The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-05
SUDDEN DEATH END SUICIDE!
A Young Man Fatally Shoots Himself
Beside the Corpse OF his Brother!
Bis Dyipg Request Bury Us
Together.

Two brothers, natives of ireland,
plasterers by trade-though OCCASION
ally working at other occupations
and named respectively John E. and
Michael Smith, the former thirty, and
the latter tWenty-six years of age,
took board at the Early House, on
Main Street, about ten days ago.
They were quiet, gentlemenly men. OF
good habits, and made themselves
agreeable to all with whom they came
ia contact. The elder brother, John
f., had been in this country for eight
or nine years, and had paid a visit to
his old home a few months ago, bring
ing Michael with him on his return
to America. They had passed some
considerable time together at work on
the Union Pacific Railroad, and came
here, not long since, to get work at
| their trade, in which effort, however,
they did not succeed.
On Monday evening, John 4. COM
planned of a pain In his head, and
| later-after he had retired to bed
/ the pain increased so that a physi-
| cian-DT. Young was called, who
found him suffering from congestion
OF the brain Of so severe type that,
| though every effort was made to ar
rest the disease. he died at o'clock
yesterday morning.
Michael appeared greatly affected
by the sudden, unexpected death OF
his brother, and declared, in great
mental agony, that he could not live
now that "Jack was dead. The
landlady and others talked with him
freely, and did all in their power to
induce him to take more rational
view of the sad but inevitable event.
But the unfortunate man refused con-
ISOLATION, and gave his mind up to dis
pair. He went out and walked up
and down the street, going to the river
once or twice, but was carefully OBJ
served by those who, knowing his
state of mind, feared he might at
tempt self destruction by drowning.
Soon after eight o'clock he returned
to the house, and passed up to the
room-No. 4, at the right of the front
stairs-Where the corpse Of his broth
er was lying. The people in
the house hoped that he had become
calmer and would soon become recon
ciled to his bereavement, but this
hope was speedily dispelled. The
report of a pistol rang through the
building. Members of the landlord s
family rushed to room No. 4, and
there beheld Michael Smith lying, In
awful agony, beside the dead body OF
, his brother. He had discharged a
Derringer pistol into his own body
intending that the ball should pass
through his heart-as he afterwards
said = and produce instantaneous
death. But his aim had been imper-
feet, the heart was missed, the ball
entered just below the front side Of
the left breast, and passing backwards
with a slight downward inclination.
Medical aid was Immediately called
and all that kindness, skill, and sci
ence could do was done to alleviate
his sufferings. At the present writ
ing, (ten o'clock PM the unfOrtu-
, nate man is still living, but entirely
unconscious, and sinking fast. There
is no probability that he will live
until morning.
He expressed deep regret that his
life had not ended with the report Of
the pistol, and showed no desire to
live. His brother and best friend, he
said, was gone, and he must 60, too
On piece of q blank leaf, torn from
note book, upon his person, were
found these words, very legibly writ
ten, IN his own handwriting, " Burg
as together" What pen could add tc
the pathos of such a story as this?
The body of John +. was taken ia
the cemetery and deposited, Temporal
rily in the dead house.