Daily Morning Union, Grass Valley and Nevada City, Cal., July 28, 1904
I knew that my Great Great Grandfather, Alexander Burrows, took his own life while living in San Francisco in the early 1900's. I discovered this brittle, fragile newspaper in my Auntie Claire's research files. The short article tells about a sad ending to a very colorful life. How did Alexander go from being a successful lawyer in a growing mining town to "subsequently loosing it all, owing to his friends and the public deserting him on account of his manner of life"? (The Daily Morning Union, July 27, 1904 front page). That is a good question.
Alexander had built up a strong practice since his marriage to Elizabeth Jane Burrows around 1874-5. According to the newspaper reports, he frequently and successfully defended accused murderers and also participated in some important cases regarding mining law. He was a colorful lawyer, and was on occasion involved in verbal and physical altercations with prosecuting lawyers. He seemed to get along with the community and was esteemed enough to be elected City Attorney.
He and E.J. had twelve children in all. E.J. herself was admitted to practice law. They seemed to be a family that was popular in the community. But, there were tragedies that happened from time to time that possibly led to their eventual divorce. Their son Frank was born in April 1887 and died in August of 1887. In January of 1892 their young daughter Lillian died from diphtheria. In February 1892 their son Edison was born, but died later that August. Their son Herbert's admittance to the Napa State Hospital was never spoken of, and since he was unable to list any relatives on his WWI Draft Registration card (relatives "unknown") it looks like he was abandoned by his family. The original name of the hospital was the Napa Insane Asylum. There must have been stress around the decision to admit him. Did E.J. want to keep him at home? Did Alexander want to put him away? Did Herbert's behavior or lack of intelligence reflect badly on Alexander's practice? Alexander may have had a brother back home in Sligo that lived in a Workhouse. The only family member looking out for him was a brother in law, and the court system. Unfortunately, this is what happened to many family members who were deemed cognitively impaired , insane or criminally insane.
According to the Morning Union on the 13th of December 1894 Mrs. Lizzie J. Burrows was granted a divorce from her husband , A. Burrows, the lawyer. The complaint charged was cruelty and inability of the couple to live happily together. Did E.J. resent the fact that she had twelve children and was not able to practice as a lawyer like her husband? Was she jealous of his success? Was he not able to emotionally support her during family tragedies? Were there personality traits in one or both parties that we are not aware of? Was the fact the Alexander was busy and constantly working a factor? Or was is something else entirely? This is all purely conjecture on my part. There are always two sides to every story, and I am not in possession of all the facts, nor will I ever be. So, I will go on with the story. This next snippet from the Union might give some clues.....look carefully at the date.
Morning Union, Volume 52, Number 7405, 14 December 1894
Burrows' Compliments
A. Burrows, the well-known attorney-at-law, was a visitor at the county seat yesterday. His business of course was at the court house, but not for the purpose of filing complaints, demurrers, answers or notices to call up, etc., but for the simple purpose of having the clerk issue to him a certain document, authorizing any Judge, Justice of the Peace, priest or minister of the gospel of any denomination to perform certain ceremonies. And being a member of the bar and not wishing to slight any of the attaches of the court house, he magnanimously treated the Clerk's and Sheriff's offices to a large box of "Roma F.K.H. Habana Regalia Chica Fina" cigars of many sizes and varieties. The boys all agree that cigars, like wine, improve with age.
In other words, he obtained a marriage license. He married a Miss Dodge, a native of Forest Springs, Nevada County. They married sometime in early 1895.
Morning Union, volume 53, 24 March 1895
LOCAL BREVITIES
A. Burrows has moved into the M.P. Stone house on Richardson street, until recently occupied by Dan Morgan.
Morning Union, Volume 54, 21 August 1895
PERSONALS....Mrs. A. Burrows was a guest in the Gurary Hotel at Denver which was destroyed by an explosion, the same day the accident occurred , she left a few hours before the dreadful affair took place. Mrs. Burrows was in Leadville yesterday en route home.
Note: This was the new Mrs. A. Burrows. Elizabeth Jane Burrows still lived in Grass Valley on Townsend Street, a short distance away from the new Mrs. Burrows. She was often referred to as Mrs. E.J. Burrows in the paper.
Alexander Burrows still worked hard at his profession. He was elected City Attorney on January 5, 1897. And, he continued his quarreling ways in court...
Morning Union, 18 February 1897
Attorneys Fight
The usual quietness of Justice Trebilcox's court was disturbed yesterday afternoon by Attorneys Burrows and Kitts becoming involved in a wordy duel during the progress of the case of Mrs. Stead vs. Irving. The quarreling lawyers also attempted to strike each other, but were separated before they succeeded in doing any bodily harm. Justice Trebilcox fined each $20, or in default of which to serve one day in the county jail, for contempt of court. They were given until this morning to pay the fine.
Morning Union, 19 February 1897
LOCAL BREVITIES
Tomorrow morning the case of the People vs James Hoskings, charged with keeping open his saloon after midnight, will come up before Justice Paynter and a jury. C.W. Kitts will appear for the defendant, and A. Burrows, City Attorney, will conduct the prosecution. It is stated that the defendant will attack the validity of the ordinance on legal grounds.
