The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-06
Thomas HamiltOn's Departure
for the Other Land"
SUICIDED AT OGDEN
WAS FORMERLY A BOOK-KEEP-
ER AT CHICAGO.
Had Recently Worked With a Bridge
Gang On the Union Pacifc-Took
a Dose Of Laudanum and Was
Dead When Found-Message to
His Friends.
Csnecial to The Herald.D

Ogden, Jan. 5.-ThOmas $. Hamilton
committed suicide this morning by TAX
ing laudanum at his room in the Cen
tral hotel. The body was found shortly
after 10 o'clock and was still warm.
The dead man left a note bidding good
by to his friends and fellow wOrk7 n
and asking that his clothes be given TO
sCme poor man.
The man was about 27 years Of age
and had been recently working on the
steel bridge of the Union Pacihc al
Devils Gaze. he evidently destroyed
all his letters, not caring TO nave
friends apprised Of his end.
Robert Wolther, bartender OF the
Central, is probably the last man who
saw Hamilton alive. The latter Dor
rOwed a book from WOlther. On leav-
ing, Hamilton said, Good by, Bob,
and went to his room. The bartender
thought nothing of the Occurrences IN
til after he heard &c HamiltOn's Geath.
On the evening previous the man had
purchased an ounce vial of laudanum
from T. II. Carr He did not appear
for supper nor breakfast and about 10
a. m. today, when the chambermald
opened his door, she discovered him
dead. She at once notified Mr.. Mckee,
the proprietor, who together with Sam
n. WestcOtt. went to the room.
Hamilton was lying on his back, his
arms folded across his breast and the
covers drawn smoothly up to his chin
The police were at once notified and
officers Davenport and Pender at once
made an examination Of the ROOM The
body was yet warm when they arrived
but life was extinct.
Under the head Of the bed was found
the laudanUm bottle, empty.
Message to Friends.
Within the leaves Of the book, Lady
! Grace" borrowed from the bartender
was a plain white envelope, on which
was written in a neat, fine hand the
following;
Ogden. Jan. T. 1900.
To My Friends and Fellow WOrkmer
at Devils Gate: This is my last farewell
/ have done what 1 think is right by
everybody, and l think that I am reaoy
TO go TO the other land. Give my clothes
TO some poor man that requires them
Goodbye all. No more. IOM-
A coroner's jury, composed of vii
! liam Brown, James True and ". Il
/ Kind, was fmpaneled by Justice David
! Evans. D. N. Mckee. Sam WestCctt
and C. S. Pulver were examined anC
a verdict of suicide was rendered
The man had a grip we'll filled with
I ClUJuiuB- SCI UUulOuSlg ClCdlL anu lACcANAs
/ folded. Two envelopes addressed to T
s. Hamilton, Morgan, Utah, were
found The handwriting Of the adj
dress0rs were different, but both evil
IDENTIFY men. The letters were posted
ait Omaha. Investigation developed
that Hamilton first went to the Cen
I tral hotel Nov. p and registered from
Omaha He was there but one day
when he went to work for the Union
Pacific with a steel gang. Dec. p he
got his hands frozen at Devils Gate
and came to Ogden, registering at the
/ Central Dec. p.
He is reported to have drank rather
freely Tor a day or two and his HANDS
were in bad shape. A few days ago
he appealed To the county commission
ers for assistance, but had received
nothing. The an also pawned a gOlC
ring at DrOsdOwdtz's shop for $3.50.
Hamilton was about 3 feet 10 inches
in height, light cOmpleXiOned, and OF
rather thin features. He weighed about
$50 pounds.
The foreman at Devils Gate. Mr.
/ Ffnnegan. tonight wired the undertake
er that HamiltOn's nearest surviving
relative was John Hamilton, now re-
siding at Edinburgh, Scotland. A fel-
[ low workman Of Hamilton say tina
/ the dead was was q years old. and
/ that he had formerly been a bOokkeep-
! er in Chicago.