Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-18
Washing 7nqusst.
LOOKING AFTER - ~ So ssoo,.s ~ s.aa. nas.

suicide that we hav
LOOA1SN Ar TER 3lsce on Second stree
WASHINGTON, JuE The victim was Jacol
tions into the deisy did business on Shel
90 of fbo poefof3 Green Tree House, bu
velop the fact that 1iS us I',ss 10.
ney'S predecessOre that he was wanted a
Ceeded against feet. He went there abort
to the amount old saw the dead man lyinG
men reouired TIM back Of the store. Mr.
which they are,l the basement of one o
is not in Gust stores sfg bt 54 common, wniet I
molested SIN ess, had to be converted init
than two yeases.
TNTFACTs AND THINGS,
Tbe g,on, .ner summoned jury at once
--N;i1 lded to investigate the circum.
ellue q VII ~ losely. In the first place two
JiOhs 10 CtEere sworn. who said that
OF q law opinion, the deceased had
paid on some Opiste, but what sort
making none could tell without 8
to raIi a3OTtenl examination The doctors
-, E,,,4 not perform that little ceremony
~ - o'tle beggsrly fee of five dollars, which
- PaCounty allowed. Therefore, 1t re-
Sallo1s mystery what Jacob Spears died
gauCIt Is just possible that he did not
etc. 4mit suicide at all. Then there were
busier witnesses introduced whose COM
sinled testimony made up a narrative of
p nis sort.
W Mr.. Jacob Spears did business here be-
fore the war. He was known to q great
number Of citizens. He served two months
4 in the Confederate army. He had cloth
1 ing store on Shelby street, at the place
4 above mentioned, which he gave up some
/ months ago, since which time he did
| nothing but speculate" This speculs-
ton consisted principally in gambling, an
| amusement that was carried on cautiously
! at first but gradually deepened into a
| passion. 1t appears that during the eally
! part of the week he lost $4,000 in one night,
| and was left, in the language Of the SEN
| sational reporters, a beggsr, He had a
| wife and child, a few articles of fur
n1ture, but nothing more. He con-
suited with his wife about Whist to do.
| De proposed to run away TO New York and
leave her to be taken care of by her rela-
/ tives, who are rich. She opposed that
and he appeared to give up the Idea. Few
people knew that he was "dead broke.D
and he was sensible enough not to 90
round telling the painful tale of his own
b9ggary. On the contrary, he went among
his acquaintsnces and borrowed money
enough to make a regular renewal on two
life policies for $500 each-one in favor of
his wife, and one In favor of his child
which ne held in the New York Life Iusur-
snce Company. This company pays its pol
icies upon suicidal deaths, as well as 9th
ers. Jacob took the last ten dollar bill in
the house to complete the payments on
the renewal OF those policies on Thurs-
day. He was then penniless, and the
only way left him, he thought. was
to die and, thereby, secure to his fam
lily the benefits of his policies, It apDears
he had come to this conclusion, for a let
ter was found after his death, written In
German or Hebrew that told all about his
troubles and plans. 1t was dated. at Sci
bert's saloon, on Adams street and went on
IN business-like way to tell of all the |
people that owed him money. The sum
due him amounts to about $780, BE took |
considerable pride in stating that he owed |
nothing himself. The letter then went /
on to say that he was broke; had no /
money; nothing to live for, and that he /
had decided TO die in order that his fami-i
ly might get living. Curious expression.
thatl He did not intimate what metbed |
he had adopted to effect the end in view |
While going home the previous night |
with friend, he stopped short suddenly /
and said he was low spirited, and thought |
be would go to Blocks and get cheerfullv
tight. He then parted from his friend |
and went away in another direction, At !
the inquest his, wife did not say that he
was inebriated. During the night he got |
out OF bed in the back room, SAYING that
he would go out TO the store and stretch !
himself on the mattress and sleep there.
ne went oack 70 bed after day light. His /
wife got up an hour stterWsrd and left
him sleeping. She subsequently became
alarmed at the heavy breathing she heard,
and when she went to rouse him up she
could not. The doctor was sent for. but
before he came, which was about O'Clock.
Spears was dead man.
These are the facts that were elected
during the progress of the inquest. The
u-y brought in a verdict to the effect that
be had committed suicide by taking some
opiate. His friends will bury him to-day.