The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-02-11
VOLUME x. NO. 6.
Extraor linary Suicide in New Orleans
"A Man Bofios Himself Alive--He
Takes Poison in Tomb.

suicide:
A" Sylvesteh Rupert, thirty. seven years
OF nge, An Englshman by birth, and by
trade sop carpenter, lived with his wife
and Two children in house in Perdido
street. IN oc,obrr last the yellow fever,
then prevailing. counted among its vic.
TINS the youngest child Of. the Ruperts-
their fItle-gir Lizze, abou; four years
old, and the particular pet Of The father.
This was blow from which the father
never recovered. M. able to buy a tomb,
he had the child buried in the ground in
Greenwood Cemetery. Tue grief prayed
heavily upon him. II was his only
thought; and being out of his regular
employment in his grief.
Z" lie bought burial lot and some
bricks and other material, and with his
own 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 a
piece OF board, and secured it with screws
In its tour corners. On this board with
which he enclosed the vault, iin lieu OF
the usual brick and mortar or marble
slab, he had carved nicely with his knife
the baral inscription OF his child. The
tomb finished, he disintered the child's
body and placed it there. He fastened
the board with screws, in order that he
might afterwards have no trouble in re &.
moving 1t when he felt like gazing upon
the decaying remains ol his child.
This employment finished, i, was his
habit to visit the cemetery, open the tomb,
md lpnE of th., Il 4
always carried a screw driver in his pocket
with which to remove and replace the
board, and also TO remove and replace the
lid Of the GOTTA. Neither the haggard
aspect OF he shrinking little corpse, hor
the foul odor OF nS decay, could repel
him in his morbid grief. His visits were
frequent, and sometimes his wife went
with him. He frequently complained to
her tina. he could not get work and this
inability doubtless lostered the despon.
dency which WAS drawing him to death
He frequently spoke OF having no faith
in the future, and OF death as desirable
thing.
"Or Wednesday he went to the GENE
terry with two shrubs which he had pur.
chased, and planted them in trout OF The
tomb. On Thursday, when he left home,
he had told his wife that il he had no
better luck in finding work she would
never see him again. He also said some
thing about having place in which to rest
THAT evening, or that night--ior no
one saw him in his gloomy proceedings
he visited the cemetery, taking with him
his screw driver, an irou trunk handle, n
small rod OF iron, piece OF wire, some
new screws. and large vial of laudanun,
Unserewng he board OF the tomb, he
thsew away the screws and filled tbu
screw holes in the bo,rd with clay.
"Wlth his new screws he then secured
the trunk handle to the inside OF the board
This work, oi course, had 20 be done out
side the tomb. Pushing his child's coffin
aside he got in by It's side, taking with him
his poison and the other articles with
which he had provided himself. His hat
he placed upon the conin his coat, which
he had taken Oft, he wrapped around a
. brick Tor pillow. He shut himself in
with the board, by means OF the handle
he had screwed TO il the board flung
outside the wooden frame. The iron bar,
which Was OF the proper length, he placed
across the frame Inside The thickness
OF the frame would noiallow the bar 10
pass through the trunk handle on the
inside of the board so he. secured the
handle and bar by means OF his wire, coil
ing it through the one and around the
other. He did not succeed in fitting the
board squareiy upon the frame. One
corner OF 1t caught upon the brick kwork
outside the frame this he did not discover,
probably, owing TO the darkness Of the
night and but for this little circumstance
his tate would probably have never been
discovered, or not at least for many years.
Having thus laid himself away, .as he
fanced, beyond mortal discovery. he
drained off tho contents Of his laudanum
bottle, composed himself on his back,
placed the brick and coat beneath his
head. and went 10 sleep, sAd off into the
unknown region OF the suicides.
As he did not return home on Thurs
day 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 rose
eafly and went out 10 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 TO notice that the board did not
fl Snugly into the frame as usual. Look
ing closer, she discovered the mud in the
screw holes and putting her hand on the
board found it was standing loosely. She
pulled it out little, and the irst thing
she saw was the dead face OF her husband.
She tainted away, and laid in the grass
she could not tell how long. She recov-
cred at last, got up, and went and inform.
ed the sexton, Mr.. Merritt, of her discoy-
cry. The latter went and looked at things,
and sen; word to the coroner, and the
inquest was held as we have stated, on
Saturday,. .-- -,-
"The coroner's verdict was in accord.
ance with the facts so plainly apparent
suicide by landanum."
LEGION OF HoNoR.--Count de Sartiges,
The French, Minister has Just received a
dispatch from Count Walewski. the French
Miniater of State, saying that he, in con.
junction with the Minister of Marine. had
concluded to ask the Emperor to beslow
the order of the Legion of Honor on Lieut..
Mauru II 9 N for hiS ramark "a hla ,,,...l.-