The San Francisco call., 1898-02-19
Deserted by Friends, and Disgrace Was Soon to Have Been His
 Portion. Led Into Betrayal of Trust by a Passion for POOlrOOm
 Gambling.
UNIoUEAMONG TRAGEDIES
The Man Even Supplied His Own Picture so That the Narrative
 Might Be Complete.

Last night J. J. Livernash sent a bullet through his heart.
 No individual tragedy more grim ever startled city, nor appeared outside of fiction. Livernash not only planned the suicide deliberately, but he wrote the account of it, explaining his reasons, his methods, his hopes for the future beyond the grave, his despair of life as he had known it. He confessed to faults. He accused others.
 Last evening a tall young man smooth shaved, his features expressing intelligence, his voice indicative of culture, came to the office of The Call. He had a story to sell. The nature of it he did not explain, but he was anx- ious to dispose of it, and stipulated that the price should be paid to Mrs. J. J. Livernash. He asserted that the story would be of public interest, and it was taken on faith, to be used if of suf- ficient value. To-day the story is used
 Before the packet containing manu- script and picture had been opened the young man was dead by his own hand.
 When this grewsome climax to what had been considered only an episode
  nounced the packet became invested with a weird, uncanny fascination. 1t was as a message thrust from the tomb to humanity by a skeleton hand
 To the last, professional habit was strong with Livernash. He had been a newspaper man, and in preparing to write the account of his suicide he sought to include every detail. He be- gan with an introduction such as a re- porter might have written, this lead ing up to a touching letter of farewell
 Then he added comments upon the letter, and the affair Later, he ap- pended final note showing how his plans had in a measure gone wrong Throughout, the language was cohe- rent, and there was hardly a trace of excitement beyond that manifest in the use of few exclamation points Calmly he stood at the borders of eter- n1ty, chatting with friends lending some stranger applicant his last dol lar, listening to music at the saloons, and paying no heed to protests that he was not saving even a nickel for car fare He knew he would need no car fare; that his nights rest would be at the Morgue
 B. F. Allen was an intimate friend of 1ivernash's. Unconsciously he aided in promoting the suicidal scheme. It was his pistol Livernash used, and AL len supplied him with cartridges. It was he who was about the streets with L1Vernash last evening, who went with him to newspaper offices, who was standing near when the shot was fired, and reached the side of the dying man in time to hear his last word.
 John, did you do it?" Allen asked as he tore away the clothing that smoldered above the wound
 Yes, Ben, have done it."
 And so Livernash gave his story a value, and passed away.
 Allen said that Livernash and him. self left the place where they lived 50 South Park, early in the evening. Liv- ernash told him he would have story for which he thought the Examiner would pay $25O and for delivering this Allen was to have s100. which would put him on his feet"
 Livernash did not find Lawrence readily, and when he did, was not satis- fled with the terms It was then he SA0IeCu AHC Ndii, III liic IlIedIIIIne HdV- ing added something to the letter he had prepared between his two visits to the Mission street concern.
 Allen made his statement freely.
 'Livernash told me- he said, that he would have to go to Chinatown to get this story. It was about a wharf finger who was s30O0 short In his ac- counts and was likely to skip out Per haps there would be trouble, and he wanted to know where my pistol was.
 My pistol was in pawn at a place on Third street for 50 cents He gave me s1 50 to get 1t, and I got 1t for six