Alameda County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....McClymonds, Roy August 11, 1898 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: alfred janske alfred_janske@sbcglobal.net October 30, 2010, 1:46 pm San Francisco Call, August 12, 1898 San Francisco Call, August 12, 1898, Image 9, Column 1 – MYSTERY OF A LAD'S DEATH ———— Roy McClymonds Found Dead in an Office. ———— WAS KILLED BY A BULLET FRIENDS ASSERT THAT IT IS NOT A SUICIDE. ———— The Boy Left Home in a Happy Mood and One Hour Afterward He Fired the Fatal Shot. ———— Oakland Office San Francisco Call, Broadway, Aug. 11. – Roy McClymonds, son of the City Superintendent of Schools, was found dying this morning in Dr. Rodolph's dental office. When discovered a bullet wound in his head showed plainly the cause of his condition, and he was at once taken to the Receiving Hospital, where he died less than an hour later, without recovering consciousness. The death of young McClymonds, who is but 19 years old, is a mystery. The theory of suicide has been advanced, and also the probability that it was an accident, while it has been vaguely hinted that the shot may not have been fire by the boy, but by another person. This last theory has nothing to corroborate it. Neither is there any known reason why the lad should commit suicide, and there is a possibility that the shooting was accidental. Roy McClymonds was a dental student in the office of Dr. Rodolph on Broadway. He went to his work about 9 o'clock this morning, and was seen to enter the office by Dr. Edwards and William J. Yore, the manager of the building. He returned their salutations cheerfully, and six minutes later, as nearly as Dr. Edwards can reckon, a shot was heard. Dr. Edwards and Mr. Yore started to locate the source of the shot and discovered young McClymonds lying inside the lavatory, with his head outside. Coroner Baldwin, whose office is in the same building, promptly did all that was possible for the lad, but it was at apparent that his breathing would soon cease. He died a quarter of an hour afterward. In the lavatory was also found a pistol, with one chamber discharged. The boy was never known to carry a pistol, and incident lends strength to the theory of suicide. Dr. Edwards, who examined wound, says there is as much to show that it was an accident as a suicide. He thinks McClymonds was probably loading and playing with the weapon, for there is some blood on the knee, which shows that he was sitting down when the shot was fired. “I cannot account for this affair in anyway.” said Superintendent McClymonds. “Roy was always the same frolicsome, genial boy. He never showed any signs of despondency or any dissatisfaction with life. He has never, so far as I know, been anything but strictly upright, and Dr. Rodolph has told me that he was doing nicely at his work. He liked the study of dentistry, and was preparing to resume his work at college next week. He has been filing in his time with Dr. Rodolph during vacation.” “This morning at breakfast we were laughing and joking together as usual, and my wife tells me that Roy left home in a happy mood. She accompanied him to the porch, and he referred to a party he was to attend this evening, from which be was anticipating much pleasure. The shooting must have been an accident, for the boy would never commit suicide. Roy was not likely to be troubled by love affairs. He had some young lady friends, but he never went with any one in particular. I am convinced that he had no trouble that would make him despondent. He had absolutely no reason for wanting to end his own life, but, instead, had everything to live for. It must certainly have been an accident.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/alameda/obits/mcclymon9213gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb