The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 19, 1898, Page 16

1 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, FEBRiTARY 19, 1898. WROTE AND SOLD THE STORY OF HIS OWN DEATH The man who had resolved to die | dreaded to approach the chosen spot of J. J. LivernaSh KIHS Himself Aftel‘4:Z§:I\v;:ty;:tztu;;:a$: at 625 Mis- Having Written an Account | ADVERTISEMENT! bt S N ERRRRERERRREIRLENNRRRRRRRRRRNO REDUCTION SALE BARGAINS FOR SATURDAY'S TRADE! We bring A GREAT WEEK OF BARGAINS to a fitting close by an offering of special lines at e A A minute later I heard the shot, and the proprie- tor, rushing out, asked me if that was of His Suicide. Rlgn st e ; ] : : : e T Prices That Are Only a Fraction of Intrinsic Values ! month. That would be a fortune to me, yet I have a wife and three chil- Deserted by Friends, and Disgrace Was Soon to Have Been His Portion. LR R R R R AR R AR R R AR R AR R R R R A AR AR AR AR R R R R AR R AR R AR R AR R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R SRR SRR A COLORED DRESS GOODS. * 79 pleces DOUBLE FOLD TARTA 10c yard, on speelal sale at I0c a yara. | © CAIDS: Tegular prico 2c a 235¢C 115 pieces 36 and 42 INCH DRESS GOODS in fancy checks, bour- ettes and cheviot weaves, good value for 50c a yard, on special sale at 25c a yard. " 55 pleces 3-INCH FRENCH OTTOMAN 50c value for 75¢ a yard. On special sale at ch}‘;;des.' R Cectens: DRESS LENGTHS AND REMNANTS WILL BE CLOSED OUT AT HALF PRICE. SPECIAL KID GLOVES. 30 dozen LADIES' 4-BUTTON (REA solled, in Black and Colored, regular at Toc a pair. 103 dozen LADIES' 4-BUTTON DARENA (GENUINE KID) GLOVES, In Black and Colored (004 sizes) resmim oot 5 Will be oftered at %c a pair. Biee G- % dozen LADIES' 2-CLASP PIQUE KID GLOVES, Tan, Red, Navy, Green, White and Black, extra gosd valor wii e on zale at §1 00 a pair. Every pair Guaranteed and Fitted. MEN’'S FURNISHINGS. 75 dozen MEN'S AND BOYS' FANCY MIXED SOCKS, in tan and brown shades, made full finished and with double spliced heels and toes, regular value $1 20 dozen, will be closed out at 5c pair, 76 dozen FULL FINISHED HEAVY MERINO SOCKS, “The Cel- ebrated Norfolk and New Brunswick” make, usually fold for 56 pair, will be ciosed out at 15¢ pair. Led Into Betrayal of Trust by a Passion for Poolroom Gambling. UNIQUE AMONG TRAGEDIES L KID) GLOVES, slightly price $1 50, will be closed out 7S¢ 90c $1.00 The Man Even Supplied His Own Picture so That the Narrative Might Be Complete. Last night J. J. Livernash bullet through his heart. No individual tragedy more grim ever startled a city, nor appeared outside of fiction. Livernash not only planned the suicide deliberately, but he wrote the | unt of it, explaining his reasons, his methods, his hopes for the future beyond the gre his despair of life as sent a 514 15¢c he had known it. He confessed to | ;. 4 faulta’ He accused others 45(: 38 dozen MEN'S HEAVY UNDYED WOOL AND CAMEL'S HAIR ~ L oe gk | MIXED UNDERSHIRTS AND DRAWERS (0dd sizes), regularly Last eve a tall young man | sold at T5c and $1 00, will be closed out at 45¢ each. smooth shaved, his features expressing $2,00 11 dozen MEN'S EXTRA FINE LLAMA WOOL DRAWERS (our his voice indicative of . own special importation), made full regular and of undyed sani- 2 Zotk = tary varn, regularly sold at $3 50 and $4 00 pair, will be closed out . came to the office of The Call. | at $2°00 pair : v to sell. The nature of | 2 e did not explain, but he was anx- SPECIAL SALE OF DOMESTICS, BLANKETS, CURTAINS, COM- FORTERS, HOSIERY, UNDERWEAR, CLOAKS, UMBRELLAS, EMBROIDERIES, ETC., ETC. ious to dispos the Liv, t, and stipulated that | be paid to Mrs. J. J. | | | price shov rnash. ted that the story and it was to be if suf- -day story is used. et containing manu- sicture had been opened the uld be > intere B STORE OPEN UNTIL 10 0'CLOCK SATURDAY EVENING. use of J. J. LIVERNASH, the Newspaperman, Who Wrote Up His Own Suicide. ficient value. Bef| script and p young man was dead by his own hand. | pjts giving the other six bits back to | dren, while he had only a wife. But When this grewsome climax to What | yivernash. He was to write the story he would spend money recklessly. He had been considered only an episode | ;g jeave it at a saloon at Kearny and | played poker out at South Park and | somewhat out of the common was an- | Merchant, and did so. There I was to | Vine, and always lost. He would bluff. | fl-'u‘m"d the packet "fl;‘me invested | got and aeliver it. I never knew him to quit winner. He | with a weird, uncanny fascination. 