The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-01-29
From the London Times, Dec. o.
The suicide OF Hugh MILLER


"for some months past" states TIE VII.
mesa of Saturday, "his overtasked intellect
had given evidence of disorder. He became
the prey of false or exaggerated alarms
He fancied--if, indeed, it was a fancy that
occasionally, and for brief intervals, his fa-
culties quite failed him, that his mind broke
down. lie was engaged at this time with
treatise on the Testimony on the Rocks. !.
upon which he was putting out all his
strength, working ut his topmost pitch Of
intensity. That volume will in few weeks
be IN the hands of manv of our readers. and.
while they peruse it with the saddened i'm.
preston that the intellect and genius Of the
author poured out their latest treasures in
the composition, they will search through il
In vain for the slightest evidence of feeble
ness or decaying power. Rather let us an
ticipate the general verdict that will be pro
nounced upon ii as one OF the ablest OF all
has writings. Bat he wrought at ID too en-
gerry. Hours after midnight the light was
seen to glmmer through the window Of tina,
room which, within the same even,ful week,
was 10 witness the close Of the volume aud the
Close OF the writer's life. This overworking
OF the brain began to tell upon his mental
health. lie had always been somewha,
mooiiy apprehensiye of being attacked by
footpads, and had carried loaded firearms
about his person. Latterly, having occasion
sometimes TO return 10 Portobello from Ed
inburgh at unreasonable hours, he had fur
nlshed himself with a revolver But now
TO all has old fears as to attacks upon his
person, there was added an exciting, an oyer-
mastering impression that his house, and IA.
pecially that museum. the fruit of so much
care, which was contained in n separate ont
er building, were exposed 10 the assault OF
burglars. He read all the recen. stories Of
house robberies. lie believed that one nivb,
lately an actual attempt TO break in IN.
on his museum had been made. Visions If
ticket of-leavc-men prowli ling about his prem.
ises haunted him by day and by night. The
revolver which lay nightly near him was not
enough; broad bladcd dagger was kent
beside il, while behind him, nj his bed. head.
claymore stood ready at hand. A week or
so ago new and more aggravated feature
OF cerebral disor err showed itself in sudden
and singular sensations in his head. They
came only after Heightened intervals. They
dld not last long, but were intensely violent.
The terrible idea that his brain was deeplv
and hnbetessly diseased, that his mind
was in the verge Of ruin, took hold OF him
and stood out before his eye in all that anal
ling magnitude IN which such An Imagination
as his alone could picture ito
Up to Monday last it appears he had spo
ken TO no one OF these mental paroxysms.-
On Monday he called on DR.. Balifour in
Portobello. son my asking" says DR.. Bal
1 flour, In a communication to The W,inea
what was the matter with him, he replied -
"My brain Is giving way. cannot put two
thoughts together to-day. have had a
dreadful night OF it. cannot face another
such. ! WAS impressed with the idea that
my museum was attacked BY robbers, and
that had got up, put on my clothes, and
gone out with loaded pistol to shoot them.
Immediately after that became unconscious
How long that continued cannot saw: hut
when awoke in the morning was iremh.
/ ling all over, and quite confused in INV brain
SO thoroughly convinced was. l that must
have been out through the night, that ex
amined my trousers, to see if they were wet
or covered with mud, bu, could ind none ),
| The next day consultation was held be.
tween Dr. kalifour and Professor M;llar
the result Of which the latter thus comm.
ncates:
"We examined his chest, and found that
unusually well; but soon We discovered that
It was head symptoms that made him uneasy.
lie acknowledged having been night after
night ap till very late in the morning, work
ing hard and continuously at his new book.
(which with much satisfaction, he said. ssI
haze .r!shc1 this !.y." &c ~. s1,...s...
that bis head had suffered in consequence, a.
evidenced IN two ways--frst, occasionally be
ieli US u very fine poinard had been sud
denly passed through and through his brain.
The pain was intense, and momontArily fol-
lowed by COMMISSIONS and giddiness, and the
sense OF being Every drunk, p unable TO stand
or walk. lie thought that period OF uneon-
seriousness must have followed this--n kind
Of swoon, but he had never fallen. Second.
wha, annoyed him most, however, was q kind
Of nightmare, which for some nights past
had rendered sleep most miserable. II was
no dream, he said he saw no distinct vision,
and could remember nothing Of Whist had
passed accurately. 1t was sense Of vague
and jet intense horror, with conviction OF
being abroad in the night wind, Aad dragged
through places rs il by some invisible power.
''Last night" he said, 81 felt - Ill had
been ridden by witch FOR Hfty miles, and