The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
CASE OF SUICIDE
 SAYS THE CORONER
Official Investigation Into the
 Death of J. P. Dawson
COULDN'T BEAR BURDEN
Funeral Will Take Place This After noon From Residence at North Haven and Interment Will Be
 at Elm Leaf Cemetery.

As a result of an official investigation Coroner Paris has rendered decision that the death of J. P. Dawson was caus- ed by an overdose of alcohol and opium, taken with suicidal intent
 The investigation was held yesterday morning in Lige Loys undertaking es- tablishment, where the remains of Daw- son were Carried after he died early yes terday morning in the office of William E. Fort in the First National Bank build ing. Dawson was found. unconscious about o'clock Monday afternoon in MT. Forts office, and died at 12:45 from the effects of the opiates he had taken.
 Coroner Paris decision was made after he had received the statement of the physicians who worked over MT. Dawson and held the autopsy. The verdict of the physicians was:
 ''In our opinion the death of J. P. Daw- son was due to the effects of an overdose of alcohol and opium. (signed) Wyatt, Hef1in, J. M Mason, c. W. Shropshire. J. M. Lowrey and Cabot Lull."
 Could No Longer Bear Burden.
 There now seems to be no doubt that Dawson took the opiate because he was no longer able to bear the burden of his financial troubles, and also the feeling that several of his friends would suffer with him. He was chief witness against F. B. Wellons, in the trial which was held last Saturday before Judge Feagin. Wellons was charged with the embezzle- ment of 5000 of the funds of the White Commission company, in which Dawson was one of the principal stockholders.
 The funeral of MT. Dawson will take place this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from his late residence at North Haven, and the interment will be in Elm Leaf ceme- tery. Jefferson Valley Lodge, Knights of Pythias, will attend the funeral in a body. The pail bearers will be T. D. Howard, w. E. Fort, J. D. Kirkpatrick, A. L. Dunlap, George H. Brown, James Hughes M. H. Crittenden and E. A. Brown. The Rev J. D. Simpson will con duct the services.
 Sworn Statements Made.
 At the hearing yesterday, held by Cor oner Paris. sworn statements were made by J. D. Kirkpatrick and William F. Fort who was attorney for Dawson. The statement of the former was:
 T saw J. P. Dawson twice yesterday at William E. Forts office; first about clock and later about 8 o'clock. On both occasions he was extremely nervous and very much worried, depressed and Respondent I believe that his mental
 
 took some stimulant and opiate to relieve his suffering, and that an unintentional overdose of the opiate caused his death."
 The statement of William D. Fort is much longer. but in brief it is as fol- lows:
 MT. Dawson and I came to town to- gether about o'clock Monday morning, and separated. He went to the Hillman hotel and was afterwards 10 come to my office. I went there and had to leave and go to court. I returned about Ii o'clock, and a few minutes afterwards MT. Dawson called me up over the tele- phone and said he wanted to see me. He came in about fifteen minutes after our conversation over the phone and went into the private office while was talking to some clients.
 Under Great Nervous Strain.
 ''When l went into the room he was under great nervous strain, and did nor want to talk business to me. He then said he would await in the adjoining of- flee until after returned from the court T hod tn ha iv, IIa thought by that time he would be feel ing better. He told me he had taken several drinks. I again saw MT. Dawson about o'clock sitting in chair in the office. found him unconscious in this same chair later in the afternoon after I had returned from court.
 "When I returned to the office I found him sitting in the chair, breathing heav- ily and with his head thrown back and his mouth open. Physicians were sum moned at once.
 q can not conceive, from my knowledge of MT. Dawson and my observation of his actions, that he voluntarily took his life, but do believe that he was so wor- ried and distressed over his financial, losses, that he took some opiate to uphold his strength and that he had taken other stmulants with the intention merely of steadying his nerves and to enable him to pass the time when he was alone with out worrying over the losses which con- fronted him and his friends; that his death resulted thus without voluntary intention on his part to take his life. That he incautiously took too much in his en- deavor to hold himself steady under the shock In my opinion. his death was thus caused.''