1t| = .1 hag no idea Livernash was going | would bet on races, or anything else, | i : s s ’ o 5 AT ; . - 5 " ng Lines of 4 » ‘5, e ‘h”-f{ from the | ¢, 4|1 himself. As we walked around | and was unlucky. Besides this he | Opemng and Closi g of Livernash’s Strange Story Leadb o » skeleton hand. | pe was perfectly natural. He lent his | drank too much. It was hard for him | = T HoRne ofessional hablt Wwas | jast doliar and even ordered a beer he | to get past a saloon.” it is stated that only a few days ago | to-night with a very strange look on Murphy, Bufic he, MLmhy Buliding, strong with Livernash. He had been | couign't pay for. I trled to get him | There is another little tragedy close- | Allen attempted to commit suicide with | his face, and I asked him if he was . and in preparing to L P e RE R R R R R R R R R R R R T L L] Market and Jones Streefs. | Market and Jones Streets, home. but he wanted to stop every- | ly related to the taking off of Liver-|the same pistol, but was restrained, | in any trouble. He assured me he was Natle O s sulilie S he where | nash. Out at the house of the widow | and later pawned the weapon to secure | not worried, and I thought perhaps he | &8 52 Sue it t} » include every demx}l. He be- 2 | bread for his little ones. had another despondent fit on him, (@R R R U AR AR RRUUVVRVVNLLLRNUNUUNNULUL R %0 gan with an introduction such as a re- Upon the body of the suicide was|as he has been suffering S0 much ate- | S ————eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e porter ht have written, this lead- The Letter From the Dead ing up to a touching letter of farewell. Then he added comments upon the | , and the affair. Later, he ap- i a final note showing how his | had in a measure gone wrong. | Throughout, the language was cohe- rent, and there was hardly a trace of | ent beyond that manifest in exclamation points. | ¥ he stood at the borders of eter- | chatting with friends, lending | ger applicant his last dol- | lar, ng to music at the saloons, | and paying no heed to protests that he was not saving even a nickel for car | fare. - He knew he would need no car ; that his night’s rest would be at | Morgue B. F. Allen was an Intimate friend of Livernash's. Unconsciously he aided in promoting the suicidal scheme. . Tt was his pistol Livernash used, and Al- len supplied him with cartridges. It he who was about the streets with : t evening, who went with aper offices, who was | ar when the shot was fired, | a some t standing ne and reached the side of ‘the dying man in time to hear his last word. | “John, did you do t?” Allen asked | as he tore away the clothing that | smoldered above the wound. | “Yes, Ben, I have done it.” | And so Livernash gave his story a | value, and passed away. Allen said that Livernash and him- | self left the place where they lived, 60 South Park, early in the evening. Liv- ernash told him he would have a story | for which he thought the Examiner | would pay $250, and for delivering this Allen was to have $100. which would “put him on his feet.” | Livernash did not find Lawrence | readily, and when he did, was not satis- | filed with the terms. It was then he | visited The Call, in the meantime hav- ing added something to the letter he | had prepared between his two visits | to the Mission street concern. Allen made his statement freely. “Livernash told me,” he said, “that he would have to go to Chinatown to get this story. It was about a wharf- inger who was $3000 short in his ac- | counts and was likely to skip out. Per- haps there would be trouble, and he wanted to know where my pistol was. | “My pistol was In pawn at a place on Third street for 50 cents. He gave | me $1 50 to get it, and I got it for six | — | ADVERTISEMENTS. SKINS | ONFIRE Skins on fire with torturing, disfiguring, itching, burning, bleeding, scaly, and pimply humors, instantly relieved by & warm bath with CUTICURA BOAP, a single application ot CuTiOURA (ointment), the great skin cure, and a full dose of CUTICURA RESOLVENT. ticura 15 sld throgghout the world. Porres D. & C. Comr., Sole Oure Torturing Hamors, Props., Bostan. How o g BABY'S SKIN ™l bors o™ J. J. Livernash, at present State Collector at Beale and Fremont street wharves, formerly editor of the Healdsburg Enterprise and who recently established the California Forester in this city, com- mitted