The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-28
JACKSON BOLTON
KILLS HIMSELF
IN BAT HROOM
Assistant City Engineer
Inhales Gas w it'll Sui Il
cidal Intent. D.
Isl.
BODY FOUND BY
HIS DAUGHTER
Severe Criticism of Official Acts
by Councilnen Responsible for
His Desire to Die-Oldest
Man III City Government in
Point Of Continuous
Service.

i worn out by forty two years Of NH. H
lie service. First Assistant City Engi.
neer Jack son Bolton committed SUI
eide by inhaling gas in the bathroom
de ms home. ITO North Third Street. 4.
yesterday morning about / o'clock. fIs
had been connected with The engineer
Ing department. since 1859. and Was
the Oldest official Of the city govern
ment IN point Of continuous service Hs
was siNty-one years of age. st
Apparently the act Of suicide was
entire unpremeditated. Mr.. Bolton
lett no note or word OF his Intention
no message to City Engineer Boiling
or members OF his family He made a
tour Of several largo pieces OF con
struction work now in progress on
Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday night lie was with Chas
selden and others and seemed in his
usual spirits, there being no indica-
ton or depression fES
Found In Bathroom iGs
About $3.50 yesterday morning his
son heard him stirring In his room An
hour later his daughter, Went to ii call
nm and found him lying on the floor
o1 MS bathroom fully dressed The
tleSlbie rubber pipe used Tor ga.
stove had been taken from the stove .
and was lying near his mouth, giving
every indication that he had deIiber.
nteiN Inhaled the gas with the intcn.N
toh OF producing DEATH Members OF
the family hold to the View that dealt, 4
may have been northumberland the
sns pipe may have become detached
from the stove and the entire room
saturated with gas. causing death Cor.
oner Taylor. who viewed the remains.
said hat every ind ication$ pointeds&to
seif-oestruction. and his certificate
reads apparently suicide s &. Il III s
The body was still warm when! found. Is
Dr. w. Armisteadi C;ills was called anu
worked over the body for some time
IN none OF resuscttation, assisted by
Or. Worth. Dr. j. G. Trevilian. br.
Herbert Mann and Ambulance surgeon
Truman 5s WI
Coroner Taylor decided that an in GEE
quest was not necessary. He examined
the premises and interviewed members
of the family and Others CITY En- II
gineer Boiling, Mayor Richardson ana
other city officials We're prompt to call
AZ the house and offer every assist
ancc.
Reached sudden Determination.
AZ the City Hall it was generally
believed that Mr., Bolton had reached
a sudden determination 10 end his life
as result of4reccnt criticisms. About
TWO years ago he offered his resigna-1
ton and withdrew it at the request OF
City Engineer Boiling. 1t has been
remarked within the past year that
he had aged rapidly. No one ques-
toned his personal honesty at any
time. but several mistakes and III
stances OF negligence have been
charged to him. beginning with tile
building of the Broad street deep
sewer. which was under his charge.
The report OF n recent investigating
committee which prepared a plan for
reorgantzing the Engineers DEPART
ment censured Mr.. Bolton by name for
negligence in certain Instances ~
WINS Under Investigation. &
second investigation was TO have
begun yesterday afternoon 1T 4:3l$
o'clock, when a subcommittee consist
ing Of Messrs. Nonderlehr. Miller ara
Gunst. was to have gone into charges
brought by Contractor Clarence e;
Burton These charges, which havs
been in substance admitted to be Well
founded, We're TO the effect that the
department had two sets Of spectica-
tons for sewers, by the unit system.
and by the linear foot, that through
carelessness bidders In some Instances
were not informed that they could bid
either way. and that In one specific In
stance clear error had been made in
cditulitlolS, making II appear tina an 80
other than the lowest hiddor5shad Sc *
cured a contract and also if,aKsag the
total cost far exceed the estimate The i
error was discovered and corrected he
fore the contract was signed
The committee was also to have in
vcstigated alleged overpayn>ents
through error in calculation to T. j,
Smith & Co. and possibly to other con. y
tractors Those familiar with sthe
charges state that in no instance was
there any intimntion Of dishonesty or
Sraft--no charge Of any criminal &C ID
ton Members OF the Investigating I.
committee say that Mr. Bolton had
been all his life Il plodding. faithful
man. never brilliant. but always true
10 he city, and that having aged and e
failed 10 some extent, the commissior;.
Of obvious and accumulated crrors
weighed on his mind it Is not he IL;
liered that his act was premeditatssi. IS
but that ne suddenly determined yes
tcrday morning tn end it all There
is no Indication that he was mcntallys5
unbalanced S5-- rs
or Well I<nown Family. 5a
Mr.. Bolton was a son OF Or. Inntsa
Tolton, we'll known physician and
surgeon OF Richmond. professor in 4
the Medical College Of virginia 4 gem
era ton ago. He WIS +TsNhrotller Of Major
Claiming NJ Bolton. atone tine chief &
engineer Of the Soutierl Railway svssos
Is now living on his country place Il