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.
Coroncr's Jury FINDS that smith Com.
mistcd suicide by Taking
Dose OF Morphine.

Undertaken o'Donncli. after having
prepared the body of Dynamiter John
Smith. who committed suicide by TAX
Ing dose NJ morphine ON Friday night.
laid the remains away Mt 4 o'clock this
afternoon. There were no ceremonies
and no mourncrs, and the Job was done
as quickly as possible.
Mrs. Barton OF the Church OF Christ.
Scientist. called at the morgue ycster-
day and slsnlncd her intention TO have
servlcca held at the undcrtakcr's, but
this morning a telephone message was
received by Mr.. o'Donnell stating that
the Idea had been abandoned. 20
what was left of smith was dressed In
his favorlie 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 dynnmitcr, who died at
o'clock on Sunday morning after hnv-
Ink taken u dose OF morphine. The
jury. consisting 0f T. . Waltensplel.
John Cruitabnnk and : ~. Hornbuckle.
and holding the inqucut before Justice
Sommcr. reached "A verdict as follows
state OF Utah.
County OF Salt Lake,
pee. IL. 1899.
AN inoulsitlon holden at Salt Lake
City Utah. In the Second precinct, on
the 18th day of December. 1899.
before Morris sommcr, acting coroner
OF said county. upon the body OF John
Smith. then and there lying dead. by
ne Jurors whose names are hereto
THE said Jurors on their oaths do
say, from the evidence presented. that
John Smith came to his death by NOR
phinc poison administered by himself.
In testimony whereof. the said ju-
rors. ~ well as the said coroner. have
hcreunto set their hands the day and
year iirst above written.
IT. G. WAf.TENSPIEL.
JOHN CRITkSIiANk.
-. y. 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 ls Htill n
matter OF presumption that II was got
ten from Jameson. The drug was hid
den In the sweatband of his hat and his
cell mate. Preece. said that Smith had
some In a bottle hidden In the closet.
Smith left these two lettersi
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
| Hes ON mce | can have no object now
IN saying 80. but | swear with my last
words that they mallciously lied on
ME. Ex-Governor Thomas lied. and
l has IIs.N AwI h. ~ "A as
respect for pratt-I thought as much
| OF him as a brother. oh. corruption
and sad life! am tired Of thee.
The second was as follows;
1.-TWO fiends got their pray. bribed and
| perjured evidence. Stole an innoseni
! life. | solemnly swear with my last
words that 1 am Innocent OF this has,
accusation OF o. W. Powers n n. q
Dow. Oh. that Justice may ovcrtak,
them, but TO think that people vii
vote and elect governor that vii
place a low and corrupt hown like "
q. Dow In n POSSESSION whore he car
abuse a. pcrsicutc n lot Of helpless men
lie would bread crimenols; II Is JUS
tlce and kind treatment that mike mel
do better. JAMES MCDONNELL"
This one was written on the othe
side OF one of the sheets:
| u WISH iHf 'hhTA W flNF my plNA'
To my attorneys-& l am sorry l can
not pay them better. They done tn
best they could to show up Dow an
Biddlccome's job-but Judge Norel I
very unjust man 10 a poor man-h
stands In with tho political corruption.
"a vic,umlzod man who has sufferc
for sixteen years, unJustly, by encmlc
whom have never Injured In amy way
There Is no justice for poor mar
Adieu. JOHN SMITH"
TOOK JUDICIAL NOTICE.
This morning was the date set 70
the sentencing OF Smith. Judge Nor
rell briefly referred to the case befor
court adjourned. His honor said h
had not been officially Informed q
smiths death. but that he had takel
judicial notice of the fact that tn
prisoner was no more. rendering fur
ther action on the part Of an earthl
court wholly unnecessary.
Today'a criminal court record con
tains the following reference TO tn
noted case: "i92--State OF Utah V
John Smith. Defendant deceased sine
finding by jury"