The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1823-04-02
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.
Unparalleled instance 81 suicide by vOilln'
f0ry Sldi Uafi0H.
From the london Medical Intelligsnoer.

From the London Medical Inte!ligsncer.
"Luc Autolne Viterbi was condemned TO
death u, an accomphce in the assassination OF
Yredina, a crime which ne denied to The last
mo,nent, and apPeaiod against sentence pas.
Sod upon him by u coufl composed OF his per.
sonal enemies.
Towards tho cod Of Move mber, Viterbi,
(knowing his conde nnation, and being con
fined in the prison Of Bss,is,) resolved TO die.
To effect his pur pose, he abstaiOed from iooa
for three days, and then ato voraciously, aud
TO q forced excess, IN the hope that. alter fast,
ing SO long, he should thereby put an end TO
Ms existence. Nature deceived him, opd on
tho ID nj Dece amber, he determined TO stssye
himself to death. From that day nothlog
could subdue this teri ible resolve allhough
VreIbi, who had already sustained two dan
gerous attacks Of illness, did not expire until
the night Of the 2ist OF tha. Oon,h
During the three first days, Viterbi, as
was the case when he made the htst attempt
iolt himself progressively to,meoted by hun.
ger, and did not endure these early sutiefings
with 'es, courage than no hpd shown oh
former occasion. Under these ciscums,an.
ccs, report was made 10 the public minister,
who ordered bread, water, vino, AVID soup, 10
DO taken daily TO his cell and placed conspic
uousIy in view. No debility was manifest
during these ,hree days, no irregular muscu
lar movement was remarked, his ideas CON
tinued sound aud no wrote with his usual Ia
ciliiy, hui took no noutishment.
F" From the 5.h 10 the 9th, 10 hunger in
eensibiy succeeded tho much more gricvous
sulfetinx OF thirst, which became so scu,e,
thai on the OH, without ever dsviatiDg lIom
his resolution, no began to mois,cn his lips
and mouth occasionally, and TO gatg!c with
few drops OF water, to relieve the burning pain
10 bis throat, but he le, nothing pass the or.
gsns OF degulli,ion, being desifous not 10 as
suage The most insuppoftsOle Cravings, but 10
mitigate pain which might have shaken his
resolution. On the 9th, ms physical powc,s
were little weakened /; his voice was, never.
,heless, sill sonorous, pu'sation regular, aud
natural heat equally extended over his whole
fame. From ihc Sd 20 The +, h, he had COZ.
tinued to write, al nig6l several hours OF tran.
gull sleep seemed 10 suspend the progress OF
his suffsiiugs, no change was Observable 10
his mental faculties, and he coGpisined OF no
local pain.
"Until the 10th tho thirst had become
more insupportsble. Vherbi merely coutin.
usd TO gsrglc, without swallowing a single
drop OF water bot in the course OF the lolh,
overcome by exceW Of pain, he seizsd the jug
OF water, which ~ss near him, sod drank I'M
moderately. Duting the las, three days, de.
bilny had made sensible progress, his voice
became feeble, polsstion had declined and the
ex,remities were cold, Vi,erbi, however, COZ.
tinued to write, end sleep, each nigh, still at.
fordcd him several hours ease.
"F,om The 10Th 70 the 18th the symptoms
made a slight progress. The constaoey OF
Vierbi never yielded an instant he debated
his Journal, and afterwards approved aod sign.
cd what had thus been written sgreesbly to
his dic,a,ion. During tho night Of the l9th
the symptoms assumed a more decided char.
scter, debility was extreme, ,poIsstion scarce
y sensI,'e. his voice extraordinarily foebls,
. csli GUIDED itself all over his bedy,