Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-16
NONOGENARIAN PIONEER
KILLS HIMSELF
PREFERS DEATH TO SEEING
HOME DEMOLISHED
Thomas John Dye of Sunset Boulevard
Anticipates Approaching Disso-
lltion-Attempt Made to
Suppress Facts

Preferrine death to seeing his old home
dismantled by the wreckers paving the
way for the Hartman subway Thomas
John Dye, past 80 years, opened an artery
with a penknife and bled to death before
medical aid could save him.
Though the venerable mans frenzied at
tempt to curtail his fastwaning life was
made Saturday no report of such case
reached the police or the coroner till the
health department, inquiring into the
meaning of "suic selfcado" written illeg"
ibly on the burial certificate, discovered
that 1t was the Latin for self destruc-
tion."
An accommodating physician had taken
this means of screening from an over
curious public knowledge that the old man
had hastened his declining years. 1t was
done, he saidNat the sons request.
AS burial on the regular certificate took
place yesterday morning before the facts
leaked out awkward complications are
likely to arise today.
Dye lived at S16 Sunset boulevard twenty
years In an old structure, rambling In
architecture, flanked by verandas and
backed by hill through which in August
graders for the Los Angeles-Pacific trolley
line will pierce tunnel.
Artery Drained
There in an unusued room, the old man
was found Saturday morning weak from
the loss of blood, and crimson penknlfe
lay on the floor.
DR.. S. A Austin, who was called, SAID
that every drop of blood in the man s
arteries had probably been drained He
said. too death from old age would have
probably happened within a few weeks
anyway, as Mr. Dye was poorly nour-
ished.
To the neighbors the case caused no sur
prise because several times in his lonel1-
ness he had expressed a wish to die so
that he might be with his helpmeet who
had passed beyond within the past year.
Dye had become deaf, and as he was
alone much of the time the shadows crept
over him menacnsly.
With him in the old house lived his son,
Charles T. Dye whose grown son was
also member of the household. The only
other tenant of the landmark soon to be
effaced was an aged woman living on the
ground floor too feeble>to help and who
last night seemed to be unaware of The
tragedy of old age enacted in a room
overhead.
The late Mrs. Dye is said to have been
VA Miss Cook and to have lived in Missouri
and New York in years past. In one of
these two states the wife of Charles T
Dye is visiting now
sorry nc 0Oiu T1OTC
Recently the elder Dye sold his Sunset
boulevard premises for $4,000 to the Los
Angeles Pacific company, which has ac-
ouired a private right>of way to Temple
street for a tunnel.
Though he parted with his property at
what neighbors call a fair price he rued
the bargain the day after he affixed his
signature to the papers.
1t was his death warrant he had signed,
he said and the prophecy, proved true.
The aged man drew more and more within
himself, was seldom seen even on the
veranda, and when legal notice was sent
him that before August 1 the premises
must be vacated the old man prepared to
anticipate fate.
- DR.. Austin was notified yesterday by the
health department that he should have
reported the case Immediately to the cor
oner. He said in reply he notified the
undertakers, Bresee Bros and that GER
oner's K should be procured before the
permit was presented. 1t developed that
the undertakers> sent man to the health
office who was unfamiliar with city hall
routine and those in charge there failed
to notice the Latin phrase and assumed
that "hemorrhage, exhaustion and inani-
tor" given as causes and contributory
causes, covered the case. Hence the per-
NIT was issued and by the time they
made the discovery of mystery Bresee
Bros had inferred the corpse in Ever
green cemetery.
Dyes age is recorded as 30 years, 6
months and days. He was native of
Kentucky, had lived in California twenty
five years and in the same house twenty
years.
AS far as known his son is the only
heir to the estate, which amounts to about
$4,000.
Decedent lived for a time on Jefferson
street and recently sold his old holdings
there for a small fortune.