of the
society, read the letter at a meeting held
last evening, and Dr. Maghee's statement
was accepted as the true solution of the
matter.
California College Commencement.
The commencement exercises of Califor-
MIA College, Highland Park, East Oak
land, took place yesterday morning, Miss
Maybelle. Rowena Morse. daughter of
PRINCIPAL Morse, being the only represent
alive Of the class
c. The exercises opened with an eight
handed piano piece, after which Rev. DR..
Taft of Alameda, formerly president of the
college, offered the opening prayer. Miss
Blankart and Miss Roberts followed with
a piano duet. Next IN order was the ora
ton of Miss Morse, the subject of her ad-
dress being The Divine Art" The lady
held the attention. of the audience for fully
twenty minutes while discoursing on the
divine beauties Of music and all the good
that has been wrought through its instril-
mentality. she said:
:. Music is heaven born art There are huns an
and there are divine arts; music is divine.
There was music ages before man was created.
: Tl1e morning stars sang together at the dawn
OF creation, Job tells US. The harmony OF
worlds has been in tune for ages. emusic
alone" says Br. HaYeis, ais ever living, ever
growing" HumEnly speaking with reference
TO time, we are living in the golden age OF
music. The Aueustan age was the golden age
OF. Roman literature; the age of Pericles was
the golden age OF sculpture; the Medicean age
was me golaen age OF painting; so this is the
golden age of music The world has more and
better music in 1t to-day than ever before. God
endowed solomon with. many graces. and
much wisdom; but tine most beautiful of all his
graces and omplishments was his love for
music. Jerusalem resounded with song and
orchestra during his reign; his grand choir of
SIX hRndred voices, with half es many instru-
ments Of various kinds made up thai chorus
oza. Mount Moriah.
Napoleon once said, r'Music, of all the liberal
arts has the greatest influence over the pas
sions and is that to which the legislature
ought to give the greatest announcement"
Plato did not hesitate to say that "no change
can be made IN music without similar one
being made in the state" Music has great
power over the emotions; it not only has the
power OF exciting our emotions, but the power
OF disciplining and Controlling emotion. There
is, without doubt grand future for music:
Music OF high and eHnobling order is more and
more filing the earth. The nations are learn
ing the songs Of civilization and Christianity.
Let no one say that the moral effects of
music are small and insignificant. Like the
sound OF bells at night, breaking the silence
only to lead the spirit into deeper peace; like a
ieaden cloud at morn, rising in gray twilight
TO hang as golden mist before the furnace OF
the sun; like the dull, deep pain OF one who
sits in an empty room watching the shadows
of the freight, full OF memories; like. the
plant of souls that are wasted with signing;
like peans of exalted praise; like sudden
songs from the open gates of Paradise, so is
music.
After the applause which followed the
words Of Miss Morse subsidized, Miss Eda
Blankart of East Oakland played a violin
solo and then DR.. Hobart was called upon
by the president to present the diploma,
conveying with it the degree ABB, to the
lady graduate. :.
Another musical selection followed, after
which Chaplain C. G. Bateman, U. S. A., a
member OF the class of rs, delivered an
interesting address upon the subject 'oi
,.foundations and Superstructares."
Next III order wassa violin solo played by
Mary Pasmore, 7years of age, daughter
OF Professor II. B.. Pasmore. So well did
she perform that the audience recalled her
three times.
o. After the conclusion of the graduating
exercises most Of the audience repaired to
the classroom below, where the annual
alumni dinner WAS served. President
morse acted as teastmaster, and among
those who responded to his call were:
chaplain e. c. Bateman, G. L. Maloon '93.
Nd: Z. boynton: aformer student and now
acting pastor of the First Baptist Church.
San francisco; Mr.. Culver, a graduate of
JEFFERSON College; \. 81. Dane 100. j. B.
Travis. s3, R. Z. Espey 's4. Rev. Mr. Drake
from India, Rev. E. NJ. Hifl. Rev. Mr..
Ia