Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-01
THE NEW PHILOSOPHY OF SUICIDES.
The Vast Financial Results Bhteh may
be Made 80 Attend a WelI-ConsfdeFed
FeHO De Sc.


The Vast FInaReiaI Results which may
be Made so Attend a WelI-COnsfdeFed
FeIO Ne Sc.
Some of the Tribune philosophers have
been struck Dy the beauty Of q recent
Second street suicide, and proceed there
fore TO develop an article thereon:
The nisn OF raising the wind by stop
ping cns's own has ceased to be merely q
chastity Joke. Several men of late have
taken tho last relics Of their seanty for
tunes and effected An insurance upon Their
lives, and then have killed Themselves foz
the benefit of their families. In all cases,
so far, the courts have held the companies
liable for the amount of the insurance,
regarding suicide az an incident OF insan-
ity, and one among the accidents against
which this proviGent measure IL designed
to guard.
One Of the most singular cases Of this
kind has recently occurred in Memphis.
A Hebrew named Spears, a small shop
keeper, who had, by the sagacious
sppIicatIou fOr which his race Is re-
markable, accumulated q little property,
worth some 5000, in an unfortunate hour
was induced 20 gamble for q small amount,
which he lost. Not being able to indure
the thought of losing money, without an
equivalent. ne went on for some months
with the fatal idea that luck would turn,
and of course lost all be was worth. He
took the ~precaution to insure his life for
5000 for the benefit OF his wife, and then
went through to the u OF bis means.
There is a widespread confusion OF NOR
al perception in regard 10 such perform
anoes. which is not only the Dr~edisposing
cause to most Of these suicides, but also
influences the general feeling ofsympsthy
for the survivors az against the dsfrsuded
corporations. It goes beyond that nat
ural and whimsical fancy of b boatmRn
who thought himself drowning, and
whose last reflection as he went under
was tina it was q good joke on the insur-
apcs companies. 1t tends to place the
insurer and insured on b footing of hos
tility, instead of cooperation, where they
really stand. An Arkansas gentleman
tersely expressed this distorted view of
the case when, declining the Overtures OF
an scent. he said he had played about
every game there was on the cards, but
wouldn't go into a thing where he had got
to die to VIM There is no other idea in
the wretched mind of poor Spears, as he
prepares to perfect his title 20 the i've
Thousand dollars, which he considers his
own. His death is only a necessary for
muIs to enable him to draw he money.
The disregard for life which, in Oriental
countries, finds its highest expression IN
duels BY hari-ksri and in vicarious execu-
tons, has long been regarded as marking
the most radical point of difference be-
tween the Eastern and the Western mind
But if we are TO go on in the way which
has been indicated in the last twelve
month young metsphysicians taking
poison for purposes of discovery, lovers
who fear separation killing themselves
with no settled arrangements for house
keeping anywhere else, and steady fathers
of families committing suicide in the In
forests of their bank secOunb-how long
will il be that we can look with wonder or
disgust upon our ~antipodes, where, as 8
recent traveller requests US to believe, the
hight of a practical jesting consists in q
suicide on q neighbours property, so as to
give him the amusement OF a trial for
murder9