The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-08
MEL ANCHOLY SUICIDE.


Fatal Effects OF Spiritual m0n1No0fA&40GnD-
The COsoner's Inquest-verdict against the
New York " Knocker" Meetings.
On Wednesday morning last We reported . case OF
attempted suicide by Q man named Martin Laagdon,
who resided at No. Of Eleventh street. The unhappy
made effort to destroy His life by quitting his
throat with . knife. He moved from his lately
happy home to the hospital at Bellevue where he died,
at an early hour Thursday morning from the eject Of
the wound and existing arrangement Of his general
health, affecting his brain immediately. Coroner
Hilton hold inquest upon the body yesterday and the
ample report which give Of the testimony taken at the
inquiry, Will unfold to readers sad and authenti-
Gated history Of useful nfeost wife widowed aud an
only child orphaned by Of the operations Of those
miserable decisions practised under the nsms OF spr-
tual knockings manifestations The deceased was q
printer trade and of very steady habits Of industry
Some months ago be lost daughter, by DEATH which
produced in him very despoudng state Of mind When
eneryated from this cause and his previous
reading such publications the Spiritual Telegraph and
Mountain Core Jora al he got introduced into what
called "crcs meetings." held In this city, where his
mind acted upon by charatanism and imposture,
that be was made 10 believe he would become q seeing
medium and that then he could hold with
his beloved child We would call attention to that part
of the testimony Of Mrs. LaDgdon where she narrates
part of his training for this spiritual communion 1t
was to be plished by his sitting in dull, stupid
mood for an hour each eysning-by disruption Of the
endearments Of his home-by neglect Of his then only,
child and wife and close attention to the meetings of
the Knockers rapper 10 the various houses named.
Let our philosophers and kerah, who sanction tho
visionary theory with their names ponder upon the eff
feet Of their doctrines aud practices hitherto vgor-
GUS brain became couded and the unhappy mononania
ended his existence In state Of insanity and almost by
his own hand.
Coroner Hilton deserves much credit his patience
and perseverance, during the nqury and trust that
the Grand Jury will take the recommendation appended
to the verdict into their most serious consideration and
endeavor to protect people from such baueful in
fuences.
The following gentlemen were sworn upon the jury
yesterday -
James Dunigan, Patrick Kelley,
Michael McCabe, James Welsh,
+. Dunigan, Michael Crimmin
The first witness called was
Maria Lapgdon, wife of deceased, being duly sworn,
deposed-I AN wife of the deceased Martin Langdon
lived with my late husband at No 81 Eleventh street,
up the time he cut his throat he committed the act
last Monday between the hours OF and two o'clock
in the afternoon be had not been very we'll for three
head he was very i'll until the Thursday before he
printer by trade he lived in this city for twenty
ing at his trade as usual up the Thursday before he
committed the deed he did not work regularly from the
tune ne began 70 o. nis neao ne was smpoyea
Saturday and Sunday night previous to the aSt he slept
none, and he talked all night he talked about the
about ten O'Clock Monday morning he got from bed,
and after walking across the room he tainted he re-
then began to talk as before in about hour he
jumped and wanted to into the street prevented
and in about an hour 1 heard noise and going
into the room found him rolling himself up in
going to bed sgain he told me to 60 and mind the chd
this the last he spoke until after he committed the
act; went into an adjoining room in . short time
hes hn md mt min bia
he was in the habi. Of doing then heard gurylng
noise in his throat upon this went into the BEDROOM
and the first thing the deceased pulling PEN
knife out from his mouth he had had inside his mouth
would know the knife; tried to take the knife from
left the room the hail. and called living
in the house; he Is Mr.. McMenomy; when this man
came in deceased Immediately jumped cut Of the bed and
followed me across the hall he left the knife in the bed
after little time led him back to the again.
the ths @
in q chair where he held him until the oacerS Ame in
the policemen took him away and cannot tell shat
CURED after that for the last ten months the deceased
has been consta reading what he called spiritual
papers; he read the Spiritual Telegraph and also the
Mouna Cone Journal the frat paper Is published in this
county, Virginia; be did belong to the Methodist
church, but since he began to read these particular
papers his mind seemed wholly absorbed in
them he was in the habit Of going to attend
for three OF four weeks previous his decease went
to the circles very frequently during this latter period
ne S'ed .nsm s"Cs ONE circle or was
onna .t-aat ana,h.r mat ~ Mrs T,Iackiava a.
svenr. Near IN ths csrner If rventv sscora .traat
another meets At Mrs Rikers In Tenth Avenue near to
frtb st,aat an ~ these iadias have husbanS.
,;n. nv hnshsrS ,oid mo that a. Ms F;sh.s ",rnIa
each ,r stiand;n. tha roaetino maid ora doar a.ch
NIGHT 81 meeting nv hu,bsnd WAS not Able 10 nav and
hen ,ot hin a. Scheme nv thav somstimsa AZ - A.
cssss.d tad n that Mr. acL,ev v;shsd me ~ atr%
the nee,ines -snt one time Ia Mrs Ci.chIsv,. for
shont On ha,,r INT rot az much yriohtsrad ro,a NJ
90 again this WAS between three and sonr month.
Il was mon SUNDAY evening Mrs Claekley mon tS.,
night Nv an eItrsordinarv motion OF her hands ana
placing them upon his head mc.merized nv husbsnd
and nut him to se.p she slso meemerized Mrs. seares
Of No ITO Monroe ftrest Who aocompsnied ma Mrs
Sear.. as mt IN ..an rst she then mas nr.r
her ewes her head and her arms Mrs Seares sat sill
for about ten minutes: there NAV have been ten or
fifteen persons present in the room Mrs Caoklev would
not allow talking in the room after Mrs sesrles swoke
Mrs Clachey went to nut man asleep and she Eould
MT allow tajln, arpthsr man in the room i. ersraJ