The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-09-20


Both victims of the woman's
hand were rushed to FrnternaI
hospital i'm the ambulance OF
Johns, where Lyons died a few
minutes after arrival. The woman
was said to be fatally wounded.
the bullet with which she was
struck and which also caused tho
death of Lyons. having penetrated
her body, coming out I'm the
shoulder.
Cause of the double tragedy wsa
said to have been i'll health.
Coroner Russum conducted an In.
vestlgatlon last night. during which
he visited Opal Davis at the hospital,
where he found her unconscious She
declared, according to tho coroner.
that Lyons was trying TO kill himself
and that she was attempting to take
the gun away from him when the
fatal shot was fired. She inquired 3
TO whether Lyons had been killed BY
the shot.
Eye Witness Gives Details
Her story was entirely different
from that told the coroner by EetheI
watson, the only eye witness to the
tragedy, who declared, according to
Coroner Russum. that she was stand
Ing beside table when Lyons took
her hand in his, saying good bye She
is quoted as saying that Opal Davis
walked UP and patted him on the
shoulder telling him what good
fellow" he was. She then grabbed
the gun from his scabbard and placed
1t to her heart. Lyons was behind
her and threw his arms about her in
an effort TO get the pistol. accord
Ing to Miss Watson. His head was
on the girls shoulder. the coroner
was told, and she pulled the trigger
after he had seized her. The bullet
entered the girls right breast, CONS
ing out of the shoulder strikin.
Lyons In front of the left ear and
coming out of his head three inches
above the ear.
Mother I'm Gadsden
| Lyons is about 80 years old. ac-
cording to Coroner Russum. The gun
with fiye-inch barrel. Tha real
name of Opal Davis is said to be
Esste Opal Patton. She had been 7sv.,
Ing at the Venice hotel for about two
months and had been very despond-
net recently, 1t Is stated. Her mother
is said to be Mrs. Lilly d. Morris of
Gadsden.
! A search of the woman's room in
the hotel by Detectives w. p. FL
forth the following note, written in
what was identified as her hand
writing. and dated September II:
when this you see
Remember me,
For as you are now,
1 would like to be,
But as l am now,
Some day you may be.
Always be kind and good,
For as 1 am you may be
And then you can see
What l have gone through,
Remember. friends,
As you pass by,
As you are now,
So once was l.
But as | am now,
You must be;
Prepare for death,
And follow me.
"OpaI."
The poem was written on a barr
bers' note book, was said by resi-
dents of the hotel to be Of the wom-
ans own composition.
In another section of the book, on
blank sheet, the following inser-
tiOh Ne~o AOhtAAt WtAbtci luc Same
hand:
Il love a man,
That don't love me,
But he will suffer
AS he has made me suffer.
| But God bless him, always
As my thoughts are only of
him.
Eye Witness Gives Details
Ethel Marshall, also a roonfer at
the hotel, and who was the sole wit
ness TO the double tragedy, declared
thai Lyons had come into the wait
ing room of the hotel. and was
standing only short distance away
from the doorway. The witness
said that Opal Davis was also in
the room, playing victrola-
Miss Marshall declared that
Suddenly Opal Davis, without
word, moved as il to go out of
the room. hut instead of doing so
walked behind Lyons. ran her
hand into his hip-pocket and
grabbed his pistol. As she did
so, the witness said that Lyons
turned TO grab at the weapon,
MS the poSscssor of the pistol
had her finger ON the trigger
and had the barrel of the gun
pressed to her breast. The witt
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