Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-11
MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.
Suicide ola Well Known Citizen.
Reasons Assigned for the Fatal Step.
Affair.

-Carthy, an old citizen of Knoxville, died from
the effects of vial of laudanum, taken during a
fit of dependency, at moment when frail
human nature-crushed by the cares Of life
yielded to the voice Of the tempter and sunder-
ed the ties that bind mortals to earth.
HIS ANTEcEDESTs
The unfortunate gentleman who committed
the rash act, which left his wife widow and
his children orphans, was well known to this
community, and considered by his friends as
possessing extensive information on most sub
jects, and many years ago was the acknowledge
ed leader of the working men of this city, being
chosen to preside at their meeting and as the ex-
ponent of their particular views. ase't
THE RECLINING OF THE END.
On Friday night, Mr.. Mccarthy retired and
about ten clock was heard by members of his
family in earnest prayer, which was not re-
marked at the time, but, taken in connection
with the letter we give below, shows that
THE ACT WAS PREMEDITATED,
and the last fervent duplication to the throne
of grace was asking pardon for the crime
soon to be committed, which was to send soul
unbdden to the presence ofits God
Nothing was suspected until yesterday morn
ing when one his children went to his room
and found him breathing heavily, and seeing
the fatal vial, gave the alarm
His reasons for the dreadful resolve so deter
terminedly carried out are given in the follow
ing letter, from the date of which it will be seen
that he had long intended carrying his purpose
into execution. We publish it not to crafty
sentiment of newsmongering, but that all who
read may judge as leniently of the dead as pos
sible:
Knoxville April %, 1870
At
NJ Dear Children:
] have taken the idea into my head, or rather
have arrived at the conclusion to end my life,
and risk the consequence in my future condition
with my God. This conclusion and determi-
nation is not arrived ut by me hurriedly and
without prayerfully considering the future. /
leave my case III the hands of n kind father, who
will deal as leniently to us mortals, who are his
children, or of his creation, as we would deal
with our children.
What earthly parent would consgn his child
rem to everlasting torment? My condition in
this world is unsupportable. My health is rap
idly declining to consumption. 8
My matrimonial alliance with your step-moth-
er, as you are well aware, has proved disastrous
to you and me, and on account of her violence
oftemperament, and also, more especially, her
incorporate habits, it is impossible to live with
her, with any degree of satisfaction or peace,
and equally impossible TO get sundered with or
separated from her, except in the way that /
have adopted, which is the last resort. Another
cause is that have, ON account of extreme So
licitude for the comfort and welfare of you both,
placed myself in a condition which deprives me
of any means to operate with in the way of busi-
ness. What small means your schoolings, the
war; and other misfortunes has left me is tied up
in law, so that l am unable to use it, and / can
not work on account of ill-health. So that con-
sdering everything connected with my situation
and condition in life, do not wish TO live any
longer.
When you get this letter will be corpse
my soul in the other world / wish to be buried
along side of your mother
Get Samuel Newman to make me plain cof-
fin, and pay him AS soon ms you can, from the
rent of the house.
/ wish your cousin, John Cr,ize to become
your guardian, and to see me buried. Ny de-
sire is that the suit in the Supreme Court shall
be prosecuted, and the house and lot sold for
your benefit, and you pay everything l owe
honestly
Say to Captain Thomas O Conner, that ] hope
he will remain security in the suit and / enjon
upon you that you do not suffer him, nor any
body else, to lose by either you or me.
| wish you to write to your uncle Michael
Mccarthy, to Norwich Connecticut and tell
him your situation and that you wish him, and
it is my dying request, that he shall send you
the one hundred dollars which loaned to him
years ago, when he was moving from Washing
ton, ID: O., to Norwich, Connecticut, some nine
or ten years ago Say TO him that you need it,
which you do, and to send to you the principal,
if he will not the interest. Attend TO this mat
ter, as you ought to have it. The last time l
heard from him he was in the above place Mr.
Callahan, across the railroad will assist you in
finding him. He knows him and his people-in-
law. He told me but short time ago that he
was living in Norwich, Connecticut and that
he had seen his mother-in-law, Who j. Il Mrs
Seagwson in Washington d. c., where he
(Callahanl was recently on Il visit Mr. c.
knows your uncle, as also does Mrs Dane To-
ley and her husband wish you to state both
together, to the Clerk of the County Court, that
all the money that have received, as guardian
for you both, from the time L became so up 10
the present date, and more besides, i have ex-
pended upon you for boarding clothing and in
ridental eXpenses--so that my securities are en-
trely clear of any embarrassment on that score
OF account.
Mr. Washbrne, my lawyer has in the Sr-
preme Court two cases 10 attend to torme viz !:
one for the sale of the property ON Water street
for your benefit, appealed from Chaneery
which case he undertook TO manage for twenty
FIVE dollars another case in which / am con-
cerned, amounting to thirty-hVc dollars as
trustee between DIR. Brandeau and Nicholas
Eifer, for which there is no fee. | employed
him in another, which was the obtaining of a
divorce from Hanorah Mccarthy but do not
think he will have much trouble with that case
and will not charge much. Pay attention TO
the taxes on the property. There are the coun-
ty and State taxes for 1868 and 1869 unpaid-a
strong argument in favor of selling the property
as soon as possible, to save il from being con-
sumed by taxation; and another argument is
that it is depreciating in value from Gie want Of
necessary repairing such house requires
forgot to include III the above statement the