San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-17
SUICIDE OR MURDER?
THE BODY OF A DEAD MAN FOUND
THIS MORNING.
He Was Shot Through the Heart, But No
Pistol Was Found and There Were
No Bullet Holes in His Clothes.

The dead body OF man was
found on bridge on River avenue,
about two blocks north OF Grand
avenue, this morning about D
o'clock. The body was discovered
by Paul Wohlfarth, driver for the
City brewery, on mis- way to town
with the brewery wagon. 1t
was vet dark and he saw the form
of a man PROSTATE on the west end
of the bridge. He got off the
wa gon, and struck a match to see
who the man was. He saw the
mans clothes were bloody and
that he was dead and Immediately
notified the police.
Coroner Griff Jones was the first
to arrive,and viewed the body. No
one seemed able to identify him.
A card was found in his pocket, on
which was written with indelible
pencil the name Of w. b.
Bail ey, No. 1924 West Commerce
street; A. Hernandez, South Lare-
do street, and Ross Habern,
river of coal wagon. A receipt
from j. Eikel & Co., dated January
is, was also found on his person,
but there was nothing on it to lead
to his identity. Coroner Jones
says the mans hip pocket was
turned ms ide out.
The man was evidently shot, but
whether he committed suicide or
was murdered Is not known. No
pistol was found, and it is there
fore not believed that he shot him.
self. The fact that no bullet holes
are to be found in his clothes,
leaves it mystery as to whether
he was murdered.
Residents in the vicinity Of the
tragic scene say they heard a pistol
report about two o'clock this morn
ing, but paid no attention to it.
The bullet entered the mans left
breast at the nipple and pierced the
heart.
Coroner Jones ordered the re-
mains removed to Mccormick
morgue, where they are held for
1 "A vi pOoplO
called this morning, but no one at
first seemed to know him. He was a
young man about % or 30 years of
age.
Eugene Norman, son OF Special
Officer John Norman, said he saw
the dead man about five minutes
before the patrol wagon arrived.
He said there was bicycle and a
lantern under the bridge when he
arrived and believes that the man
was shot while under the bridge.
The place where the killing &C.
Cured is an ideal one for hold
up, the nearest house being that Of
Mr.. Otto Wahrmund, which Is
about a hundred feet south Of the
bridge. North, east and west Of
the bridge is tract Of prairie land,
covered with weeds and mesquite
bushes.
The dead man was identified this
morning about IL 80 O'Clock by D..
E. Harndon, of No. OF South Presa
street, where deceased had room.
His name Is Hubert Gray Ran
some. He was % years Of age, this
being his birthday anniversary,
and a native Of Surrey, Eng.
| The coroner's certificate states
that death was caused by gun.
shot wound and that he was muir.
dered by unknown parties, He
came here about year ago from
Gonzales. He was seen about 6 OF
7 o'clock last night by Fred. Hayes
and William Mitchell and seemed
to be in good spirits. 1t is said he
left his room after midnight and
took with him a 3S.calibre pistol
but no pistol was found on him.
His father died in England, No
vember 6. 1894. He has a brother
in San Francisco, CAL, to whom hi
addressed letter, dated March IS
1896, as follows: ERNEST l.. Ran
some, care of A. II. Evans & Co.
attorneys, San Francisco, Cal.
"Dear Ernest do not know i
: you ever got my last letter. Thinl
perhaps that you have not.
am in very bad fix. 1 have tn
chance Of getting a very good jo1
on the railway as fireman, but a
you know l cannot draw pay for tw
months, and as l have been un
able to save anything, canno
Il see my way, unless you will hel
e me with loan Of $50 if you ca
n see your way to do so. l will en-
0 gage on part to return it, togethe
n with what you 80 kindly sent m
? when l was so sick at Gonzales
$. which l have not forgotten, a
y soon as draw my first pay. Th
x wages are from $50 to 800 pc
month. Should you want NJ