The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-28
WHISKY AND EXHAUSTION KILL
JOHN DALTON.
LIKE ANIMAL IN A HOLE
crawls Under Roof Of Water Tank
and Dies With Two stran-
gers Near Him.

With scant ceremony and with none
OF the usual manifestations of sor-
row and mourning, all that remained
OF what once had been man was
consigned to a narrow hole in the
ground yesterday afternoon. Today
only a little mound in potter's field
marks the place where the body is
awaiting decay and the worm. Yet.
SO far as years go, the man should
still be alive and capable of making
more than an equal fight in the strug-
gle of life, for nature had blessed him
with physique that many would have
enyied. Even the marks of long con-
tinued debauchery and slothful ne
glect could not hide the traces of a
once robust and vigorous manhood
and the emaciated frame that remain
ed showed the power that once was it's
own.
The body thus disposed OF was
that of John Dalton stranger, and
it was sent down from Laurel Sunday
evening. There, earlier in the day,
coroners jury found that death had
come as result of "acute alcohol
ism and exhaustion from lack of food
Only two men could be found who
were capable of giving any informa-
tion concerning the dead man. They
were, like himself, tramps, idlers, float
ing along the surface OF the world,
utterly Indifferent as TO the future
and caring only for the few wants Of
today. They gave their names as
t. NJ. Phelan and John Brady and
said that they had met the deceased
Saturday evening at the water tank
of the railroad company at Laurel.
Having no other place at which to
spend the night and being penniless,
the three climbed up to the little
room Immediately above the level OF
the water. There they talked for a
| number of hours before they finally
fell asleep on the rough, hard boards.
To his newly made companions Dali
ton told his name and said that he
was coal MINER but had not worked
for some time, as he had been drunk
| for a month and had not eaten any
thing for five days. He also said that
some Italian section hands had Offer
ed him some food that evening, but
he had been too sick to eat At one
time, he said, he had worked in Brit
ish Columbia. This Fart OF his story
| was corroborated by time check is
/ sued by the Coal Creek colliery of
the Crows Nest Pass Coal company
and a receipt for revenue taxes paid
to the government at rernie.
Between and o'clock Sunday
morning, the men said, they were
awakened by Dalton talking and toss
ing about as though in great pain
Realizing that he was very sick and
needing attention, the men got up and
Phelan went in search of doctor,
while Brady remained and chated Dali
toms arm, thinking that he had been
taken with an attack OF epilepsy. The
first person Phelan saw was the sta
tion agent AS there is no doctor at
Laurel none could be secured and the
agent and several other men went
back with Phelan. When they reach
ed the place Dalton was dead. The
section foreman secured rope and
with the assistance OF some OF his
men lowered the body to the ground
and it was taken care OF pending the
arrival of Doctor Rinehart, the cor
oner, who was notified An inquest
was held and Phelan and Brady told
their stories as already related.
Aside from the two papers only
penny was found in the pockets OF
the dead man, which was dressed
roughly, but fairly well, the clothes
being those of a workingman,