Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-05-18
An Unknown Man Puts an
End 90 His Life ON the
Packet City OF Cairo.
He Jumps into the River az
New Madrid, hut IN Res
cued from Drowning.
Is Locked into a. staterooni,
and there Cuts HIS
Throat-COrOner's
- Inquest and
Verdict. r.n

reached the landinR aoout iour ocioch
this morning-was leaving the wharf at
New Madrid, on her way down, an occur
renee took place which created for the
time being the greatest excitement among
the passengers and crew Of the boat. The
following statement, drawn up by those
who we're eye-witnesses to the transact
ton, sets forth fully all the facts:
OK BOARD STEAMER err OF CAmo,l
Sunday. May u, lass. J
We, the undersigned officers and pas
sengers, certify that the following state
ment is true and correct:
This morning, May II, 1868, between
eight and nine o'clock, just as the boat
was leaving the wharfboat at New Mad
rid, Mo-, a man jumped on board. After
the boat had got under way, going on her
voyage to Memphis, the said man delib-
erately pulled off his coat and jumped
overheard. The Captain Immediately
lowered his small boat and rounded the
steamer to, and succeeded in getting him
on board safe. AS soon as he came on
board we brought him up stairs in the
cabin and put him in room No. 7, took
! off his clothes and gave him some slim
ulants. We thereby soon had him on his
feet again, and from his conversation and
actions found that his mind was deranged.
All he could or would say was, that he
was not the man; that he did not do it.
We then concluded TO fasten him in his
stateroom, to keep him from doing any
further harm to himself or anybody else.
After locking him up, one of the passen'
gers remarked that he had knife in his
hand, or something that looked like a
knife. When the Captain found that out
he concluded to have the knife taken from
him, and proceeded to his state room to
take the knife from him, but found that
he had fastened both doors on the inside.
The Captain then got on chair and
looked over the transom, and saw him
lying on the bed, apparently asleep; also
the porter looked over, and said that he
was sleeping now and would soon be bet
ter. About one hour from that time,
one of the passengers, in passing his
room, heard an unusual noise; he stepped
on the chair and looked over the transom
to see what was the matter, and to his
horror and establishment found that he
had cut his throat, and was still cutting
at il and stabbing himself in the breast.
The Captain and DR.. Westbrook, an en-
inent surgeon and physician, were
Immediately called, but it was too late
After the Doctor had taken the knife
I from him, he said his time had come, as
he was dying then, and did expire in
about thirty or forty minutes. The Cap
tain then, in the presence of two or three
witnesses, searched his pockets and
found some papers, among them one let
ter addressed to VIM. Jones, 5l4 Pine
street, st. Louis, Mo-, bunch of keys,
an ivory tablet and twenty-six dollars in
Tennessee money; also summons to
appear before William Andre, Justice Of
the Peace, office No. 9l2 North Fifth
street, st. Louis, Mo.
John G. Crane, master; W. G. Banker,
clerk; Bush Musselman, second clerk /;
| DIT. Durham, mate; Hugh Harkins,
second mate Jas. McMeen, mail agent.
| Passengers-N. J. Hunter, Joseph W.
Spriggs, f. E. Westbrook, M. ID. Will
lis Jones, S. A. Madison, Isaac Rice,
| S. G. Van Dunn, v. b. Derrickson.
On reaching port, this morning, the
officers of the boat forthwith notified the
Coroner of the above facts, and an in
quest was accordingly held on the body
of the unfortunate stranger, verdict
being rendered to the effect that he had
died from cutting his throat with pocket
knife.
| A Mr.. Lea, passenger on the boat
who got on at Fulton, on seeing the
corpse, recognised the deceased as an
individual who, several days before, had
visited that town, with view to settling
up certain real estate transactions, and
who, during his stay of about week in
that town, was constantly under the
influence of liquor, extremely noncom-
municative with strangers, and morose
in his manners. Among the papers
found on his person, after his death, was
the following letter, which would indi-
cate that he had known better days, and
was not without character or business
qualifications:
No. l1lS Loousr ST., ST. Louis,
May 4th. 1868.
Postofice box No. 1894. st. Louis:
The undersigned offers himself as an
applicant for the situation of book
keeper advertised in the Republican.
He has had twenty-five years practical
experience in banking, real estate and
general mercantile bookkeeping and
correspondence, and can produce the
highest testimonials of character and
ability.
Refers to Samuel Virden, Esq, OF
Whitaker, Virden 4 Gray, commission
merchants, Commercial alley, between
Olive and Locust streets; John G. Gains,
Esq, of Skinner, Neale u Co., hardware
merchants, Main street, between Vine
and Washington avenue Messrs. Mckay
& Hood, corner Of Washington avenue
and Second streets; and many others If
necessary. -
This letter may also give the key with
which we may unlock the mystery OF his
misfortunes which drove him to snap the
brittle cord, which perhaps bound him
to life of disappointments and unavail-
ing struggles with a selfish world. Out
of work, out of money, and perhaps
despairing, after long effort to reinstate
himself in a position where he could earn
livelihood for himself, and it may be,
for those also who may have been de.
pendent on him, he may have courted
death as the only alienation Of his
misery.
Nothing, beyond these surmises, of the