The San Francisco call., 1905-08-16

Arthur Powell, a young man who
passed under the name of j. c. Regal.
was found dying in his room at 329 Ste
venson street yesterday afternoon. A doc
tor was hurriedly summoned, but Powell
expired haIf-hour later Murder is sus-
pected. Powells roommate, who was
passing as the dead mans brother, dis
appeared Monday afternoon. taking with
him two gold watches. diamond ring
and $40 in cash belonging to the de-
ceased In the room were found demi-
John of bitter tasting wine and large
bottle of carbolic acid. Detectives are
endeayoring to locate the missing room
mate, whose name is unknown.
Powell told his landlord, George 5.
Smith, Monday night after his alleged
brother had disappeared that the wine
had been purchased by the latter. He
said:
MY roommate bought the wine to-
day. but would not drink of it himself. l
drank several times. The wine had PEI
cuiiar. bitter taste, but as 1 am not a
Judge of wine / guess it was all right.
Landlord Smith saw no more of Powell
until yesterday afternoon, when he
passed his door and noticed lamp
burning On investigation he found
Powell unconscious on the bed. Putting
together the story of the alleged BROTH
er's absence and the missing jewelry and
money and the wine story Powell had
told him, Smith feared there had been
foul play. DIR. w. l. Clayes of 754A
Howard street was summoned. Despite
his efforts Powell died within a few min
utes without having regained conscious
ness.
MURDER OR SUICIDE.
DR. .Clayes says that when he reached
the house the man was gaspong his
last. The affair looked suspicious to
him and he notified the morgue and
police. The physician said: Il found
the man unconscious His pupils were
contracted his eyes were rolling
heavily. Having been called in but a
few minutes prior to his death, was
unable to make diagnosis While
unwilling to say that Powell died of
noison. DR.. Clayes intimated that some
drug, probably opium or one OF Its
alkaIoids, might have caused death.
| knockout drops" might have been
employed
Two theories are advanced: that
Powell's roommate placed morphine,
knockout drops or opium In the
claret to cover up his theft of Powell S
property, or that Powell, brooding
over the disappearance of his alleged
brother and his money, sought relief
from his troubles in death. The lat
ter theory is weakened by the fact that
Powell was always jolly and could al
ways obtain funds from his home in
Philadelphia. He seemed to think a
great deal of his roommate. however
and often spoke affectionately of him.
The two had been at Smiths house
since the 7th inst. -
Smith says that while Powell was
waiting for his friend to come home
he went out twice. Once he spoke OF
going to San JOSE but later returned
having given up the thought. If he
committed suicide..- he probably bought
the drug while on one of these expedi-
tions. The bitter taste in the wine
which Powell drank might have come
from morphine.
The murder theory is strongly ad-
| hered to on account of the facts de-
veIoped, which dispel all motive fol
| suicide, except that of affection for the
| alleged brother. Powell was "a years
old and worked in the kitchen of the
| Waldeck Sanitorium year ago. He
was sometimes female impersonator
in variety shows He and his friend
worked the summer in the fruit
orchards near Marysville.
Landlord Smith knew little of his
guests. They slept days and went out
! nights. Powell told him Monday night