Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-04-02
THREE SUICIDES.

|
ined in body, mind and estate, cut his throat
Horrible said everybody; what wretchet
victim of his own wicked folly and the man
gled corpse was put out of sight and tho poo
mans name was forgotten as quick as might be
remembered with shudder, if at all, even b.
those nearest and dearest to him.
A thriving and enterprising man, young an
strong, went into business at an early age. Iii
devotion to his occupation could not be to
highly praised. Early and late he was gropin
among his books and accounts, hurrying to Sc
this or that man, or plunged desp in the calcu
lations and figures of a far-ahead speculation
He took no vacations, he hardly ate, he gobbleC
or bolted whatever he inserted into his stom
ach, as you may see grim fireman shove
square junks Of coal into the hot steamboat
furnace door. He rose early, he retired late.
He did chew but it was tobacco, not vic
tuals: and he found that the harder he thought,
tho more he chewed, for the stimuis of the
nasty weed served to goad along his weary
brains.
Very good. He grew rich and respected. He
also grew crooked and sallow, cross and lean I;
| and his breath-faughl
He died, aged thirty y.nine. They had very
elaborate funeral and buried him magniicently;
for he had already, as the satirist said,. a very
pretty fortune to begin the next world with =
and doubtless, when the porter of heavens
gate spies a soul coming not all bare-naked,
| but with gay hearse clattering along behind
| it, and plenty of people in hacks at five dollars
| each, he gets up and admits that soul into Par
adise with low bow, and no requisition for
| ticket of admission whatever.
He had killed himself, however, but it was
respectable because it took almost twenty years
to do it. A suicide, not for desperation, but
| for selfshness.
There was a slender, eager, bright-eyed
| youth, student. He studied as ambitious stu
dents do; sitting all day, sometimes all night,
over his books. He ate good, greasy boarding
house victuas, and swallowed the draught ri
diculously called coffee. He neither rode nor
walked nor swan nor boxed nor sawed wood.
He took the validiotory' at college: and then,
with tke divine fire of love for men burning in
his breast, and another destructive fire burning
there too, and showing its red signal on his
cheek, he went out to more studies, and in due
time became the wonderful young minister of
an almost worshipping congregation. For q
year or two he sustained the labor of some pas
toral duty, and of his sermon writing and do
livery, and his labor was effective, beth because
his increasing death-like look added horrid
power to his aspect and delivery, that quite
charmed and overcame the young ladies espe-
cially.
But he died; and what a flaming obituary
upon the ignorant boy lie had given his life
to save souls;' was martyr to his ardent be-
nevolence; an affecting spectacle Of the power
of the spiritual over the earthly; and his early
death wasa 'most mournful and mysterious dis
penssation Of that PToyidence which had thus
| breaved congregation The fool as If he
could not have done more of the work which
he honestly desired to do if he had lived longer
Mysterious dispensation.' Yes, truly, as mis-
tsriors as if he had died upon being shot thro'
| the heartl
Oh! ignorant, bereaved congregation and
mourning friends; this wonderful young man
was a slow suicide, by well meant but frightful
| ignorance of the dearest laws of health.
A suicide is as foolish, as fatal, and as wick
ed, if it takes ten years as if it takes only mo-
ment; and the swelling and wriggling of the
poisoned wretch, the spouting blood of the
gaping wound, are not abstracetdly,a whit more
horrible than the slow drying up and wasting,
the gradual deformities of the ten and twenty
years over whiGhso many self-murderers spread
their deliberate proceedings. Illustrated.
A SUPPOSED TRANcE.-A YOUNG LADY's
FUNERAL PosTPoNED.-0n Friday last young
. lady named Williams. who resides on Seventh
street, near Cutter, died suddenly of disease
of the heart. The body was dressed in the
habiliments of the grave, and every necessary
arrangement was made for the funeral cere-
monies, which were to have taken place on
Sunday last. At the appointed hour hearse,
followed by train of carriages, drove up to
the house in readiness to receive the body, and
convey tito its final resting place. The cor
tege remained in front of the house such an
unusual length of time as to excite the wonder
OF the neighbors, whose astonishment reached
the eliminating point when the driver of the
hearse mounted his box, seized the reins, AMI
drove hastily away, followed by the empty car
| riages, and without the corpse, for which his
services were brought into requisition. The
| solution of the affair is as follows: On ap-
preaching the body for the purpose of taking
| q last farewell of the departed, relative noti-
| ad
countenance of the dead, and on placing his
hand ever the region of the heart he was sur
prised to find it quite warm, notwithstanding the
fact, or the supposed fact-that death occurred
three days previous. A number of medical
men were at once summoned, who, after con-
sultation, advised postponement OF the fuas-
raj, and the hearse and carriages were dlsmls-
sed. since that time the body has not changed
in appearance, continues flushed, and there is
considerable warmth perceptible, in the region
of the heart. Meanwhile the family and friends
are in the greatest doubt and perplexity, and
there are conflicting opinions as to the case
Some who have visited the body, are confiden
that death has actually taken place, while other
maintain that the young lady lives in trance
! Hundreds of people have visited the house
daily, attracted here by the singul irity of the
, case.-Gincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday,
CANpHENE AND BURNING FLUID.-Frightfu
r accidents continue to occur in consequence O.
the careless use of camphene and burning huid
, The mails of yesterday brought us two lament
| able illustrations. AT New Haven, Conn, "on
Wednesday last, servant girl in the boarding
house of Mrs. Stephens, attempted TO MI
burning lamp from can full of fluid. The lamp
barst, and the fluid in both vessels was at once
on fire. The poor girl was enveloped in flames,
, which also enyeloped the Kitchen She rush
/ ed up stairs and threw herself upon the bed
where Mrs. Stephens lay sick, was taken Oh
and covered with carpets, and then taken to
, the yard, and water thrown upon her. Medical
assistance was rendered, but her hands anc
parts of her body were burned to crisp, and
she became unconscious before long, and dice
the next day."
r A sad casualty also occurred afew days since
, at Brooklyn,n Kentucky, s'Mr. Bricker and hi
: wife and daughter, were together in their apart
ment, when a large camphene lamp which wa
burning, exploded, and the blazing fluid wa
! scattered over every part of the room, and upol
5 the dress of the child. The mother, to saw
: her offspring, caught her in her arms, and fling
s ing her underneath upon the ground, smother
q ed the fire. Thus she guarded her, hsedln
. not the urgent request of her husband to arise
until her own dress became ignited from tn
liquid fire, which in extinguishing, Mr.. Brickel
I was himself severely burned, his arms and hand
d being absolutely charred. The poor woman lii
gered in hopeless agony until Sunday nigh
when she expired, sadly, yet beautifully, illul
r trating the self-sacrifcing constancy of a mt
9 ther's love-" The loss of life by accidents
$ this kind during the year, fearful indeed, al
u may be estimated by hundreds.
!, !, Falsshood is not one only one OF the mo
= humiliating vices, but, sooner or later,it is mo
r certain to lead to the most serious crimes.