El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-22
A Soldier Who was Despond-
!. ent and iii Took His Own
Life This Morning
HE DIED INSTANTLY
Papers Found on His Body
Establish His identity
and Give a Few
Particulars.

Dependency due to ill health and
Strengthened financial circumstances
was the cause which provoked Corporal
James w. Lambert. discharged Ten
nessee born volunteer from Manila, to
shoot himself at an early hour this
morning
An old fashioned Al calibre pistol OF
German manufacture. probably brought
from the Philippines by the volunteer
himself. was the weapon used and it
did its work effectively. Only one shot
was fired and the bullet entered the
head just above the eye brows.
Death must have been instantaneous.
The tragedy occurred this morning
at a little after z o'clock at the Wind
sor hotel, 400 Ell Paso street, where
Lambert had beer stopping about two
months, or since his discharge from
the hospital at Fort Bayard.
He enlisted for the service in August.
1899 and served in the Philippines in
company B; Thirty-third Texas vol
unteer infantry and participated in the
battle of San Fabian, November z,
1899.
When he enlisted. Lambert. accord
ing to his papers signed by the COM
manding officers, was in vigorous
health. and his complexion was ruddy;
when he returned to the United States
he was a hopeless wreck from con-
sumption and after receiving medical
attention at the Fort Bayard hospital.
l.- D4 nHav. nd
came to this city.
Lambert had little or no money and
recently was unable to pay his room
rent He had applied for a pension
but the pension office was slow to act
and though he was undoubtedly entit-
led to a monthly stipend from the gov
ernment all he could learn about his
application was that it was on file in
Washington. Being without funds and
in falling health he grew respondent
and early this morning decided to take
his own life.
The rash act was committed in his
rom at the Windsor. At o'clock Mrs.
Ella Clifford, who conducts the hotel
passed his door. She heard him cough
ing. Yesterday she found a pistol 1y-
ing on his dresser and knew that he
was very Respondent.
She returned to her sitting room
this morning and moment later heard
the report of a pistol Immediately
guessing what was wrong she hastened
to the room occupied by the lodger and
found him lying on the bed with an
ugly wound in his forehead and the
pistol tightly grasped in his hand He
was already dead.
She notified the police and the coro-
ner was informed of the tragedy. The
body was removed to Nagley, Lyons &
McBean's establishment and Justice
Spencer proceeded to investigate. /
Among the few effects of the de- !
ceased he found papers fully establish !
ing his identity. The testimony of
Mrs Clifford was taken and this with J
the circumstances surrounding the
case fully demonstrated that Lambert
had died by his own hand and the cor
oner so rendered his verdict.
The statement of Mrs. Clifford, who
discovered the body of Lambert. was
as given in the foregoing
She said that Lambert came in late
last night and had apparently been
drinking. She heard him talking to
himself and among other things that
he said was that life was not worth
living.
Lambert's army papers found In his
room. showed that he was born at
Warsaw, Tenn, and was % years old.
He was painter by trade and his
pension certificate from his superiors
certified that he contracted pulmonary
in the trenches while dis
charging his duty as soldier in the
II he has any relatives
hey are none known and it is prob
lbIe that the unfortunat young Tenn
,ssean will be buried in the potters {
ield