The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1860-11-29
prom the Frankfort Qnd.) Crescent,
Suicide Of James II. Suit Esq,


zion Of theear He breathed about fifteen
minutes after the fatal discharge. but was
entirely unconscious. 1t seems that be
had many yeaIs ago determined on taking
his own life, # Providence did not relieve
him Of the necessity, and tie period final
lyarrivsd beyond which bis great ankle.
y to die would not permit him to pass
A cooler or apparently more unprovoked
act Of sslf-destructIon has never been
chronicled. What his private reasons
for such an act may have been, Of course
none Of us; except bis most intimate re.
lations, can know; but certain it, is life
had become an intolerable burden: and
with more Goodness and courage than
many thought him capable of, did Ihs &C.
complish his death.
To some Of the members Of bis faily he
had more than once given indications of
his determination to die, aud to them the
suicide Was not wholly unexpected, al.
though severely painful To bis assoei.
atea be had occasionally expressed him
self dissatisfied with his lot, and anxious
to die. but in way never 10 excite suspi.
Cion that he intended to hasten death by
any act Of his own. After The last Stats
election, ih short speech delivered on
the Hay Scales, 10 this place, on the oc-
easlon Of a Republican jollifcation, be
made the following remark, in substance:
"HO who lives 10 see the 4th of next March
will live to hear Of the inauguration Of
Abraham Lincoln as the nsxt Prssiden,
OF the United States; but as for me, l
shall not live to hear of IT," He had
also in other public addresses made allu
sion 10 the expected shortness of his earth
ly career; but none Of these remarks we're
ever received as more than indicating that
he fully realized the uncertainty Of life.
and that his general health did not prom.
ise ripe future. Facts show however
that he was deeply in earnest, aud thai
for many weeks previous to his death he
had provided himself with the falsl wss.
pou. Nothing, however, was disuovera
bic from his daily intercourse and bust.
ness transactions.
lie attended 70 professional business
up 10 .he hour of his death, as though
nothing Of the kind was in coutempia.
tion. although during the day Of the 10th
he was quiet busily engaged 10 his Office
wiring. what proved TO be. letters to
ttituds Informing them Of bis de,etm;ls-
.iou 10 die, etc. We are also informed
that he took neither dinner nor supper q
home on that day, and was seen iu his Of
Zoe writing for some time after dark. wi lob
was very unusual. After taking q dish
OF oysters aud smoking cigar Al saloon
being ready for the terrible soi. be repair
ed 10 his dwelling; entered: handed his
wife note addressed TO his son Jo; de-
posted his portmonis and knife in the
pocket Of his second SOC, took of his over.
coat: walked deliberately on, Of the back
door and into the back yard; laid himself
on his back upon little raised sward;
placed The pistol TO his head; discharged
it, bringing both hands across his breast
the right still grasping the pistol, and
IN the left clip Of paper on which Ws'
wntten in bold hand: BURY me AZ
you 6ud me. without change Of clothing.
His wife, hearing the report Of the pis.
lol, rushed to an upper room and aroused
the eldest son. 10. y. Suit. who had re-
tired for the evening. to whom Sue hand.
ed the note scarcely a minute before left
with her stating ct The same time, under
grsst excitement, that she expected biz
father had killed himself. The son, OIL
hastily opening the letter and ghncine
over its contents. was instantly satisfied
that suicide had been at least attempted
and without stopping to make search, rar
toprocure aphysician and other assistauc'
which were soon on the ground. Aftel
breathing had entirely subsidized the corpse
was removed indoors and kept until th'
Thursday morning following at ten o'clocl
when a large cOncourss of people Assem-
bled, listened to singing and prayer, ,passe'
the trying ordeal of looking upon tn
familiar face Of long cherished friend ant
neighbor for the last time. amid the erie
and shiisks which solid grief was wring
ing from laffec,ionats hearts bereaved, ,ant
then followed it to the grave, the a.tor
neys Of the place acting rs pall-bearers.
The following is 0srbatim copy Of {
letter addressed by the deceased to the cd
ito's of thi, paper, and which was one O
q number found by the Postmaster of thi
place. in bis letter box, shortly after tn
suicide had been committed. As i. wa
designed for publication, and is the Onl
explanatory statement Of the causes wbicI
led 10 the affair that the deceased desire
should 60 to the public. we give it freely
FsANHFoRr, Nov. l8, 1860.
GENrs:-For years. for reasons bette
known to myself than the public, / hay
wished 10 die; and have been, patiently a
could. waiting and hoping for an escap
from life wholly undesirable BY Provi
deutial means. This has been denie
: until 1 can forbesr no longer doing an az
! tha. humanity shudders at. Ny lot ha
!. been hard ono. For the sake Of N
) children l ask the charity Of the publ
for this act. l do this from no sudde
impulse, from no temporary derangener
but from settled purpose determined o
! years ago, unless relieved by kind Prov
J idence. You are at liberty 10 publiS
this.
4 Yours truly, JAMES F. SUIT.
Messrs. McCLUo & NEWTON,
n Editors, Frankfort. Ind,
!. EyA Few nights ago, Mr.. Jones, VII
r had been out taking bis glass, on goiG
+. home late borrowed an umbrella; an
:. vhen HIS wifa's tongue was looseued.