The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-07-20
FrOyilent Suicides.


Proyldent Suicides.
The plan Of raising the wind by stop
ping ones own has ceased to be merely
ghastly joke. A desperate gamester is
said 10 have sold his head to an anato-
mist for money enough to play final
stake, and, after losing, was Judged by
jury of honor among his friends to have
committed a gross violation of all the
c0ng0ldncCS by blowing hole through a
piece of property TO which he had no
longer any claim. The suicides of the
present day exhibit equal deliberation
and an equally confused perception of
legal and moral obligation. Several
men of late have taken the last relics of
their scanty fortunes and effected an in
surance upon their lives, and then have
killed themselves for the benefit of their
families. In all cases so far the courts
have held the companies liable for the
amount of the insurance, regarding sui
eide as an incident of insanity, and one
among the incidents against which this
provident measure is designed to guard.
If, however, these affairs exhibit tend
ency to reproduce themselves too fire.
quently, it may we'll be seriously consid-
cred whether some legislation is not nee
essary to restrict the responsibility of
the companies, so that an institution SO
useful and SO beneficial shall not become
an encouragement to self-slaughter.
One of the most singular cases OF this
kind has recently occurred in Memphis.
A Hebrew named Spears, small shop
keeper, who had, by the close and saga
cious application for which his race is
remarkable, accumulated a little prop
erty worth some $4,000, i'll ali unfortu-
nate hour was induced to gamble for
small amount, which he lost. Not be-
ing able to endure the thought of losing
money without an equivalent, he went
on for some months with the fatal idea
that luck would turn, and of course lost
all he was worth. He took the precau-
ton to insure his life for $1,000 for the
benefit Of his wife, and then went
through to the end of his means. On
the last day of his life he asked his wife
for some money. After demonstrating
with him for his course Of life she gave
him five dollars, with which he trudged
away to the den where his happiness
had been squandered, and played for
some time with unusual success but at
last the coil was frightened upon him
and he was penniless On his way home
at night he stopped at tavern and
wrote q heart-brol1en letter to his wife,
in which the sordid little cares of bust
ness are curiously mingled with bursts
Of passionate grief. He sends tender
farewell to his "good and true wife,"
and his brave "boy Bennie," and takes
care to say that he "owes Mr.. Baldwin
five dollars" against which he offsets ga
showcase some bed-linen, and the large
dolls" "Now see," he cries, "what a
loving and good wife is. was tho viii
lain; can 1 answer before God? But,
dear wife, it is better for you." Here he
reverts to the monetary standard of val
uation. eff L die, then you receive
$4,000; but should I have lived, our
whole capital would have been but
$500" This is an alternative in the face
of which there is no possibility of hesi-
tation. Although his heart is bleeding
at the separation, it would not be posi-
bic to resist such bargain. "Zum lete-
ten, Male, leJt rohJ! lett soohl! I have
paid the rent up to the 14th Of july"
With this strange letter IN his pocket he
went home, and in the morning was SO
unusually gay as to excite the surprise
of his family. He had swallowed poi
son, and was as excited Us child at the
prospect Of his journey; he died appa-
rentiy without regret.
There is widespread confusion of
moral perception in regard to such per-
formances, which is not only the predis-
posing cause to most of these suicides,
but also influences the general feeling of
sympathy for the survivors as against
the defrauded corporations. 1t goes be-
yond that natural and whimsical fancy
of the boatman who thought himself
drowning, and whose last reflection as
he went under was that it was q good
joke on the insurance companies. IL
tends to place the insurer and the in
sured ON the footing of hostility, instead
of cooperation, where they really stand
An Arkansas gentleman tersely express
ed this distorted view of the case when,
declining the overtures OF an agent, he
said he chad played about every game
there was on the cards, but wouldn't go
into n thing where he had got to die to
win" There is no other idea in the
wretched mind of poor Spears, as he
prepares to perfect his title to that five
thousand dollars, which he considers his
own. His death is only necessary for
mula to enable him to draw the money.
The disregard for life which, i'll ORR
entail countries, finds its highest express
sionEn duels, by hari-kari and i'll vicari-
Gus executions, has long been regarded
as marking the most radical point Of
difference between the Eastern and the
Western mind But if we are to go on
in the way which has been indicated in
the last twelvemonth-young metaphy-
sicians taking poison for purposes of dis
covery, lovers who fear separation kill
ing themselves with no settled arrange
ments for housekeeping anywhere else,
and steady fathers of families commit
ting suicide in the interest of their bank
account-how long will it be that we
can look with wonder or distrust upon
our antipodes, where, as a recent travel
Ter requests us to believe, the height of
practical jesting consists i'll suicide on
a neighbor's property, so rs to give him
the amusement OF Il trial for murder p
Tribune.