The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-06
Extraordinary Suicide I'm New Orleans.
From the New Orleans Crescent, JAM "a.

Sylvester Rupert, 81 years Of age an Engishman by
and two Children house, on Perdo street In October
last the yellow fever then prevailing counted among it's
victims the youngest child OF the Rupertsther little girl
Lizzie about four years DID, and the particular pet Of the
father. This blow from which the father
covered Not able to buy tomb he had the child buried
in the ground in Greenwood Cemetery The grief preyed
heavily upon him. 1t his only thought, and, being
ont Of his regular employment, ne found employment in
his grief
He bought burial lot and some bricks and other
terial and with his hands, and all alone in the
terry. built him brick tomb He had not the to
make the tomb stylish one; in its mouth entrance
he fitted a wooden Frame and this frame he fitted
piece of board and secured ii with in its four
ners On this board with which he enclosed the vault,
Tin lieu Of the usual brick and mortar or marble sab he
had carved nicely with his knife the burial inscription Of
his child The tomb Finished he disinerred the chids
body and placed it there He fastened the board with
screws in order that he might aterwsrd have trouble
in removing when he felt like gazing upon the dccayng
remains Of his child
This employment finished IL was his habit to visit the
cemetery open the tomb and look at the corpse OF his
pet He always carried driver in his pocket with
which to remove and replace the board, and also TO
and replace the lid Of the coffin Neither the bag
gard aspect Of the shrinking little corpse the foul odor
Of its decay, could repel him in his morbid grief His
visits frequent, and sometimes his wife went with
him. lie frequently complained TO her that he could not
get work and this inability doubtless ostered the deson-
dency which was drawing him to DEATH He frequently
spoke Of having no faith in the future and of death as
desirable thing.
which he had purchased and planted them in front OF the
tomb On Thursday when he left home be told his wife
that IL he had no better luck IN hDdng work she would
see him again. He also said something about hay
ing place in which 10 rest.
That evening" that night-for saw him in his
gloomy proceedingshc visited the cemetery taking with
him his driver, iron trunk handle small rod Of
ron piece Of wre some new SCREWS and largo vial OF
audanum Unscrewing the board Of the tomb he threw
away the and filed the holes in the board
with clay.
With his new screws he then secured the trunk handle
to the inside Of the board This work OF TO be
done outside Of the tomb. Pushing his childs coffin
aside he got in by its side, taking with him his poison
and other articles with which he had provided himself
His hat he placed upon the coffin; his coat which he had
taken Off he wrapped around brick for a pillow. He
shut himself in with the board by means Of the handle
he had screwed IT, the board lifting outside the wooden
frame The iron bar which Of the proper length, he
placed across the frame inside. The thickness OF the
frame would not allow the bar TO pass through tho trunk
handle on NE nsde Of sr co ne
the and around the other He did not succeed IN Mt
ting the boards squarey upon the frame One corner OF
it caught the brickwork outside the rame this he
did not discover probably owing to the darkness OF the
night and but for this little circumstance his fate would
probably been discovered not at least for
many years. Having thus hid himself away, as nc fan
ced beyond mortal discovery ne drained on the contents
of his audanum bottle composed himself on his back,
placed the brick and coat beneath his head and went 10
Sleep and Off into the unknown regions 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 Fri
she early and went out TO the cemetery
She looked all around and failed TO find her husband She
went and looked at their tomb and was about to leave
when she happened notice that the board did not 1T
snugy into the frame as usual Looking Closer she dis
the mud in the hoes and putting her hand
the board, found 1t was standing loosely She pulled
IL out ittle and the first thing she was the dead
face Of her husband She tainted away and laid in the
grass she could not tell how long She recovered at last
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 the inquest was held as we
have stated Saturday.