The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-19
DrATU FROM MORPHINE
John Clayton. n Central ""i'er"'""'
t,,,.,nd His Life Yesterday.

t,vn CLAYTON, 81 tcnfrhi ""i'''""'
Ended His Life fcHtrr""s'
tohr CLAYTON, aged 60 years. OF nice ap-
,ooroncc and some means. was iouhu ue"'
IN bod Mt the Capitol Hotel yesterday AZ
noon rho discovery was made by Manager
uoryov who. being informed by the cham-
horn,id that she could not open the room
CLAYTON occupied. procured step i"uuo''
and. looking through the transom' pchciu
CLAYTON living on the bed cold In death ab
the result of an overdose Of morphine -,
A telephone message brought Jus,iee W.
II. Hill. in the meantime Manager iie'NeS
having given orders that no one Should en-
Ter ,he room. when the justice arrived the
door was unlocked with II pass Key ana the
npartment delivered into his charge.
CLAYTON was formerly u boiiermakcr IN
thc Houston md Texas Central shops, ana
having been afflicted with what the attend
ants of St Josephs infirmafy term an m
durable disease. he entered thae institu,ioh
for treatment Several days ago he LETT
th.ro ard won't to the st Mary's hospital
In Galveston. returning to Houston uay
or so since
While an inmate OF st. Joseph's lntirm-
ary Clayton witnessed an operation by the
physlcians In removing a cancer which re-
suited In the aubject's death. lie remarked
to a friend IN the hospital that he would
die that way some day but II wouid DO
much easter.
Wednesday night Clayton entered the
Capltol Hotel while supper was in progress
and asked Clerk Hervey for a room. The
Young man informed him that II was not
usual TO give a room while meal was
In progress unless the guest desired to pay
for 1t with the room. Clayton remarked
that he did not want TO eat but desired 10
go TO sleep. He registered his name, han i
ding the pen nervously. and was shown to
room on the second floor. Nothing was
beard of him during the night. and no one
knew of his condition until noon yesterday.
When Justice nm took charge OF the
body. Wall & Stabe were ordered to pre-
pare II for burial The body lay on 'he
right side with the right hand under the
head The left eye was partly open the
other one. which was diseased, remained
closed. The body was cold. Death had
come several hours before. He evidently
died without agony.
ON the table In the room was found n
small bottle that had contained morphine.
A little Of the deadly drug still remained
therein. Close TO the vial lay pocket
knife, the large blade OF which was open
and to the point hung several grains OF the
white pain-killer
There Ia a strong sentiment among thosf
who saw the body and frat heard the facts
that Clayton did not suicide. When lie was
at the cfhce desk he seemed 20 bp suffering
with intense pain. and was In hurry Il
get to his room. He did not take the trouble
10 remove his clothing. save his coat and
vest. Before doing so he swallowed the
drug, probably IN hopes Of allayine the pain
that must have been almost sufficient to
drive him mad. The Justice rendered yer-
dict that Clayton came TO his death by the
USE OF morphine.
In the dead mans clothes was SOS In cur
rency and son- change. iIe carried two
receipts for board al the infiruary 10 Hous-
ten and the hospital in Galveston. He has
a son In I'll paso. Texas. who has leen
notified OF the death aud wired that he
weuld leave Immediately for Houston.