PAYNE, SUSAVILLA

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 06:12:43 :

The Marin Journal
Thursday, July 5, 1900
page 2

Death at Sausalito
Coroner's Inquest Held Over Body of Mrs. F.H. PAYNE

Last Thursday afternoon at about 6 o'clock, James Banks, a painter of Sausalito, entered the tamale stand and bar of his old-time friend, F.H. Payne, and asked for a drink. The two then went to joking and soon clinched in a wrestling match. The other occupants of the house, principally women, came to Payne's assistance, and Banks was on the floor in a twinkling. Mrs. PAYNE then appeared on the scene and after the others had left Banks alone, tried to lift him off the floor. In doing so she strained herself and received some internal injury. Fifteen minutes later she was carried upstairs, as she was unable to walk. Dr. Mays was sent for and under his care she rallied somewhat, but afterwards she grew worse and on Saturday morning died.

Coroner Eden was summoned and an inquest, was held Saturday afternoon. The evidence showed that no violence had been done by the participants in the fun. The verdict was death by natural causes.

Banks and the Paynes were familiar friends and had been known to each other for 35 or 45 years and had always been on good terms.

Sausalito News
Saturday, July 7, 1900
Page 3

Sad Death of Mrs. Emma Payne

On the evening of Thursday of last week, Mrs. EMMA PAYNE, wife of Frank W. Payne, appears to have met with what was thought at the time to be a trifling accident, but she strained herself, resulting in a serious injury, doubtless with concealed internal bleeding. During the evening Dr. Mays was called, and in the morning he was joined by Dr. Crumpton. The two gentlemen remained in attendance on the sufferer, accomplishing little more, however, than alleviation and smoothing the passage of the sufferer to the grave, as the end came about noon on Saturday.

She was followed to her final resting place by many mourning friends, most of whom she had known since early infancy and shared the bereavement of the family and other relatives. She was born in San Francisco 45 years ago. Most of her life was spent on Lime Point Reservation, where her father, Steve Susavilla, was an honored, trusted Government employee for more than half a lifetime.