suicide in a saloon at 628 Mission street Friday night, in a most deliberate fashion. To prove this statement it is only necessary to publish his letter, furnished exclusively to The Call and written by him only a few moments before he pulled the trigger of a 38-caliber revolver that sent his life a glimmering and brought sorrow to a loving wife and devoted brothers and sisters. Here is his last epistle: First of all, I do not wish to be classed among the insane who shuffle off this mortal coil. I am not insane; but it seems to me that some evil genie hovers over every movement of mine and that I am destined to be the “under dog” all the time. I realize that kindly nature endowed me with more than ordinary ability, that I had good training, that my father and mother have gone before me to a better world, where I hope to meet them. Never- theless, troubles thicken around me. I have battled against misfortune. I have ever tried to meet my obligations, and yet I find myself getting deeper and deeper Into debt. It is only a question of time when the end of all of it must come! When true friends, tiring of continually backing me, must withdraw their support and leave me to battle for myself. This is near at hand. This very day I found it difficult to raise $12 among all my city friends, when it would require $100 to balance my accounts with the State. Thus it is I find myself confronted with disgrace, and I prefer the end I am choosing to the other. I sincerely hope that no one will charge me with insanity. I know full well what I am doing, and prefer this end to facing what must soon come to me. I want my wife and sister to take charge of my remains and see that they are laid to rest in the Cloverdale Cemetery, under the auspices of Friendship Lodge No. 91, K. of P. 1 want my body to be placed in the plainest sort of a coffin and desire no flowers. Let W. F. O'Leary, C. A. Mobley, Eli Bush, James R. Miller, J. W. Hotchkiss and A. B. Provines act as pallbearers, and request for me that Menihan and his family remain from the cemetery. Let Mr. Menihan draw consolation from my untimely end, remembering that he forced me to it. I chose the pallbearers I have named because they have been friends to me through thick and thin, and will remember me with kindly feelings. I request Menihan and his family to remain from my funeral because at the very hour when friendship and support from him would have done me good it was withdrawn. 1 want my obligations to the State met at 100 cents on the dollar. A 340 check in the safe at Hartman Bros., corner Second and South Park, in guarantee for $30 I owe them. Let it be redeemed. The tolls I owe the State are in my uniform coat pocket. I only ask one favor, and that is a dylng man’s request. Will Governor Budd appoint to my position W. F. Leary of Healdsburg, a sterling Democrat, and a man who will reflect credit on his appointee. Do this for me, Governor, and you will never regret it. In conclusion, I will say that I dislike to quit this world. I have a loving, true and noble wife—a dear little woman who has brought sunshine to my life. Let her forget me as soon as she can, and when some worthy man again selects her for a helpmate, I hope she may choose him. It is I who have brought shadows to her happy life, and it is one of the sorrows that is bearing down upon me. God bless her, and as she looks on my dead face, may she say, “He never caused me pain in life.” And to my dear sister Lizzie. She is bright. She knows my failings. One day I told her I would kill myself, and she said: “John, if you do, do not disfigure yourself, for you know you are homely enough now.” I would not give her unnecessary pain, and so, instead of blowing my head off, I will feel around until I find where my heart throbs, place the pistol there and pull the trigger. I am going out now to get a shave, and hope in death my features will be at repose. And now, good-by. Let my relatives pay my honest debts; let my enemies gloat over my silent clay; let my brothers grow up to be worthy men, and my sisters virtuous women. Good-by, Wharfinger Tom Deasey! You have been my good friend! Good-by, Fox, I respect you! God bless my wife and family, and may they find happiness in a land where misery has been mine. This closed a remarkable document written by a man on the verge of despair. He placed the pistol over his heart, drew the trigger and death followed instantly. Later—Realizing