Washington telegraph., 1859-03-16

the scene uf perhaps the must cxtraordi-
nary suicide that ever was committed
1t was a case in which a man prepared
his own tomb, buried himself with his
own hands, aud then lay down to sleep
his last sleep beside the coffin which con-
tanned the poor remains of beloved
child.
The performer Of this strange act Of
self destruction. WAS an English ship car
penter named Sylvester Rupert, about 81
years Of age. who for some time prcyiou.
" had been living with his family, consist
ing of wife and two children, in a house
on Perdido street. In October last, when
the yellow fever was still prevailing,
his youngest daughter, Lizzie, fell vie
tim to the scouIge, and in consequence of
his poverty, he had to bury her in the
earth instead Of 4 tomb, as is customary
in this neiehbOrhood.
Little Lizzie was but four years old
when her spirit was released from its
chyey tencmcnt and winged It's way "to
tho land Of the -reah" She had been
pet Of her father; "the bright particr
lar star " in his domestic heaven, and he
mourncd, as did Rachel at the loss of her
children, and Ike her refused to be com
foTied
After the veil Of yestilence was lifted
from the city, the business Of repairing
ships fora time was brisk, aud Rupert was
thereby enabled to pay off his debts and
lay up small Of sum money. But il was
rot long before the supply Of ship-carpon-
ders who had rushed in from the north,
exceeded the demand; and finding him
self unemployed, Rupert turned his at
tcutiou to the mclaucholy task Of erecting
a tomb for his darling daughter. lie
FIRST purchased piece OF ground in Green
wood cemetery, aud then bricks and NOR
tar, lnd day after day he toilcd in the
construction vf "a narrow house" The
work thungh new to him, was faithfully
performed. L was a labor of love bur
when completed De had no money icsi
whercwith 10 purchase 4 marble tablet
1t was perhaps his trade iiiat suggested to
him that wood might b. used as a sgb,ii-
tutc fuE marble. but, be That as it may.
be framed together ccrtaiu pieces Of wool,
something silliiar 10 those used IN closing
the Portfolios Of a ship, aud carved on
The outside the uauc va I-,- beloved chilli.
VIII, had departed lcuce. Tic door Of
wood jited closely 10 a frame Of oak, and
AZ the f1nr corners were llrge screws 60
fat, n ii to the frame.
After oil had been prepared, htt!e Liz
zie's grave Was opened, aud lhc cs,hu
wL!ch contained her cherished remains.
was removed to It's new lodgmeut.
Day after day, fr,Iu this tire forth.
Rupert was ia the habit Of visiting the
tomb. lie constantly carried lis ,crcw-
driver in lis pocket, and at ever visit
opened tie DOOR of ;he silent chamber.
uuserewcd the lid from the caain. aad
read again aud again. ia the decayin-
corpse OF her Who had been 20 lovely aud 50
beloved, sad, sickcning lessons of murtali-
". Before closing the colIin, he void al
ways strew flowers fraii, pcTishablc flow
ers-oyeE the remains uf her who had
proved as peri-hatlo as they, then shut
ting the door o. the tomb, he Would pass
with melancholy step from tue city Of the
dea TO the ciJ Of the living. Occasional
.y Ec would tak kc his vile with him in these
visits 20 his daughter tomb. aud would
speak 20 her Of death as thing t. be de-
sired. But hc found in her no willing
hs,euor She saw that the death OF their
child had affected strange change ia his
character. and she cndcayJred. with all OF
a voman's gentle suasion, 10 wean lin
back 10 REGARD for tho things Of life aud
sense. All was, however, without avail.
\ moody, melancholy man, he seemed 10
have abandoned all interest in everything
save the lost lamb OF his lock, and the
only JOY which wcllcd up above the arid
levc. OF his grief, was in visiting her
tomb.
Oh the 18th uli., he ven; to the ceme-
terry with two Towering shrubs, which be
had purchased, and planted them ia front
Of the tomb in which his darling was de
posted. It was late in the evening when
he returned to his residence, and he seem
ed mere than ever abstracted. His wife
told him he should seek for work, which
would occupy his mind and turn it away
from the gloomy forebodings in which he
had Of late 50 much INDUCED.
His answer was: ''les | must have
work, and after that, sweet rest oh, sweet
and welcome"
Next day lie left home early, never to
return He took with him screw-driver.
the iron handle of trunk, small bar Of
iron, gimblet, piece Of wire, and sew
eral screws. With these and a vial of
laudanum, which he by some means had
obtained, he directed his steps for the last
time, to Greenwood cemetery. As ususl,
he opened the tomb; unserewed the lid
from his daughters coffin, and scattered
over the deesying corpse, the flowers he
had gathered lie then busted himself
by screwIug the trunk handle TO the in-
ner side of the tomb's wooden door, and
closing the portal be walked about the
cemetery till after night fall, dreaming
strange dreams of desperate man about
to plunge into fathomless abyss
When the cemetery gates closed, and
the last funeral train of the day had re-
turned to the city, the solitary wanderer
sought out the tomb where he had buried
his daughter, aud in which he intended