Daily national Democrat., 1859-10-18
A Horrible Affair.

terday morning, lying dead in his room ne
had been sick Tut was getting quite well
again. aud was ready TO 60 over to l "Oa
City, to reside with the family OF Mr. VII
coxun during his contemplated absence l" Tue
Atlantic states Mr.. WilcoXon came after
him. Yesterday morning, aud was Informed oi
the number OF his room. Opening the door
from Il long aud rather dark hall, he entered
his frirads room, aud said, Good morning"
Receiving no answer. and it being quite dark
ont IighD he stepped up To the tive beds in
the apartment. and felt in them. No one
was there Soon his foot struck against some
thing on the floor which he discovered was
human body Terrified, Lut still unconscious
of the real state Of the case, he rushed down
stairs tor Ii 5ht, obtained Cnr, and, on re-
entering the room, discovered II sight which
almost parAyzed him. There ly the man
upon his face. in Il pool of blood entirely
dead. Blood was splttered freely over both
beds (the room being quite narrow and the
two beds not far upar'), as well as over the
stand tea cup and saucer, washbowl, candle
stick, etc The floor WIS delayed with it.
Blood was thick on the posteIior portion of
the head and on the back of the body. The
man had evidently f,llen upon his back, aud
afterwards turned over on his face, in which
position lie was found. On the nght-hund
bed was lying a razor, covered with blood,
on the left the opened case in which the in
strument had been kept. and under the left
been taken. The Coroner having arrived
the body was turned over, and II Ghastly cash
was visible, the throat having been cut al
most from ear to ear, aud the jngular vein
completely severed. 1t was a clear case of
suicide and the utmost delilernton was evil
dent. The self murderer had evidently stood
with his face to the door, drawn the razor
across his throat with the utmost power Of
which his muscles were capable, laid the
razor down upon one of the beds near the
pillo staggered around in his own blood.
and finally fallen in the manner above de-
scrihed
The name of the suicide is John W. Trask
We believe he was reared in Vermont altho'
he has relations in Maine He had been
working for Mr. Wilcoxon, Of Sutter county,
until short lime before his death, and was IA
remarkably industrious and temperate young
man. His mind had become somewhat de
pressed, on account of the failure of claim
in which he had an interest at Oro,ille. and
upon which he hld strongly depended, and
he had been in the habit recently of remark
ing that bad luck had always followed him
in California.
1t appears that he was brought up by
widow woman, named Mrs Delnno, his father
and mother having died when he was Young.
y letter from the old woman and her like
hess Supposed 10 he) were found in his car
pet sack. A letter was also found from his
brother Samuel d. Trask, dated at Augusta.
Maine; also n letter from lady, supposed to
he the daughter of the widow Dcann; lie.
sides various letters on business. We did not
get an opportunity Of examining the lettrls
and cannot say VIII It were their cuntents.-
Some of The letters were addressed John w.
Trnsk." and others Wesley J. Trask"
Three dollars in change was found in his
Pantioons' pocket
One eye was fully open, the other par.
tinily 81, nnd an expression of calm drtermi
nation on the cuuntenauce-as though he had
smiled in the commission of the fatal act
The expression of the eye WIS the most
natural We have ever behrld ia death.
The body was removed l,y the Coroner to
the City Hall. there to renlnin until Jury
could be summoned aud an inquest held
From the Appearance ot the blood, it is sup.
posed that he killed himself, about 10 or IL
o'clock On S"ndny night. The servant who
took up his tea to lis room. said that he ap-
prared to he very restless in mind, and paced
the apartment to an | fro with ngitated steps.
lie was found with hi. clothes ali ON and had
probably not gone to bed at all. lie was a
Stout wen NUM- young man, ana uf rather
AN agreeable countennnce Indeed he might
have been called hy come ersnns haudsone
Among his Sc"nty property in the carpet
sack was snail lible, Il couple of copy books
for Penmanship in which lie had practised,
and few dirty clothes. An unfinished let.
ter was also in The list, addressed, we believe,
to tie old lady who had adopted him. The
letter showed quite "A deficiency. on the part
OF the writer, in the advantages Of education.
+. S.-An inquest was held on the body.
in the afternoon, and the jury returned yer
dict that deceased came to his death by his
own hand, in fit of insanity.
THE Great Western Plains mr.. literally,
Il