The herald., 1896-10-01
TOOK MORPHINE AND Died.
The Tragic Life Story Of Thomas
S. WyIie
TWO WOMEN IN THE CASE
He Quarreled With His Mistress, Then
Sought Death
The Peculiar Story Unfolded at the Cor
oner's Inquest Last Evening-Found
Dead in His Bed

on Broadway yesterday morning about
10 o'clock the lifeless body of Thomas
Starr Wylie was found in bed, and un-
der the bedstead an eight-ounce bottle
which had contained sulphate of NOR
phia. telling its own mute story of de-
spair and suicide. An inquest upon the
body was held last evening at the under
taking rooms of Kregeio & Bresee lat
which time two women appeared, each
claiming to be the wife of the dead man.
Both told their stories, and from them
tragic story of real life was brought
to light. One of the women proved to
have legal claim upon the deceased;
the other was his mistress, with whom
he has lived for several years. As
CLEANED from their testimony the facts
are as follows:
Thomas S. Wylie came originally from
New York state. where he was raised,
and at the time OF his death was about
81 years old. He was married and re-
sided with his wife, Bessie, in Selma.
Fresno county where he ran dairy.
Along in 1898 Wylie took a trip east to
see the worlds fair and when he got
back brought with him a good looking
woman whom he introduced as his sister,
but who proves to have been Mrs. Fan
ME Mcbride, a woman Wylie had known
in Troy, N. Y. This woman was in
stalled in his house as his sister, but the
wife soon began to suspect the real re-
lations existing between them. Mrs.
Wylie said nothing, but when Mrs. Nc
Bride one evening came home drunk,
she ordered her out of the house.
Shortly thereafter she secured a di-
vorce from rrer hur5and and Wylie went
to living with Mrs. Mcbride After
ward, Mrs. Wylie claims, the differences
which had brought about the divorce
were patched up and the couple were
remarked, only to again separate over
the Mcbride woman. Mrs Wylie in
stituted divorce proceedings, but finally
dropped them, allowing her husband to
go, although still retaining her legal
hold upon him.
Then Wylie again took up with his
paramour and they Travelled about
Southern California, working together.
Wylie usually secured employment as
a ranch hand, while Mrs. Mcbride did
cooking and housework. They have
been thus employed at Redlands, Pasa-
lena and lately on the Newhall ranch.
About two weeks ago the couple came
to Los Angeles and took rooms at the
Menlo. They stayed there but a few
days and then moved into the house of
Ed e. Leonhardt, janitor in the post
office building, at whose place a room
was secured and the rent paid for
week in advance. To Leonhardt the
couple were known as Mr.. and Mrs. Gal
lagher.
whenever Wylie came into town he
always spent his money freely and was
known as a sporty boy" and hard
drinker. On Tuesday he had been
drinking heavily and in the evening came
home and had quarrel with his wife.
she upbraiding him for getting drunk.
Wylie grew angry at her words and
finally asked her for some money, say
ing he would go and get room for the
night elsewhere.
She gave him something over dollar,
and Wylie left. AS he was going out
he showed to Leonhardt bottle two
thirds filled with morphine, saying:
I'm going to fix myself with that"
Leonhardt paid little attention to his re-
mark, thinking it but the maunderings
of a drunken man, and Wylie left This
was about o'clock, and was the last time
he was seen alive by any of the inmates
Of Leonhardt's house.
Later in the evening Wylie came to the
Louise lodging house, in company with
another man. and engaged room, pay
ing for it in advance. S. j. Lafavor. the
proprietor, noticed that both men were
much the worse for liquor, but Wylia
appeared to be able to take care of HIM
self He bade his companion good night
and retired, first telling the landlord
to call him at o'clock in the morning.
At that hour the next day Wylie was
called repeatedly, but did not respond
to knocks on the door. Finally Mr.. La
favor procured stepladder and looked
over the transorn, discovering his lodger
lying dead on the bed. The door was
broken in and the undertakers notified.
who took away the body and acquainted
the coroner with the facts.
en- the bed with the clothing neatly ar
ranged. On the bed by the dead mans
side was a note, evidently intended for
his mistress. 1t read:
Fannie, good by. love you as
brother. T. s. WYLIE."
The empty morphine bottle was under
the bed, the cork being found in a pocket
of his clothing. Wylie had worn new
suit of brown clothing, neat shoes, had
gold watch and an imitation diamond
stud. In the trousers pockets only %
cents in money was found. At 3 p. m.
the inquest was held by Coroner Camp
bell, when the story Of wasted life
came out.
DR.. Walter Lindley performed an au-
topsy upon the corpse, and determined
that death had resulted from morphine
poisoning. His testimony was followed
by that Of Mr.. Lafavor, who told of Wy
lies coming to his house and of the find
ing Of the body. Luther Hill identified
the body as that of Wylie, and said he
was a brother-in-law Of the deceased.
Wylie was born in New York, and had
married his sister some years ago. They
had several children. Mrs Bessie Wy
lie told the story of her wrongs as re-
lated above, and identified the body.
The last witness was Mrs. Fannie Nc
Bride. She had known Wylie all her life,
and had for the last three years posed as
his wife, bvt had never legally been
married to him. Sometimes both she
and Wylie went by the name of Gala
CHER. They worked together at Red
lands, the Newhall ranch and other
places, their last position being at Oak
Knoll ranch, Pasadena. Wylie had a
brother John in Troy, New York, where
both she and deceased formerly lived.
She last saw Wylie alive about o'clock
Tuesday evening, when he left their
room drunk.
Mrs Mcbride claimed that she