the necessity of realizing funds for my family I went to see “Long Green Lawrence.” I knew he would pay the top price for blood money. I do not hesitate to say that he would murder a man if the emolument would warrant it. He was out. I was grow- ing desperate. My wife expected me in at 8. I must hurry, so I went to The Call. I have sold a story to whe Call for $100. To my dying breath I swear they do not know what is in it. I also swear that my brother, Ed, who is bogus, was sent to Alaska to escape a summons in the Claus Spreckels’ libel suit. Postpone action until he comes, and remember, he and his wife broke the family and drove me to this end. He it was who libeled Claus Spreckels, and may bim and his convent-wife be brought to justios. R found the following letter, it harmon- izing with a point made in the letter sold under seal to The Call. W. F. O'Leary, Healdsburg. Friend Billy: I have killed myself. You acted very strange at Healdsburg Wednesday night, and if you friend is gone. Be my pall bearer. I hope | you will get my place, and if Budd re- | spects the dying request of a Democrat who has burned up good money in the cause he will give it to you. JOHN. James J. Keegan, secretary of the State Board of Harbor Commissioners, when seen last night in his apartments in the Hotel Strathmore, claimed that it would be an utter impossibility for Livernash to be short in his accounts have left me every | ly in that way. He did not eat any supper, nor did he read the evening paper, as was his habit, He sat brood- ing for some time, and then asked me | for one of his own photographs, as he | had promised to give one to a repre- sentative of The Call. He put the pic- ture in his pocket and then told me | he was going to Chinatown to get a story he was going to write for a pa- per. He then kissed me good night and told me not to wait up for him, as | he was likely to be late. I thought he was short in his accounts, as he had | been so terribly worried lately about | something, and I could not g:t him to | confide in me. He has been playing | the races lately and gambling generally | in the pool rooms, but has always been | unlucky. I had no thought that he it i i i Il i i B. F. ALLEN, Who Loaned Livernash the Revolver With Which He Com mitted Suicide. to the sum of $3000, as he never had control of any such amount. HIS ACTIONS SEEMED STRANGE A pitiful scene occurred in the little parlor' of the dead man's residence when the news of his death was broken to his wife last night. That bad news of some kind was not unexpected was easlly seen by the troubled faces of his wife and sister, Miss Lizzie Livernash, Wwhen they were seen by a Call reporter. The first words uttered by Mrs. Liver- nash were: “Is'my husband in prison?" and the sister echoed her words. As soon as the two afflicted women had somewhat recovered from the shock of told all they knew of the which drove the desper- the news they circums would ever take his'own life.” Miss Lizzie Livernash had thought her brother’s fits of despondency were caused from the fact that he was short in his accounts, and last Monday she called upon Wharfinger Deasy to ask him if her brother had been guilty of misappropriation, offering to make good any sum he might be short. When seen last night, Miss Livernash said: “My brother has been very despond- ent for two or-three months, and I had a suspicion that he was short in his accounts. Last Monday I went to Mr. Deasy and asked him if my brother was short in his accounts. He assured me everything was In order, and I felt somewhat relieved. I knew he had been playing the races and gambling in the poolrooms, and that he was al- ways unlucky. He must have taken the money hoping to win and so pay it back. I could easily have raised the assured me his accounts were in perfect order and that he had never thought of taking any money that did not be- long to him. He has been under the best doctors in San Francisco for three years, but lately he has been very ill, and has had severe. fainting fits, as many as eight or ten in one night. “He changed his clothes before by. I thought his conduct strange, and remarked to his wife that I thought he He must have shot himself with Mr. Allen’s pistol, as Allen took cartridges together. Allen himself tried to com- mit suicide last Friday, and it was my brother who seized his gun before he could accomplish his design. Mrs. Al- len came in and told us my brother was acting in a very strange manner while he was waiting for Allen to cbtain the cartridges. 