Note: Burrows and Kitts also paid their $20 fines, per the Union.
Morning Union, 25 February 1897
LOCAL BREVITIES
Dr.s Brown and Jamison, assisted by Dr. Hays, performed a laparotomy on Mrs. A. Burrows for the removal of an abdominal tumor. The patient rallied well and is progressing as favorably as can be expected.
Morning Union, 28 February 1897
Died This Morning
Mrs. A. Burrows, on whom an operation was performed a day or so ago for the removal of a tumor, died in her home on Richardson street this morning about 3 o'clock. The deceased was a lady of considerable literary ability, and was of a sunny disposition. Previous to her marriage to Mr. Burrows about two years ago she resided at Sacramento. She was a native of Forest Springs, Nevada County.
Morning Union, 2 March 1897
LOCAL BREVITIES
Mrs. Lameter, sister of the late Mrs. A. Burrows, and husband, have arrived to attend the funeral which takes place this morning from the residence on Richardson street at 11 o'clock. The services will be conducted by the Rev. E.R. Willis of the Methodist Church. Internment will be at Greenwood Cemetery.
Morning Union, 3 March 1897
LOCAL BREVITIES
The funeral of Mrs. A. Burrows took place from her late residence on Richardson Street yesterday morning and was well attended. The Board of City Trustees followed the remains to their last resting place in a body. The pallbearers were: John Muhoy, Thos. Buckett, Fred Trebilcox, R.D. Lawrey, Wm. Paynter and Wm .P. Rodgers.
So, Alexander's new found happiness with his second wife was over in two short years.
The next place I find Alexander Burrows is on the 1900 Census. He was still living in Grass Valley on Richardson street. His occupation was still lawyer, he was listed as head of his household, divorced, and the census also listed a Celia Armstrong (aged 28) as his "housekeeper". This may be why the public deserted him, "on account of his manner of life." I don't know for sure. By 1904 he was in San Francisco living at in a hotel at 416 Turk Street.
The Daily Morning Union of Grass Valley and Nevada City, July 27, 1904
GAS ENDS THE LIFE OF A. BURROWS AT THE BAY
Former Grass Valley Attorney Wrote Flippant Farewell in Verse and Turned on Deadly Fumes
After writing a flippant farewell in verse to the coroner, A. Burrows, an attorney, formerly of Grass Valley, killed himself this morning by inhaling illuminating gas. Despondency over failure to secure employment is supposed to have been the cause of death.
Burrows gave no sign of his intention when he went to his room at 416 Turk street last night. Shortly after 7 o'clock this morning Charles Wheland passing through the hall, detected the odor of gas. He notified G.W. Shrinker, the landlord, and C. McCarthey, the janitor, who broke into the bathroom adjoining Burrows' room, and found the unfortunate man on the floor, dead.
Burrows had evidently started to kill himself in his own room, as the cracks of the doors and windows had been stopped with paper, but later decided to end his troubles in the bathroom. With glue he pasted papers under the door and between the window sashes.
In the dead man's room this verse to the coroner was found:
"Coroner, to you I will confide
This is a case of suicide:
The causes they are multiplied;
Let them remain still mystified.
All my old friends, the true and tried,
Have passed on that other side.
In plainer words, have chilled and died.
Alone am I--the suicide.
Back to old earth I journey blithe.
To her embrace, whate'er betide,
We all return howe'er allied;
And thus to go I'm satisfied."
Several verses on suicide he had partly destroyed. One fragment read: "Or gas turned on--Or a swallow of poison, not carbolic acid. But some of the kind that is bitter, but placid. Like morphine, queen of the night and of sleep. That induces repose and a coma so deep that its patron glides over the valley of death. As a child in its joy sometimes runs out of breath."
Another verse addressed to Mount Shasta begins:
"Great giant of the hills, you pierce the cloud......shroud,...and ends: "To thee all time is eternal now, Great sentiled (?) of eternity art thou."
The article continues...
He was a man of great brain power, had the law at his finger tips and might have risen to almost any height had he chosen to put his talents to their proper use.
He was twice married in this county. Both ventures were unhappy. Divorce ended the first and the death of his second wife, who was a Miss Dodge of Davisville, left him again free. He became a cynic and a pessimist of the deepest dye, and gradually went down and down, morally and physically, but retained his keen mental powers.
About a year ago he left this city (Grass Valley) to accept the editorship of the Pacific Coast Miner. When that journal gave up its San Francisco office some months ago Burrows lost his position. He then took up the practice of law at Aetna Mills, but left there on July 1st, weary of life, unsuccessful and broken down, his life misspent and no light gleaming ahead in the darkness. Worst of all, he was without funds. An old friend here sent him some money to tide him over, but from the tone of Burrows' letters it was evident he had determined to end his life. In fact, he seemed to have been thinking of it for three months past, having mentioned the fact in more than one letter.
Burrow's first wife and a large family still make this city their home.
I will continue in the next post with the repercussions of Alexander Burrows' suicide on his family.
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