Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-02-11
TERMS OF ADvnRTIsING.
Extraordinary Suicide in New Orleans.

OauVefClSemenb fenectlng pf1Vdb0
can. under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, be admitted.
Extraordinary Suicide In New Orleans.
Man Bries himself Aire-He Takes Poison IN a Tomb.
The n. o. Crescent of the oath gives the following
remarkable story of a suicide
Sylvester Rupert, 81 years Of age, Englshman by
birth, and by trade shpcarpenter, lived with his wife
and two children in house on Pedidrc street. In Oc-
tober last the yellow fever, then prevailing, counted
among its victims the youngest child of the Ruperts
their little girl Lizzie about four years DID, and the par
tcuar pet of the father. This was blow from which
the ather never recovered Not able to buy tomb he
had the child buried in the ground in Greenwood Gene
terry The grief preyed heavily upon him. 1t was his
only thought and being out of regular employment he
found employment in his grief.
He bought burial lot and some bricks and other
material and with his hands, and all alone in the
cemetery, built him brick tomb He had not the
means to make the tomb stylish one so in its mouth
or entrance, he fitted wooden frame, and on this frame
he fitted piece of board and secured it with screws in
its four corners. On this board with which he enclosed
the vault in lieu OF the usual brick and mortar or mar
BILE slab he had carved nicely with his knife the burial
inscription of his child The tomb finished he disinter-
red the childs body and placed it there He fastened
the board with screws in order that he might afterwards
have no trouble in removing it when he felt like gazing
upon the decay1ng remains of his child.
This employment finished it was his habit 10 visit the
cemetery and open the tomb of his pet He always car
rled scIewdrver in his pocket with which to
and replace the board and also to andrepace the
lid OF the coffin Neither the haggard aspect of the
shrinking little corpse the foul odor of its decay,
could repel him in his morbid grief. His visits were
frequent, and sometimes his wife went with him. He
frequently complained to her that he could not get
work and this inability doubtless fostered the despon
dency which was drawing him to DEATH he fire.
quenty spoke of having no faith in the futures and of
death as desirable thing
On Wednesday he went to the cemetery with two
shrubs which he had purchased and planted them in
front of the tomb On Thursday when heleft home he
told his wife that if he had no better luck In finding
work, she would never see him again. He also said
| something about having place to rest. u s.s #
That evening, or that night-for no one saw him in
his gloomy proceedngs-he visited the cemetery; TAX
ing with him his screWdrver iron trunk handle asma
rod OF iron, piece of wire, some new screws and
large vial of laudanum Unscrewng the board of the
tomb, he threw away the screws and filled the screw
| holes in the board with clay
With his screws he then secured the trunkhandle
to the inside Of the board This work. of course had to
be done outside the tomb Pushing his chid's coffin
aside he got in by its sde taking with him his poison
and the other articles with which he had provided him
SELL His hat he placed upon the coffin his coat, which
he had taken of, he wrapped around brick for pill
low. He shut himself in with the board by means of
the handle he had screwed to it, the board fitting outside
the wooden frame. The iron bar which was of the pro-
per length he placed the frame inside The thick
ness of the frame would not allow the bar to pass through
the unkhande the inside of the board so he secur
l
it through the one and around the other. He did not
succeed In fitting the board squarcy upon the frame
One corner of caught upon the brickwOrk outside the
frame this he did not discover probably owing to the
darkness of the night and but for this little circumstance
his fate would probably have never been discovered
not at least for many years Having thus hid himself
away, as he ancied beyond mortal discovery he drained
off the contents of the laudanumbote, composed him
self his back placed the brick and coat beneath his
head and went to sleep, and off into the unknown region
) of the suicides.
As he did not return home on Thursday night his wife
feared the worst remembering well the tendency of his
late conduct and the tenor of his parting words On
Friday morning she early and went out to the ceme
terry She looked all around and failed to find her hus
band. She went and looked at their tomb, and was
about to leave, when she happened to notice that the
board did not fit snugly into the frame usal Looking
Closer she discovered the mud in the screwhos and
putting her hand the board, found it standing
loosely She pulled it out little and the first thing she
saw was the dead face of her husband. She tainted
away and laid in the grass she could not tell how long.
recovered at ast got up and went and informed the
sexton, Mr.. Merritt, of her discovery The latter went
and looked at things and sent word to the coroner and
e the inquest was held, we have stated, Saturday
The coroners verdict in accordance with the facts
so plainly apparent-suicide by laudanum.
The Caucus of Democratic Senators the Tariff.
In edition of Saturday, we stated that at Dem
ocratc Senatorial caucus it was decided inexpedient to
b change the tariff at the present session.
Mr.. Hunter, of Virginia. offered the resolution decar
ing it nexpedent to change the law at the present ses
+ sion.
s Mr.. Bigler proposed substitute as follows
Resoued That the being insufficient to meet the
expenses of the government it is wise and expedent to in
G crease the import duties to meet the deficiency
- Mr. Biger's substitute was voted down.
Mr.. Hunters resolution was adopted by large ma
q q jority.
resolution was adopted to this effect that it the
duty OF Congress to look rather to the reduction OF ex
= penditures than to the increase of revenue.
There much excitement during these proceedings
during which Mr. Hunter expressed the opinion that
with the revival of business, there would be sufficient
Il Il revenue for the purposes of the government.
Mr. Biger, it is understood spoke of the suffering in
dustria interests and urged increase of the Duties
He said the public debt was now sixtyour millions and
it would be hundred millions by the Both of June
1860, without the the thirty millions proposed to be
added to the foregnntercourse fund.- looking to the pur
y y chase of Cuba. tssetss s.
Messrs. Tooms (Ga.) and Benjamin (Ia.) were will
ling to favor specific duties the great staples, but
against attempting anything at the present session
Mr.. I've (Ga) favored an increase of the tariff as
absolutely necessary. While not favorng specific duties
he would be willing to give 30 per centum on iron
g Mr.. Douglas M thought it was important that tht
Democratic party should settle its policy to whether
= = it would favor specific or ad valorem duties
Mr. Hunter lVa replied that all seemed to agree or
the policy that the tariff should be for revenue, bat
that the mode of assessing the duties was not party
81 . test Washington States.
1T A CART LICENSE PASSED OFF FOR A MARRIAGE
~ CERT1FICATE-A woman appeared before Judge Welsl
D. in New York Friday morning. and made complain
of johannes Schmidt, whom she had supposed was he
husband for the last two years. for grossly deceived ne