Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-15
WEARY OF LIFE.
Agony, RemOrse, Starvation and
Death The Gaming Table and Sui

Death The Gaming Table and Sui
eide. N% 81 49, 49,
From the Memphis Avalanche. Dee IL.
A room liz Cochran block was the
scene of tragedy Thursday night with
circumstances of a peculiarly distressing
character. They told of young life
taken by its owner through despair,
whose recital would almost melt heart
Of stone. We have seldom been re-
CURED to record an event fraught with
more melancholy.
About half past ten o'clock Thursday
night Mr. Loeb, who has charge of the
Memphis Club rooms, in Cochran block,
entered an apartment occupied by a young
Israelite from st. Louis, named Fred
erick kornick. Upon opening the door
he was startled at the sight Of the deed
body of the young man, which, already
rigid, was lying near the side of the bed.
Kornick's head was in small pool Of
blood, which had oozed from small hole
in the right temple. A Smith & Wesson
repeater, with one chamber empty, was
lying scarcely beyond the reach of the
clenched hand-a mute but truthful witt
ness OF the tragedy.
On table in the room was a sheet of
paper, on which, partly with ink and
partly with pencil, young Kornick had
written letter to his father. 1t bore
date Of the 7th, though it was evidently
not finished until the afternoon of the
tragedy. But rather than a letter it is a
broken heart, stretched bare upon can
vas. 1t is misery, agony, want, despair,
frenzy, without ray Of hope save in
death. A more touching story than is
contained in its lines, blotted and blurred
as they were with tears, could scarcely
be told:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, December 7, 1861
DEAREST FATHER at last set me down
to write to you. How to begin l scarce
ly know, for l am certain the contents of
this letter will give you much pain.
Dearest of fathers-for you have been
the best Of father to me, more so than
to any of the rest of my dear brothers
and sisters, for l have tried your patience
more than all Of them put together, and
still you bore with me-if you knew
now many bitter, bitter tears ii cost
me, you would really forgive me. Dear
est father, pen these lines with a very
heavy heart, for l am discouraged and
disguised with life. have nothing to
live for; there is nothing left for me, if l
liUe, but TO stealor beg. Yes, father, it
has come to this. / have tried every
thing to obtain employment, but have
failed, with the exception of Hirsch &
Bro. and Lew Wexler. Through your
last letter l see that you are aware ofthe
reason why was discharged from both
places; it was for gambling. Although
both parties. deny that it was the reason
why they discharged me, | really believe
that it was that and nothing else. Dear
father, many and many time did
wish that l never was born, or that
was dead, and it would have saved US
all great deal Of pain and trouble if
had died when yet child; but no use
crying over what might have been. Dear
father, will now let you know how it
happened that / was found in gambling
house. Mr.. Wolfort proposed to me to
play him game of billiards, and, know
ing that ] could beat him, accepted. So
we went out to find billiard saloon, and
we found place where it stood-Eldo~
RADIO billiard saloon. So we went up to
play, and instead of finding billiards, it
was q keno room, and as we were up
there we would watch the game, when
Wolfort said to me, "Let's play one card
together" As it was only fifty cents
card, l said "all right" and we won over
twenty dollars. Dear father, may the Al
mighty God never forgive me if l tell a
lie when say that never have played
in all my life in gambling house before.
/ swear it! Dear father. | have tried
everything to get something to do, and
have failed. Been nearly two weeks
without cent of money, and Loeb has
told me to get another room; as much as
to say that should leave the house; and
he has done more, which | have not the
patience to write. l wanted to leave
town, and have tried to borrow five dol
lars, and have been fatty refused. |
have even been refused money to get
shaved with. l have grown desperate
grown desperate. l swore never to come
home again, unless l come with money.
Dear father, forgive me. Death is all
that is left me now. cannot write. Ny
dearest mother! may God bless her, and
give her long life. l cannot write any
more. My head aches. can hardly see.
Ny dying love to all. May God bless
you all. Let my brothers take warning
from me. Your loving son, FRED.
P. S.-God bless you all, and may he
forgive me- I shall pray for you all.
Farewell, forever.
On another piece Of paper was written,
evidently for the Coroner or any Of his
friends
Break the news gently to my parents.
Yours, resp, FRED. koRNICK."
The action was the result of deliberate
purpose, not the sequence of momentary
frenzy. While, with tho calmness of
despair, contemplating taking his life, his
love for his brothers caused him to pre-
sent them his own sad experience as a
warning.
It is said that Kornick's father is a
clothing merchant of st. Louis. The
deceased had been here several weeks.
Coroner Samelson yesterday held an in
quest on the remains of the unfortunate
young man, and verdict of death by
his own hand" was returned. The body
has been taken in charge by Kornick's
fripndq