Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-10-21
LIFE A FAILURE.
C. r. Sheldon, of Denver, Tries the
Morphine Route-John Barr
Makes a Success of 1t at
Las Vegas.

G. R. Sheldon, of Denver, occupying a
room at Mrs. Colds house, attempted sui
eide by morphine last night. Attendants
about the house heard groans coming
from the bedroom about 8 o'clock this
morning. Vigorous knocks at the door
brought no response, and access was had
through the window. DR.. Sloan was sum-
moned, and Immediately recognizing the
man as suffering from morphine poison,
went to work with powerful batteries and
other appliances. At 2 o'clock this after
noon the patient had been revived some
what, but it is a problem as to whether
medical science can save him.
On dresser in the room were two
notes signed "a stranger, 'and both bearing
date of Saturday last, written in an oval,
steady, business-like hand. One was adj
dressed to the coroner and said it was n :
necessary to hold an inquest, 'as it was a
plain case of suicide by morphine, taken
with suicidal intent. There are DO friends
to advise" The other note was ad-
dressed to Mrs. Gold, and was an apology
for causing the trouble which will natu-
rally attend this case" "But," it went
on, "life with me is a failure, and this
room seems specially made for my pur-
pose. My mother will likely send for
what few things have"
This led to the belief that he must have
notified his mother on Saturday that he
intended to commit suicide, and at 1:30 a
telegram came to the city marshal from
Denver, signed DR.. j. w. Wade, saying:
&c. R. Sheldon suicided at Santa Fe
Saturday night. Wire particulars" Thus
the poor fellows true name was ascer-
tanned. On Saturday he pawned case
containing a few eye glasses to j. s.
Candelario for 50, and gave his name as
E. R. johnson. He came here last week
and seems to have been engaged in ped
ding spectacles. On Thursday he pawned
his watch for 81 and In an hour redeemed
it, saying he had won $3.50 at pharo. On
Friday he was again without money and
pawned his watch second time, follow
ing it up by pawning the spectacle case
on Saturday. He is about 36 years old.
At 3 p. m. he was still alive.
BLEW OUT HIS BRAINS.
John Barr, late chief clerk for Division
Superinten dent j. E. Hurley, of the A., T.
& 8. f., blew his brains out with SIX
shooter at his room in Las Vegas yester-
day forenoon. He was So years old, and
a widower, having lost his wife and child
years ago in New York. Formerly he
was connected with the A., T. & 8. F.
water service at Trinidad, and at Las
Vegas served as chief clerk under Mr..
Dyer, when he was division superintend-
emit.
Deceased had been in poor health for
some time; he was getting too feeble to
attend to his duties and was laid off.
Superintendent Hurley insisted that he
take trip to California, recuperate and
come back, and said he would assign
him to lighter duties. Barr said he had
no money with which to make the trip
and the superintendent told him to 60
anyway and he would give him $3.50.
This ended the matter for the time being.
Yesterday Barr wrote several letters,
among them this:
It seems that all the money could ac-
cumulate was given to help others when
in distress, but I have not been so blessed
with friends to assist in such manner.
This is the cause of the present trouble,
and very sore trouble it Is.
Very truly,
a. we JOHN BARR.
He also, gent lstter to Superintendent
Hurley. These and other papers in the
room were bespattered with blood from
the gun shot wound. The Optic issued
an "extra" detailing the particulars Of
the sad affair.