Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-11-16
Tragedies.

We rarely pick up newspaper that our al
tentiou is not attracted by the record OF some
startling crime the details of which are SO hor-
rible that the blood curdles in our veins at the
perusal Deeds of blood stare US in the face at
every paragraph Without reference to any
print we REGAL with shudder the circumstances
OF various tragedies that have been enacted
in different sections OF the country IN lew
short weeks. The wholesale butchery OF the
Gouldy family ia New York-father and moth
er tomahawked by dissipated son, brothers
aud sisters slaughtered by protigate brother,
who finishes tho work of death by destroying
himself. Tie particulars of the giant crime are
fresh in thu memory of our readers. In Balti-
moro the cold.biooded assassination OF a faithful
policeman, shot down upon his own hearth
stone for the honest performance OF his duty as
an officer and citizen. In our own State, an'
other wife murdered BY her own husband, who
proposes marriage to his paramour on his return
from the grave of the woman he had slain
Truly the heart sickens at the bare mention o.
such iendish deeds, perpetrated. with such ire
quency in a nominally Christian land.
OF all the phases of crime, however, that
which strikes the habitual reader of the public
Journals as most common at the present day, /;
self-destruction. Suicide has ceased to be the
striking popularity of France, where once 1t was
a thing of almost daily occurrence. With the
importation of French fashions and manners the
people of our country have, to lamentable ex
tent. adopted French morals; and it has now
become fashionable folly to blow ones own
brains out upon the slightest pretext. The u
sual order of theatrical representations is re-
versed, and it is deemed the highest style old
matte art to wind up the veriest imaginable
farce with the thrilling tragedy OF suicide
To give greater effect TO the performance the
most novel modes of self.destruetion are resort
ell to. In Paris it was fashionable to destroy
life by inhsling the fumes of charcoal. Th'
beautiful but abandoned Cleopatra applied th'
poisonous asp to her breast in order to destroy he
life. Men and women in this day and genera
ton ifthey do not equal the Parisians in the re
fnemeut of their modes Of self.destruction, Ger
tainly surpass the Yoluptuous mistress OF MARI
Antony 10 the originality of their Inventions
Not long ago one of our couutrymen in the ex
ercse of his inventive genius adopted the curl
GUS expedent of driving nail in the top Of hi
head. The latest agony, however, in this popu
lar branch Of business, was developed but few
days ago By young man in Cincinnati, VIII
loaded a gun with about pint OF cold water
placed the muzzle in his mouth and blew Ia
head literally Into fragments. This was all don
because Papa would not consent TO his marriag
with the girl of his choice.
1t is useless to speculate upon the cause
which lead men to indulge such queer tances.-
Some call il species Of insanity. The accom-
plished gentleman who shot himself in TIL
place some months ago. said that he was imPell
ed to the deed by San involuntary flash OF cleo
tricity that il was impossible to resist" 1t
doubtless true that many "unfortunates" "go I
their death" upon the impulse of frenzied mo
ment, but in the majority Of cases self murde
and oil other crimes are perpetrated by thos
who are given over to Satan, who leads then
captive at his will. We can best account for
tragedy like that enacted in New York, on tn
score of demoniacal possession, such as that whic
caused the herd of swine to rush madiy into tn