Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-02-03
EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE IN NEW
ORLEANS.
Man BurieS Himself AIive-He Takes
Poison in a Tomb.

Poison in a Tomb.
From the New Orleans Crescent January u
sylvester Rupert, 81 years of age, an Eng
lishman by birth, and by trade a sbip carmen
ter, lived with bis wife and two children in
hOuse on PerdldO street. In 0ctober last the
yeiIoW ieVer' then prevailing, counted among
It's victims the youngest child of the Runerts-
their little girl Lizzie, about four wears old
ana the particular pet of the father This was
a blow from which the father never recovered
Not able to buy tomb, he had the child buried
IN the ground in Greenwood Cemetery. The
grIef preyed heavily upon him. 1t was his
only thought; and, being out of his regular en-
P.Oyment, he found employment in his grief
lie bought burial lot and some bricks and
other material, and with his own hands. and
ali alone in the cemetery, built him a brick
tomb. lie had not the means to make the
tomb stylish one; SO in its mouth or entrance
he lifted wooden frame, and on this frame he
htted pieoe of board, and secured IL with
screws IN Its four corners On this board with
which he enclosed the vault, lin lien of the
usual brick and mortar or marble slabA he
had carved nicely with his knife the burial in
sorlptlon Of his child. The tomb finished. he
disInterred thechild' body and placed it there.
lie fastened the board with screws in order
that &c might afterward have no trouble in re-
moving 1t when he felt like gazing upon the
decayiDg remains Of his child
This employment finished it was his habit
10 Vlsit the cemetery, open the tomb and look
at the corpse of his pet. lie always carried a
screw-driver in his pocket with which TO re-
move and replace the board, and also to re-
move and replace the lid of the ccfin Neither
the hagSard aspect of the shrinking EttIe
corpse, nor 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
ne could not get work and this inability
doubtless fostered the deSpondency which was
craving MIN TO death, He frequently spoke
ct having no faith in the future and Of death
"a desirable thing.
On wednesday morning he went TO the Gem
etery with two 81 rubs which he had mn,
chssed, and planted them in frert { tie tomb
ga thursday, when he left home be told his
wife VI he had no better luck in finding work
enc would never see him again. lie also said
something about having place in which TO
rest.
mat evening, or that night-for no one saw
hlm IN his gloomy proceedings-he visited the
cemetery; taking with him his serew-driver
al iron trunk-handle, a small rod of iron q
piece OF wire, some new screws, and a laI,a
wal ot laudanum Unscrewing the board OF
me tomb, he threw away the screws and filed
the screw holes in the board with cIay.
With his new screws he then secured the
trunk-handle to the inside Of the board This
work, OF course, had TO be done outside the
tomb. Pushing his child's coffin aside, he got
IN oy Its side, taking with him his poison and
tne other articles with which he had provided
blusef His hat he placed upon tie oosin.
his coat, which he had taken of. he wranned
around brick for pillow. He smut himseIf
IN Nitn the board, by means Of the handle he |
had screwed to II; the board fttirg outside the |
wooden frame. The iron bar which was Of tbe
proper length, be placed across the frame in. |
eide. The thickness of the frame would not |
he h9-t 10 3
on the inside of the board; 50 he secured tbo |
handle and the bar by means of his wire. coil |
ing II through the one and around the other
lie did not succeed in fitting the board snuare- |
ly upon the frame. One corner of il caught |
upon the brickwOrk outside the frame; this be |
did no; discover, probably, owing to the dark |
ness of the night; and but for this little cir
cumsiance his fate would probably have nerer
been discovered, or not at least for many wears |
Having thus hid himself away as he fancied |
beyond mortal discovery, he drained off the |
contents of his laudanum bottle. Composed |
himself on hIs back, placing the brick and coat |
peheSth DIS head, and went to sleep, and of |
mt me unknown region of the suicides.
As be did not return home on Thursdav
night, his wife feareI the worst, remembering
"eI tHe tendency If his late conduct and the
tenor oil his parting words. On Friday n6rn |
ing she arose early and went out to the ceme- |
terry: She looked all around, and failed To find !
ner nusosnd. She went and looked at their |
tomb, and was about to leave when she han
Psned to motto that the board did not ft .nupiv
into the frame as usual Looking closer. She
discovered the mud in the screw-hoies: and mt
ting her hand on the board found il was stand
ing loosely. She pulled it out little, and the
hrst thing she saw was the dead face os 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 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, on Saturday.
Ice eorCGer : verdict was in accordance with
the iacts SO plainly aPparent-suicide by lau-
GIUm.