The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-10
A Few Thoughts on Committing Sui.

behalf NJ those who commit murder, may
certainly hc granted 10 linn who kills
himself The dCsirAbility Of life under
even the most distressing circumstances
suCh for instance, ~ tOOthachc, II stupid
evening party, amateur music, or Il visit
from poor relation inclined to borrow
moncy-is so generally acknowledged
that he who pArls with the precious boon
may be fairly set down rs insane. Yet
every day the newspapers report in.
stances Of individuals rCCklcssly taking
their own lives. IN some cases, as n0ta.
by in that Of the recent sClf.murlcr Of n
bank clerk into whose brain bOny spikes
were protruding from the skull, the dc.
sire to escape from insupp0rtahlr physical
suffering greatly pallintCs the crime.
Quite NJ melancholy nrC the frequent in.
stances Of suicide induced by hack I'll
means. Too often the police reports ten
Of dead men found in cold garrcls, with u
bottle ii poison Ur IN empty pistol by
their side, Wnd II pOorly.sCrawlc,l note IN
the table, stating in u lew imperfect words
that the unhappy writer was without
friends or work, and in despair had de-.
tCrmnCl To Kill himself.
One Of the strangcSt Of suicides was that
committed in this city u few months ago
by II youth who left nS hi1 only reason Tor
the act, II statement that he wls DESTROYS
ol learning what was "bcyOnd the vcil'-
that is, the conditions Of the future life
and could wHitnO longer. Ills disease
for mental disease ii was-prOvCd in.
fictitious, and in II few weeks his most
intimate friend, u young man somewhat
older than himself, followed his mclan.
choly example.
A very singular case OF II suicide took
place in this city only two or three days
ago. A confidential clerk, occupying his
employers house uptown during the ali.
senCC Of the latter, shut himself up in the
bathroom, laydOwn, partially undrcsscd,
in the bathtub, turned ON the water and
then shot himself. The servants in the
house, alarmed nj his continued stay in
the bathroom, called the police, who broke
open the door, only To lind the unl0rtu.
nate man quite dead No reason was
given for the fatal act, as the suicide was
in the enjoyment Of good health and in
comfortable circumstances. II is posi-.
bic that IN intending suicide may be in u
daHcd state Of mind, like sane man is
when he sleeps, "pcrChancC TO dream"
and his movements may be influenced by
the actions Of others, just rs the dream is
influenced by the waking thoughts. Thus,
the suicide above referred to may have
been reading Of the murder by Charlotte
COrday Of Murat in his bath, and, halfun.
consciously, may have felt himself impcll.
cd 10 n similar choice Of location for his
bloody deed.
The pistol is nowadays the fvOritc
instrument Of the suicide, though the rope
has its frequent adhcrcntS. The dagger,
so much in vogue in medieval times, and
still performing its work ON the stage, is
seldom used by the modern suicide and,
in this country sulloCatIon by the fumes Of
charcoal Is now quite unknown. The
rivcr-thc dark, rolling river-has ever
been looked upon rs a resort tor the mad.
dcncd wretch driven to the desperate
purpose OF ending his life. Hood gives
the most graphic picture Oft this which cX.
lists in literature, in his wcll.known
Bridge ofSighs," where, in few bold
lines, he describes the fatal scene:
The bleak wind Of March
Made her trcmbC aud shivrr,
But not the dark arch
Nor the dcrp'rOling river.
Out OF LIES history
Into deaths mystery,
Glad TO be hurled,
Anywhere anywhere
ont OF the world.
In she plunged boldly
No matter how cOldly
The dark river ran.
over the brink OF it
Pause by II, think Of II,
Dir>DllIl. man.
Lave In 1t, drink OF ii,
Then, II you can.
But the suicidal mania has another and
what may he called II negative phase.
Suicide is Il fearful and distressing Thing
but did il ever occur 10 the readers mind
how distressing is the fact that many men
who should commit the NCt-which Il
French law nbsurdly makes Il penal crime
decline 10 do 50? 1t is easy 10 mention
dozens Of individuals who could largely
benefit the world by taking themselves
ont Of ii. The street corner rullian, who
swcnrs and spitS and smokes and insults
passing ladies'; the providing burglar. who,
in the dead Of night, murders our sleep il
not ourselves, and makes oil with our
portable property; the drunken friend
who, against all advice, persists in his dc.
bauChcry and makes himself nuisance
to everybody who knows him; the anna.
tcur poet, who necessarily conveys his
10 wGariCd editors; the dinner
table funny man, whose budget OF stale
jokes is ruthlCssly opened ut every meal :;
the shiItlcSs poor relation who cannot get
on hy himself, and il always more or less
generally m0rc-,lcpcndCnt on his hard
WORKING connections; the wrCtChCd spec.
linen OF humanity who goes around Dor.
rowing small sums of money which he
hcgIcclS To repay the professional
speech maker, who has II drcary
hobby on which he dlntcs either
in legislative halls, ut political
meetings or in private circles; the shrcw.
ish wife who suggested To the anCicn,
writer the brilliant idea that "it is better
To dwell in the corner al Il hOusclOp than
with Il hrawling woman in wide house"
the drinking husband, who would rather
Ill his own mouth with whisky than his
chiIdrcn's mouths with bread; the pert,
lmnrudcnt, cigar smoking boy Of the Nc.
rod, who knows everything he ought not
10 and nothing that he ought; the praiing
professional politician, the inscriptions
Spectator, the nan who filings vitriu. on
ladies dresses and the men who leave
their families 10 RIM AWAY with n,hnr