Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-18
Dressed in His Favorite Best Black
Suit Of Clothes,
INQUEST HELD YESTERDAY.
Coroner's Jury Finds that Smith COM
mitted suicide by Taking
Dose OF Morphine.

Undertaken o'Donnell, after having
prepared the body Of Dynamiter John
Smith, who committed suicide by TAX
ing dose OF morphine on Friday night.
laid the remains away at O'Clock this
afternoon. There were no ceremonies
and no mourners, and the job was done
as quickly as possible.
Mrs. Barton Of the Church OF Christ,
Scientist called at the morgue yester-
day and slgnifed her intention to have
services held at the undertaker's, but
this morning a telephone message was
received by Mr.. o'Donnell stating that
the idea had been abandoned. So
what was left Of Smith was dressed in
his fayoriie suit and deposited in the
earth at the expense Of the county.
THE INQUEST.
An inquest was held yesterday after
noon over the remains Of John Smith.
the suicide dynamiter, who died at 3
o'clock on Sunday morning after hav-
ing taken a dose Of morphine. The
jury, consisting Of T. G. Waltenspiel,
John Cruksbank and S. NJ. Hornbuckle,
and holding the inquest before Justice
Sommer. reached a verdict as follows:
State OF Utah.
County OF Salt Lake,
Dec. H. 1899.
"An inqulsitlon holden at Salt Lake
CITY Utah, IN the Second precinct, on
the nth day Of December, 1899,
before Morris Sommer, acting coroner
Of said county, upon the body Of John
Smith, then and there lying dead. By
the jurors whose names are hereto
subscribed.
The said jurors on their oaths do
say from the evidence presented. that
John Smith came to his death by NOR
phine poison administered by himself.
In testimony whereof. the said ju-
rors, as well as the said coroner, have
hereunt0 set their hands the day and
year first above written.
1T G. WALTENSPIEL,
JOHN CRIuKsHANK,
rs. ~ HORNBUCKLE.
MORRIS soMMER,
Justice Of the peace and acting
coroner"
The testimony introduced showed
that Smith left no confession Of the
crimes for which he was convicted but
asserted his innocence TO the end How
the dynamiter secured the morphine
was not demonstrated and II Is still a
matter of presumption that it was got
ten from Jameson. The drug was hid
den In the swaziland OF his hat and his
cell mate, Preece, said that Smith had
some In a bottle hidden In the closet.
Smith left these two letters:
Everything in life has deceived me.
VIII the reader Of this believe that o.
W. Powers, Rolapp. Pike, Crookston.
Belnap and Franks told bare-faced
lies on meg | can have no object now
In saying SO, put | swear with my last
words that they mallciously lied on
me. Ex-Governor Thomas He'd and
Arthur Pratt--I had the profoundest
respect FOR Pratt thought as much
Of him as a brother. Oh, corruption
and sad life! am tired Of thee.
SMITH"
The second was as follows:
Two fiends got their pray, bribed and
perjured evidence, Stole an innosent
life. | solemnly swear with my last
words that / am innocent Of this base
accusation Of o. W. Powers & n. G.
Dow. Oh, that justice may overtake
them, but TO think that people will
vote and elect a governor that win
place a low and corrupt hown like n.
6. Dow in POSSESSION where he can
abuse & persicute a lot OF helpless men.
He would bread crimenols; Il Is JUS
tlce and kind treatment that make men
DO better. JAMES MCCONNELL"
This one was written on the other
side Of one Of the sheets:
II wish the court to give my pistol
10 my attorneys-& / am sorry | can
not pay them better. They done the
best they could to show up Dow and
job-but Judge Norel Is
a very unjust man TO a poor man-he
stands In with the political corruption.
"a yictumized man who has suffered |
for sixteen years, unjustly, by enemies |
whom have never injured In any way.
There is no justice for a poor man.
Adieu. JOHN SMITH"
TOOK JUDICIAL NOTICE.
This morning was the date set for
he sentencing Of Smith. Judge Nor |
ell briefly referred to the case before
'Ourt adjourned. His honor said he |
lad not been officially Informed Of |
smiths death, but that he had taken |
Judicial notice Of the fact that the |
prisoner was no more. rendering fur
her action on the part OF an earthly |
'ourt wholly unnecessary.
Todays criminal court record con-
aims the following reference TO the |
loted case. "492--State Of Utah VS.
Iohn Smith. Defendant deceased since
hiding by jury"