The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-22
Remarkable Suicides.

pher and the physician. The frequency with
which men of intellect, in all ages, have
presumed to sever the link which bound them
TO this life, is in itself sufficiently remarkable.
And the atmoshere of mystery which commonly
surrounds such cases, the chosen and carefully
prepared secresy of the deed, and the frequent
absence of apparent motive, and the startling
contradiction between the horror Of the act and
the lofty character of those who perpetrate it,
lend piquant though mournful curiosity to all
such Investigations. Clearly, the theory OF
mental alteration will not account for many of
the more conspicuous suicides. Preston King,
in the midst of prosperous career, and success
ful beyond the ambition of most men, in poll
tical and pecuniary sense, may have been i'm.
PEELED to suicide by imaginary terrors, resulting
from a softening of the brain. But who believes
that Cato of Utica, or Brutus, or Condorcet, or
Roland, or Chatterton, or hundreds OF others
who have so calmly stricken tn emselves from
the roll of the living, we're insane?
Charles Nodier, the eminent French essayist, had
conceived, among the numerous other schemes
OF his fertile brain, the project Of writing "a
biography OF illustrlous suicides" The idea was
never fulfilled, and modern Literature has lost
one OF the most absorbing and instructive works
which have been projected. Like the great His
tory OF Human Error OF the amlable and
learned Caxton, immoTtalZed by Sir Bulwer Lyt-
literature of biography has not failed to CON-
memorate the circumstances of every conspicu-
ous suicide, while medical science has addict
several monographs to the subject. p
The mere Statistics of suicide are more start
ling than any romance. In England, as far
back as $780, the number of deaths by suicide
reached one thousand per year, and 1t is now
considerably more than doubled This was in
dependently of those whose bodies were never
brought before the coroner at all, or which were
sheltered from notorlety by verdict of acci-
dental death. In France, according to thinner
mann, the number of suicides in the last CEN
tuary was three times greater than the number of
murders and other homicides. The very accu-
rate census reports OF the French Empire show
an average of iour thousand suicides per year in
that country alone, In the last decade.
Among the noted names OF ancient times, we
tnd several philosophers, orators, and states
men who committed suicide. Demosthenes
drank poison in the temple of Neptune, when
that sanctuary was invaded by his enemies to
save himself from falling into the hands of the
tyrant Antipater. Mithrdates, the proud King
OF Pontus, his rebellious subjects having torn
the crown from his head, and invested his son
with 1.-THE insignia OF empire-wlthdrew him
self into his apartments, distributed poison to
his wives and daughters and swallowed pow
ertul potion himself. This failing, he had
recourse to his sword His two sisters, Roxana
and statira followed his example, as did also his
two wives. Cato, 1.-The noblest Roman OF them
all, closely besieged in Utica by Cesar, gave
parting banquet to his friends and the magistrates
OF the city, then retired to his chamber, where he
read Plato on the immortality of the soul till mid
night, when he ordered a slave to bring HIM his
sword. Closely examining the point, he laid it
at the head of his bed, lay down and slept
soundly TILL dawn. Then, according to Plu-
tarch, "at the hour when the birds began to
sing" Cato aWoke, and seizing his sword
stabbed himself in the breast, and died almost
Immediately. Portia, the wife OF Brutus, killed
herself by swallowing live Goals. Brutus fell
upon his sword soon after the disastrous day OF
Philippi. Antony, the victor of Phihppi,
hur aH hy I'M vic 10
gions OF Octavius, and in despair at the ru-
mored death and treachery OF Cleopatra,
stabbed himself TO the heart, and was carried
dying to the couch of the Egyptian Queen,
where he died IN Cleopatra's arms, asking for
a draugbt OF wine with his last breath. Soon
after, the brilliant Queen herself havingl failed
to captivate Octavius with all her charms, SUBJ
mltted her bosom to the poison of an asp,
threw herself on her couch OF gold and dled
stepped in luxury to the last.
The noble suicide OF the virtuous Lucretia Is
the most pathetic story in the Roman annals.
Seneca, the moralist, commends both Cato and
Lucretia for dying, and so ending their miseries;
and even Eusebius, the historian of the Chris
tian Church, iustifes the Roman lady's suicide
to avoid the embraces of Tarquin. Hannibal
that greatest OF the heroes Of antiquity when
defeated by the greater forces OF the Romans
covered with disaster, fleeing to the asylum of
Eumenes, King of Pergamus, was not suffered
to escape the vengeance OF Rome which sent an
embassy to demand the head of the illustrlous
exile. Hannibal attempted to escape, but find
ing every door guarded, he took an active
poison, which he always carried upon his per-
SOL, and expired, with the lmpershable hatred
OF the Roman name burning in his dying breath
The Emperor Nero, being driven from his pa
lace by the Pr@torians, took refuge in slaves
hut, where he ran himself through with a
sword, upon the approach of a troop of cavalry.
Themistocles, compelled to choose between
sending his powerful aid to the King of Persia,
and thus ruin Greece, and refusing that aid to
one who had loaded him with benefits for the
sake OF an ungrateful country, which had
banished her noblest son, relieved himself from
the painful dilemma by firm and deliberate act
OF suicide. He assembled all his friends, offered
sacrifice to Jupiter and drank a full goblet OF
Dulls blood which coagulated in his veins, and
soon caused his death.
Or the eminent persons of modern times who
have sought death unbdden, we recall the names
OF Castlereagh, Romilly Whltbread Condorcet,
Roland, Give Chatterton, and Hayden. Sir
Samuel Romilly, that purest of philanthropists,
VINO had attained the meridian OF an honorable
career OF intellectual labor, and had lent him
self to lessen the miseries of others, had not
toItitude enough 10 bear his own. The loss of q
beloved vile unhinged his mind, and in an hour
OF respondent melancholy he opened the ugu
lar vein with his razor, and was found by his
servant weltering IN his blood. The same mode
OF suicide was chosen by the eminent British
Minister Lord Castlereagh, man who was In
trusted with the duty of preserving the balance
OF power among the nations of Europe, yet hsd
not equanimity enough TO preserve his spirit
from the madness OF suicide.
Becoming desperately unpopular in England
from his open and bitter championship Of tbs
meanest despotisms, Castlerearh brought moor
his head the Indignation of all the IIiberal
OF Europe and Byron dipped his pen In gall K
denounce him. The Minister was endowed will
one OF those cold and resoluts tempers which
brave unpopularity so long as they continue Il
be favored with the smile of kings. Neverthe
less, he succumbed at last to the fierce on
slaughts which were made upon him from al