Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-04-26
Local Matters.
.IoARsOH
sad Affair.

sad AIalr.
One Of the ssdesi circumstaBcess hap.
lpeBed last Thursday morning, which sasl
a deep glOOm ever the entire community
Alexander Riddle, Ed. while under q
spell: Of temporary insanity. committed
suicide BY drowning, at about 5 O'Clock
AN. Some Ofhis friends say be had
appeared melancholy, and strange some
days previous, bat as be was supposed 10
BE- the last man in the world TO commit au
act Of that kind, It passed unbOticed at
the time. Mr.. Riddle gave j, out as hi,
intention to 70 to MOrrisyille BY stage that
morning, and bad instructed the driver TO
call at his stsre for him. When the stage
left he was called, but said he had changed
his mind and had concluded not TO 60. THIS
was about 8 O'Clock A. NJ. 1t appears
that he then commenced his preparations
for self destruction. Books aud papers
were removed fiOm his pockets, and the
note which appears below written. This
was found in the key-hOle of ID. G. Holmes
drugstore. The following is copy Of
the note -
April l9th. 1 O'Clock, A. NJ.
Ny Good Friend Holmes:
You ,ciH find my remdias IN TIE Branch
rbOre your house. Ihope aud pay that
my God ,riL torgirs me for this rash set,
Bat 1 oaano' help it. Ihsre no desire 10
lire longer. Th, ttco that should hare
been one, aad the father from hrs children
are WO'e separated. May God help aud
protect those children. Ny boys, Be Kind
Iritk Clare. Deal gently srith her.
FareiceR.
RIDDLE.
Hope God 'rR torgire me and that
you all irin, for I DO beliers that leare
kre 'c'th Kind feelings TO erery person on
earth. II.
The note is dated April 18th, but should
have been the Goth, as il was without
doubt written that morning.
Mr.. Holmes found the note at about 6
O'Clock A. NJ. and went to Mr.. Riddles
residence and ascertained tina, he had not
staid at home that night, and on going to
the place designated in the note. found
his overcoat aud hat on the bank, and his
body in the water near the shore at
depth Of seven and a-half feet. His hands
were clutched around a willow rect that
projected into the water near the bottom.
On being taken out, rope was found
wound around his body three or four times
and as many round his left leg-for what
purpose no one can tell but it is supposed
that some weights had been attached, to
keep his body from floating off into the .
river, though none have as yet been found. 4
The precise hour at which he made the 1
fatal plunge, Of course is not known, out .
it is thought was not before 8 O'Clock, and
many think not before half an hour later
from the fact that his oyercoat and hat
we're quite dry, aud if they had been
placed on the bank before Eve o'clock they .
would have been soaking wet from a smart
shower that fell at about that time. There
are different opinions in regard to
the time Of the shower, yet the
majority of those who heard it. say Eve
o'clock.
Mr.. Riddle was hfty-four years old and
a native Of Burlington. He served hi.
apprenticeship to the tin business in the
shop of P. I. Sweet, Esq. Soon after he
came to johnson, and established himself
in his business, in 1874. He married in
to the family Of Mr.. Allen, so long. and
50 fsvarably known to the travelling pub
lie. as the keeper Of the ALLEN House
He had FIVE children, of whom three sur
vive him. His business vas never luera-
tive. though, BY industry and attention to
it, j, afforded him that competence need
ful to the respectable maintenance Of
family.
BY nature sensitive. he had keen rel
ISL for life, aud society. He enjoyed his
friends, and he always had many. He
was person Of quick discernmen,, and
clear sighted. Perhaps bat few men pcs
sesSed in more eminent degree the quail
tiles at \ Dsiatfrs. l, nay. therefore,
Be believed tina. il anything affecting the
welfare Of the publ: required vigilans at
tentioo. Mr.. Riddle was the main nan for
the work.
He was long an active politician, and
always decided for liberty and justice. Ii
need not, therefore. be added that he was
attacked to the Free Soil party in their
dxy, and TO that of the Republican, aS