1 never had the least thought that my brother would take his own life over an affair of this sort, as we have many friends who would have helped him out of his difficulty. I do not know what we shall do now, for we are a very big family, and my father and mother are dead, and my brother is thousands of miles away.” . Both wife and sister are sadly strick- en, and there seems but little hope that they will quickly recover, as they are both in very feeble health. Confirmationof Sale of CrestaRanch The Cresta Rancho of 120 acres in San Mateo County, which has been sold by Public Administrator Freese to J. C. Caglieri, subject to the order of the Probate Court, will come up before Judge Slack on Wednesday next at 10 o’clock for confirmation. —_—————————— ECLIPSE EXPEDITION A SUCCESS Director Schaeberle Confirms It and Writes a Letter of Thanks. Through the generosity of the late Charles F. Crocker, the eclipse expedi- tion to India of a number of local sclentists was made possible, and word was received a short tifne ago that they were successful in their undertaking. The following letter from the Lick Observatory confirms the interesting news: ““To the Relatives of the Late Hon. Charles F. Crocker—Gentlemen and La- dies: It gives me great pleasure to in- form you that the Lick Observatory eclipse expedition to India, made possi- ble throcugh the noble generosity of the late Hon. Charles F. Crocker, is a com- plete success, according to a cablegram received from Professor Campbell. “Inseparably connected with the his- tory of the Lick Observatory and as- tronomical science of the nineteenth century will be the name of that gener- ous benefactor, already so well known in the scientific world, whom we mourn for to-day. Sincerely yours, “J. M. Schaeberle, “Acting Director.” For a time it looked as if the pro- Jected trip would have to be abandoned as the necessary funds were unavafl- able. It was then that Colonel Crocker, who was an enthusiast in astronomy, was appealed to, and he came to the rescue. Shortly after the expedition started, Colonel Crocker died. The Probate Court, after a proper showing of the existing agreement be- tween the rajlrcad magnate and the sclentists, ordered the money paid. ———— ‘Will Eulogize Rabbi Diskin. At the Congregafion Beth Menachim Streisand, on Minna street, Fourth and Fifth streets, on Sunday at 2 on every wrapper ST conflded his trouble to me. He always | eul he | went out to-night and kissed me good- | intended to do something desperate. | out with him, and they both went out | between’ money for him if he would only have | o’clock, Rabbi E. Berman will deliver a nfiy on the death of the late Rabbi | Digkin, the principal authority on Jewish | law, who died recently at Jerusalem. 1 —_——— | Iroquois Election. | At a meeting of the Iroquois Club last night the following delegates were elected to the State League of Iroquois Clubs, | which is to be held in this city on the 22d f February: H. L. Bienfleld, G. H. Ca- baniss, Bart Burke, W. J. Bryan, L. F. Byington, E. J. Forster, D. J. Gordan, Charles Holcomb, Peter Kelly, Joseph Leggeu. James D. Phelan, Dr. E. Thiele | an E. Thiele. The. following 1s the pro- gramme: . | Toastmaster, Governor James H. Budd; “Washington,” Hen. Frank T. Shy “California,” Hon. Willilam P. Stradley; “Democracy,” Hon. Robert Ferral; “San Francisco,” Mayor James D. Phelan; “Ir- {oqums." Professor James H. Simmons; “United States,” Hon. J. H. Seawell. S e Coughs and colds cured, Low's Hore- hound Cough Syrup; 10c. 417 Sansome st® ® ADVERTISEMENTS. THE ONLY GENUINE HUNYADI WATER Hunyadi Jinos BEST NATURAL APERIENT WATER, ——FO R CONSTIPATION, DYSPEPSIA, LIVER COMPLAINTS & HEMORRHOIDS, *“The prototype of all Bitter Waters.” Lancer, “Speedy, sure, gentle."” British MedicalJournal CAUTION: ture of the firm. See that the label bears the signa- Andreas Saxlehner. Worth Reading—— The Star Is a 16-page weekly, and calls a spade a 'spade. It contains fear- less, frank and forceful editorials by James H. Barry on all the live issues of the day. Ask your newsdealers for it. & cents a copy. Subscription $1.50 a year. Business office 429 Mont- gomery street. Address : J. H. BARRY. NEW WESTERN HOTEL, EARNY AND WASHINGTON STS.—RB- modeled and r-mnnlzg. KING, . WARD & 500 soday, {'n" = cold w-ufmtnq” m":m. fl's.‘“ ?-ml.l'