Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-06
ENDS LIFE BY
CHLOROFORM
VICTIM TAKES PAINS TO HIDE
IDENTITY
Letter, Apparently From, Sister, Urges
Him to Stop Drinking-Found
Dead In San Pedro Lodg-
Ing House

Special to The Herald
SAN PEDRO Feb. 5.--An unknown
han was found dead in a room in the
Harbor lodging house on Front street
by the landlord. When the man made
his rounds to see that all were out he
could not awaken any one in this room
and so forced the door. which was
barred with q chair. Officers and ply
sician were called.
It was found that he had committed
suicide by taking a bottle of chloroform
the bottle with a small portion of the
drug left in It being found on the table.
The man had stuffed papers into a
crack i'm the roof around the skylight,
had forced a towel into another crack
in the wall and had carefully placed
his trousers along the crack at the bot
tom of the door. There were two bot
ties in the room, one containing a
small amount of chloroform and the
other carbolic acid. The labels had
been scratched off. There was also a
small package of SOME kind of powder
and q cup with little water in 1t and
some of the powder around the edge
This was taken care of by the doctor
and will be analysed.
Verdict of Suicide
The body was removed to the under
takers and viewed rnis afternoon by
the coroner, who took the evidence
pra ctically as given and rendered a
verdict of suicide by poisoning"
The proprietor Of the rooming house,
II. Hawkins, stated that the man came
to him late Saturday night and asked
for a close room that would not cost
over two bits. He did not see him
again until Sunday night at about 5
o'clock. when he again came and asked
for the same room.
w. L. Mum, hack driver, says that
the man came to him at 10 o'clock Sat
urday night and asked for a "two-bit
lodging house with close rooms" He
directed him to the place where he
finally stopped. The hackman thought
| 1t curious that he should ask for such
a room at the time. About 1870 a. m
last night Officer Jack Baly saw the
man in company with another man
come up the street and stop at the
lodging house. One of them walked
away and the other sat down on the
steps The officer asked him what he
was doing there at that time of the
night and he replied that was his owr
business and that he was going to lodge
upstairs soon, whereupon the Officer
went away.
| small, SOrt f1anuS
| The body is that of a man of abou
As years, slight, height feet inches
short sandy mustache; nearly blacl
hair; gray eyes with heavy dark eye
brows; weight about $50 pounds; {
tooth gone from the upper jaw in front
His clothes are of lightish brown ant
was probably a SIS suit. He had
stiff hat of the size 7ls. His shoes wer,
patent leather button and rather small
He wore gold trimmed spectacles ant
carried a cheap watch, which was still
running when he was found. His hands
are small and soft.
In the pockets of his clothes was
letter from a woman, evidently his sis
| ter dated at "San Barbee" and mailed
January g. There was no envelope anC
no such postoffice can be found. Tit
letter expressed a wish that he qui
drinking and later come to where sh
was and that she would furnish tn
money for him to come If he desired
She said she was going to Portland
soon. The letter was signed Ann;
JONES'"
The body will be kept at the under
takers for several days.
Grand naval balls at Coronado.