Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-08-23

| 'P'ing III tue neiKnDotnood. lie appeared
to do 50 Mt first but finally declined, stating thar he
would not be able to rise early He retfed TO rest al
the usual hour carrying short piece of candle to
| his room, and let it burn out. The next morning
the boy wen, into his room with towel and water to
wash with lie directed the servant to clean his boots
which Was done, and when the boy took them up, he
told INN he had no further use for him. The boy i'm
mculatey let the room, and in eight minutes
afterwards the report OF pistol WAS heard though It
was thought by the inmates Of tho house below to-
have been gun fired OF out of doois. The hour
Ion breakfast arrived and tho girl carried it up to hi,
room She found him dead" A phlal Of audanum
about hall full was found tho table. !, is suppos
ed that ho drank too lulo of il, which, with the ex
eitemcnt Ut, failed 10 accomplish his object
The boy said he found him lying on the top of the
bed clothes and looked out OF his eyes as if he was
very sleepy There two beds IN the rom,
aud II II thought thai he sitting on the o n, ~ HIGH
he occupied, with his body inclined towards wher.
ne shot himself; the other directly opposite and
he was found half way under il. No blood was
toand on the bedding, tho piece of,he SIX n bone
was found lying there, The brain was thrown A.
bout the room, tho very little blood. The pistol
must have been placed little below the rio bt Jennie
as all tho upper part OF that side of his head was
blown OIL The following lines were addressed t,
the landlord, and left the table in such a position
tina, the eye would discover thea Immediately on on.
tenng the room:
MIR. Mays pray YOU pardon the fri,httni .cen,
have made IN your house.
You will, efe long, learn that | have not been
wholly an unworthy man
have to request you TO write to Col James
Love, formerly resident of Bartonsyille Ky who
ihnh IL there AT this time, though Intending to re-.
move with his family in the fall for Texas inform
ing INN OF What has occurred hero and of my wish
that he would be good enough TO come to tins poipt
aud take charge of my baggage. examine and do
with II what he will see is proper In The ,neanw he
hope the best care will be taken of II.
You will find money in my pocket book TO dctray
all my necessary expenses.
bcseeehyon again to pardon tho trouble I give
Won.
Signed, =. w GRAYSON, of Texas.
Tho following Is a copy that he lei, FOR his
friends
To my iriend',-I go to my grave, for the quiet
the world can never give
Tho fond that pursued me for u long linn ,,.v,
Gus 10 1890, aud then let me rest, Ctwas ~hen wen,
TO Icsas.) has started on me again with feduublei
fury. To save myself from the horrors of a mad
house, go tnto my gravc,-Fmewel! Toyou and
the lew kindred OF my particular affections, yield
the last pulsatlon Of the heart. r. W a.
have no doubt bu, the following lines are the last
he ever wrote. They were written with pencil on
about page and halt obank paper obtained in his
WILL folded up with the above letter and some other
papers, and endorsed" important papers &c" CO.
ped them myself lom the viii. although the letter
was dated" Galveston Island 10Th June. 1899" YET
as pencil was found lying the table, and il sp-
peacd rs If had lately been employed am prettv
certain they are the last lines he and con-
give hem to you" rerbdtim, UNDERSIGNED &C. as he
lett Them.
at Is necessary to my poor shsttcred name for mo
now to confess that ut least ten years OF my life
have been partially deraneed man.
hive always kept this profound secret from an
indescrhablc horror have felt at the idea of d.,
vulgng II. rueful skeplicism was al the bot, IN
OF all. The period OF my suffering IN this state was
from 1920 to 1880. Iu this mood, SO disquaifying
aud adverse 10 mental excltion ofany kind | actually
wrote "A sort of Essay upon the influence Of Law&c
Went TO -, and published il of hand, without
examining proof, or correcting ii IN anyway. This
did Tor excitement alone, with a view aud hope OF
bringing my nnd back TO something like sanity AGAIN
by strong, desperate effort at mental energy
The printer, silly man, made more blundeis in the
type than bad myself made in the manuscript and
worst OF all put my name in the title page against my
express orders-awlnl exposure OF my weakness
which have ever hoped, howevet, was confined 10
few persons only, who by accident have pick
cd mp the strangely conlryed III written crazy pro-
duouon, which contains goodmany tho IL hts thatI
approve even yet.
This write in my las, hours Of cxistencc.-I sim
cerely think as "A sane living tnan. Whether |
shall be IN Bedldn or my grave soon, know not.
am IN the hands oia malignant fae, and the worst
that can belall me will, am sure. =. w. G.
The last trap 10 catch my soul and send to very
Hell of Torture the good teeling OF my friends,
urging me and prevailing me, To become cand-
date Tor tie Presidency OF Texas !! O God pa
IN REMOVING all the facts connected with tins distress
in2 a. lamehtable occurrence, | think say he
has fallen victim TO his own morbid feelings, produc-
ed 10y the stang and catuny of those opposed 10 him
IN Texas for the Presidency. His ardent ends press
ed tins thing upon him contrary to his couvc-
lionF, and he has fallen sacrifice.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE INnI-