Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-07-04
MORNING, /. EA.n'ER..",'' ."' 90


hemarlruhlt suioitletn Inun caagnfl tiag
A Teunessee eouesppglent ,Qfltbf GhHptip
Advocate gives a detailed aceQqnt of tbe suicide
Of Mr.. WIN. b. Morton, distihg1ished iehdt4
in the Methodist Church, in WiINdmB5h sdnhiV
Tenn. For year past Mr. Morton haa,boehia
sufferer from disease Of the liver, and became
a monomanac, dreading a reverse Of fortune
In May last he endeayored to commit suicide,
but was prevented by bis wife from commit.
ting the deed The Advertiser correspondent
writes
On the 10th Of May, 1859, his wife discover
cd him At the burelu writing, after which he
folded the writing up and put it into his pocket
book, took q razor out ofthe drawer unobserved
by her, and put it in his pocket; then coming 10
his wife he told her he was obliged TO die, and
must take his own life babe her farewell and
offered her his hand but she refused TO take it,
and clasping MIN in her arms, followed him TO
the yard gate with such shrioks and cries that
his emotions were touched, and he returned
with her to the house, aud putting the razor in
the drawer, took from his pocket book the paper
and gave 1t to her, upon which the following
was written:
The act that shall commit is rash, but am
desperate, and cannot avoid IT, My wife is kind
and agreeable, and as good to my little girl as #
she was her own child. am ruined in my feel
ings, and prefer TO be no more.
Nv. b NORTON"
His wife took the paper, and for fear Of future
accomplishment Of his purpose, kept IL. She
reasoned with him in such strains Of sympathy
that be told her he never would make another
attempt of the sort, and pleaded with her until
she promised that she would never reveal the
attempt he had just made, provided he would
never make another
On Monday, June, 6, he went to franklin,
and obtained an order Of court TO pay out a
large sum Of money to the heirs of an estate of
which be had control
On Tuesday, he paid out part Of the mon
ey, after which he put up some tombstones over
the graves of his two former wives, and then
returned home. Reaching home, he told his
wife that several places along The road that
would have been good places, but did not say
for what The next morning. before he arose,
be said to his wife, "If anything does happen,
want you to keep Fannie alluding to his lit
Tie girl.
On We 'ncsday, June 8, he put his hat on,
and went off TO an old house which stood neer
the public road, about one quarter of mile
from his dwelling, and in plain view of the
door He remained there for short time and
returned home, but soon went back to the old
no Sc and entered it. In a few minutes man
passed along the road, and he came out and
talked with him. He then went to the field
aud gave his negroes some general directions
about husincss; and while he was there they
discoved rope in his pocket, He passed on
to the barny ard and went two or three times
from one barn to the other Finally, be came
to the house, and he entered the door, took up
his little girl end bugged and kissed her; then
went to his wife, knelt down by her side and
threw his arm around her neck and kissed
her several times, telling her he did not want
to leave her but was compelled 10 do 90; told
her he was a miserable man, but sho was not
the cause of it that che had been a devoted
wife, and treated his child we'll
| He said that in his regular secret devotions
he could not pray as he had formerly done, and
that the world had lost all its charms for him
He arose and went TO the bureau, got his will
and read it over privately after which he sealed
it up and offering it to his wife, said "If any
! thing should happen 10 me, will you give this
| to Esquire Boydl" She refused to take Il, but
told hlm that Esquire Boyd would get it, if il
became necessary lie counted his money, and
told his wife to whom it belonged--that part
belonged to some heils, &c, and that seventy
dollars was tO pay what be had borrowed from
her Then, with her eyes resting full upoT
! him, he took razor from the drawer, put it ia
/ his pocSeC, and grasping herby the hard, baaf
| her a hnal iaTcwelli IOlu neT his breath wal
short aud he was Obliged TO die. lie started
with her clingng to his body, but eluded hel
grasp at the door, aud ran violently down tn,
hill to a barn WHICH was few hundred yards
away, with his hands ciroling above his head
like madman, falling to the ground twice as
he ran, but arising and staggering on his way
until he entered the barn. His wife gave the
alarm, and the servants from the field and the
yard were soon at the barn, but too late. He
! was there but wounded and dead--a ghastly
victim of insanity and selfdestruction, both
jugular veins, the wiudpipe and leaders all cut
through square across to the neck bone, Clench
ed in his Iight hand was the bloody razor, anC
in his left hand waa tho short end Of tho razo
case He had evidently reached the barn. ant
was standing still aud erect when first effor
was made, which only gave an incision through
the skin: then with a bloody hand from tina
wound, raised his hat threw back his head, AM
gave the second, fearful and fatal stroke
which filled his shoes aud covered the foo
around with smoking blood in which he wa
found upon his face, deed.