Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-02-02
Tn. Suicide .rsy.u. MILLER.

faze exaggerated alarms. lie faneed-lt,
indeed it was a faney-that occasionally, and
for hrief intervals, his faculties quite failed him
that his mind brok" down. He was engaged at
this time with treatise on the Testimony of
the Rocks upon which be was putting out all
hi strength, working at his topmost pitch IF in
iensity. ! bat volume will in few weeks be IN
the hands Of many of READERS; and while they
peru-e IT with the saddened impression that the
intellect aud genius OF the author poured out their
latesi treasure in is eompostionthey will search
through il in vain for the slightest evidence ct
ferblenes- or deeaying power. Rather let Us
anticipate the general verdict that will BE- pro-
uonneed upon it. and speak of il If the
nblest Of all bis writings. But he wrought at it
too eagerly. Hour. after midnight, the light
was to gmmer through the window of that
room which within the same eventfu week. was
Ia witness the close of the volume aud the close
of the writer's life. This ovrrworkng of the
brain began to tell upon his mental health. He
had always been somewhat moodily apprehen-
sive of being attacked by fpotpads. and bad car
ried ioaded firearms about his person. I.atterly.
having occasion sometimes to return to Porobel-
10 from Edinburg at unreasonable hours, he had
furnished himself with a revolver. But now, to
all his old fears of attacks upon his person,
there added an exciting and overmastering
impression that his house, and especially that
museum, the fruit of SO much care, which was
contained in separate outer building, were eX
Tire recent stories of house robbcries. He be-
leved tina, one night lately an actual attempt to
break IN upon his museum had been made Wis
ions Of ticket of leave men proving abou. his
premises haunted him by day and by night
The revolver which lay near him not enough;
broad baded dagger was kept beside it, while
behind him, at his bed head, u claymore stood
ready at hnnd. A week or ago n new and
more aggravated feature of cerebral disorder
showed itself in sudden and singular sensations
in his head. They came on only after lengthen
ed intervals. They did not last long, but were
intensely violent. The terrible idea that his
brain was deeply and hopeles,ly diseased, that
his mind the verge of ruin, took hold Of
him and stood out before his eye in all that APP
pang magnitude in which such an Imagination
his alone could picture it,
Up 10 Monday last it appears he had spoken
TO no one Of these mental paroxy SINS. On Mon
day he called on DIR. Balfour, in Portobello. son
my asking" says Dir. Balfour, in n commuuica-
tion to the Witness, "what was the matter with
him, he replied; My brain is giving way. eau
not put two thoughts together to day. have
had dreadful night of it. | cannot fac another
such. was impressed with the idea tbnt my mu-
scum was attacked by robbers, and thai had
got up, put on my clothes, and gone out with
loaded pistol to shoot them. Immediately after
that became unconscious. How long that con
tnued | cannot say; bat when awake in the
fused in my BRAN. So thoroughly convinced
that | must have been out through the night,
that | examined nv troesrrs; To if they
were wet or covered with mud, but could ind
none"
The next day consultation was hold between
DR.. Balinur and Prof, Miller the result of which
the latter thus communicates:
We examined his chest and found that uuu-
sualy well; but soon discovered that it
head symptoms that made him uneasy. He nc
knowledged having been night after night up till
very late IN the morning, working hard and con
tiuunuSly at his new book, which, with much
abstraction, he said, Il have finished this day
II" sensible that bis head had suffered in
consequence, as evidenced in two ways-6rst
occasionally he felt as if very fine poniard had
been suddenly thrust through and through his
BRAN. Tho pain was intense, and momentary
followed by confusion and giddiness, aud sense
of heing very drunk, unable to stand walk
He thought that period of Inconsistencies
must have followed ths-a kind of swoon. but
he had never fallen. Second, what annoyed him
most, however was n kind of nightmare, which
for some nights past hud rendered sleep most
miserable. 1t was no dream, he aaid; he saw no
distinct vision, aud could remember nothing of
what had passed accurately. 1t was sense OF
vague and yet intense horror, with conviction
o being abroad in the night wind, and dragged
| through places ifby some invisible power. Last
/
| ~ miles by witch, and rose far more weaIied
IN mind and body than when lay down.
Suffice it to say adds Professor Miller, that
we cnme TO the conclusion that he was suffering
! from an over worked mind, disordering his III
! grstlye organs, epervnting his whole frame, and
! threatening serious head affection. We told him
! this. and enj"ined absolute discontipuance of all
work-brd at IL, light supper Che had all his life
made that principal meaD, thinning the hair of
the head, warm sponging bath at bed time &c.
! To all our commands he readily promised brdi-
nee. For fully al hour we talked together on
these and other subjects, and | left him with
40 apprehension of impending evil, aud little
doubting but TINT short tnne of rest aud rrgi-
men would restore him to hi, wonted vigor,'
Shortly afterwards, states the Witness, the
servant entered the dining room to spread the
| table
She found Mr.. Miller in the room alone. An
| other ot the pHroysms on him. His face
such picture of horror that she shrunk in terror
from the sight. lie flung himself on the sofa,
and buried his head, as if in agony upon the
cushion. Again, h 'wever, the vision fitted by,
and left him in perfect health. The evening
spent quietly with his family During tea he
employed himself in reading aloud Cowpers Cast
away, the Sonnet ON Mary Unwin,' aud one of
his more playful pieces, for the special pleasure
of his children. Having corrected some proofs
Of the forthcoming volume. he went up stairs TO
! his study.
AT the appointed hour h had taken the bath,
hat unfortunately his natural and peculiar repug.
nance to phySic had induced him to leave uua-
ken the medicine that had been prescribed. He
had retired into his sleeping roon-a small apart
ment opening out Of his study,and which for some
time past IN consideration of the delicate state
of his wite's health and the irregularity of