The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

He came to an untimely end yesterday
morning at 2 o'clock at the French Hos
pital from morphine administered. by
himself.
The story of his death is a strange one
The pain in the heart" of which he
spoke in the last message which he wrote
two days before his death. was not ply
steal pain. Perhaps the cause which
wearied him of life may never be known,
for he was not used to speak much of his
private personal affairs.
1t has been discovered by reason of the
plan conceived of by him at first having
failed, because of lack of the favora Bile
opportunity, that he had a horror of the
Morgue and OF the disgrace shat attends
the name of a suicide, and he deliberately
took steps to com pass his death in such a
manner as to lead to the belief that it was
caused by an operation for the purpose of
which he went to the hospital.
To his friend, Owen Burns, General
Manager of the Commercial Fire Dis
patch Company, in the Croker build i g,
he confided his intention of making away
with himself. He charged MIR. Burn s
with the sad duty OF arranging for the
cremation of his body. All that his friend
could say to dlssuade him from his pur-
pose was in vain.
The last entries in his diary, made after
he went to the hospital, speak of tine
pain in the heart and OF pinks and
violets brought by friends to cheer him.
MONDAY, Nov %, 1897
Two letters from c. Answered. Went to
hospital early in afternoon, Registered &c
Then walk in G. G. Park. Very beautiful,
peaceful and quiet Read over C.'s letters
Poor old &. Tore the laftarS Whatta ho
use Of anything. "Nawthin." Donald called
in tn evening.
Nov. 80 Operation for this morning. Have
eaten hardly anything since Sat night
Lizzie came with her mother. Pinks and
more violets. Also letter from Lizzie this
A NJ E o. and Ownie called up just a ( dark
More violets. Am very weak and have bad
pain over or inC0 the heart.
The pinks and violets will keep me COM
pany tonight.
1t had been his intention to take a fatal
quantity of morphine just before the
operation so that it might be thought that
his death had resulted from shock conse-
quent upon the use of the surgeons knife.
| But the opportunity did not come, and he
swallowed the poison some time during
the night of December l. The operation,
while painful, was not at all dangerous,
ana when 1t was discovered about mid
night that he was sleeping with all the
| sym ptoms OF narcotic poiso ming the alarm
was given and the doctors i'm ediately
| set about to bring him out of danger
They pursued the usual course in such
contingencies, whipping his body for the
| purpose of counteracting the deadly
drowsiness and endeayoring to induce ma
tural respiration by artitic al methods.
After working upon him for Gig hteen
hours they restored him 10 sciousnes s:
and he told how he had attem pt ed to
| commit suicide by taking the poison
which he had concealed about his person.
The ordeal OF the operation and the
ravages OF the drug were too great a strain
upon his vitality and the death that lie
planned came in spite OF the efforts of the
physicians.
The officers OF The hospital had been
warned by Waiiace's friends that he con.
| templated suicide ana strict watch was
kept on him. The physicians and nurses
removed as much OF the mans clothing
from the ward as they could without ex-
citing the suspicion of the patient thai
his purpose was known and what clothing