Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-16
LOVE AND STRYCHNINR.
A WOuld-be Suicide Who Tried Them
Both.
He Puts Cold Poison Under His Belt,
Bat the King Of TerrOrs Fails 10 Come
to Time.
mhis cody 4thB

A little before : o'clock yesterday even
ing a well dressed young man approached
officer Fletcher on the corner of Cherry and
UtiiOii streets. and inquired If he arrested
people Who committed murder. On re-
ceiYing an affirmative answer he respond
ed: "Well, l guess you had better arrest
me, for have killed myself"
As he made this remark he showed Off
Ger Fletcher a small bottle upon which was
labelled "Stryehnine, poison" Before the
officer 6o,tld pre~ent him he placed some Of
the contents Of the vial In th6 palm Of his
hand and, then quickly raising his hand to
his mouth, swallowed the drug.
The officer now took the bottle out Of his
hards, and beam 70 interTOgate him. The
young man pointed to a drug store on u g
corner, and said that he had gone in there
and bought SguaTter's worth of strychnine
with which to kill himself. Officer Fletcher
went over to the drug store with the vial,
and asked il it contained strychnine, and
wac informed by the clerk that it did.
Coming back to where the tfOuid-be sui
eide was standing on the corner of the
street; he told him lie thought his time was
about tip, and thdt lie would lie a dead man
in a very little while.
At this junctur5 UNION AND AMEBI-
CAN reporter happened TO pass by ana the
officer informed him Of what had occurred.
The reporter remarked that he thought a
man had a right to kill himself If he de-
sired TO do so. Il was free cOuntry. With
this, officer Fletcher handed the vial back
TO the voting iHanj Who Il once piIt SOME
Of the contents into his hand and raised t
TO mis- mouth 10 swallow, when the reporter
ahawuaI hfa tho af1-l,fs
Of a free citizen, and seized hold Of the fell
lows arm TO prevent him from carrying
out the dire purpose. ie gave il a violent
jerk, and caused quite a quantity Of the
drtig to be spilled on tire ground, but the
young man managei 10 get something like
4 half teSspOOniul dOWti his throat.
The reporter now seeing the man vas
determined TO Kill himself, asked what
could lead him 10 commit such rash act.
'Simply because am tired Of life, aud
want 10 die was the quiet response as he
asked for the vial, which Officer Fletcher
had again taken away from him.
He was now questioned as 10 his name,
residenCe, etc, but refltsed TO give the
least information concerning himself. IL
had now been nearly shalt an
hour since he took the first dose, but still
It had no effect on him. He expressed
great fear that the clerk had deceived him
and gave him something else when he
called for stTychnine. At the thought of
this he became very angry and wanted to
have the clerk arrested for imposing upon
him. He said he was bound 10 die, and
begged officer Fletcher 10 blow his brains
out. When officer Fletcher declined to ac-
cOmmOdaie the young man. he said, CAL
right, the siTyChnine will soon put an end
to me-
The vial was taken in two different
drug stores and at each place, the preScrip-
tiOnists said it contained strychdine, but ia
an adultersted form. Officer Fletcher
next took the unfortunate young man TO
the stationhOUse, and made a statement Of
the case to Capt. Yater. Here he refused
TO utter a word concerning himself, but
said he had papers that would show who
he was. He called Capt. Yater aside, con-
verSed with him some time, and gave him
the papers.
He told the Captain that his girl had
gone back on him, and he wanted to die"
Capt. Yater then told him how unwisely
he had acted, he could make himself a
useful man, and shOlld at once Danish all
thoughts OF selC-destruciiOn from his mind. /
The young man said he would be willing
enough tolive if be thought he could bene-
fit any one by it.
His name proved TO be William Il.
Montgomery. He is not much over u
years Of age. He said he had been living
i'm the city seven or eight months, and had |
been employed al the Cotton Factory. We |
understand he has relatives living in this |
vicinity. Among his papers were several |
letters from different manufacturers certify
ing 10 his business qualifications, and stat |
ing that he has always been faithful and /
honest in the discharge Of his duties. |
Capt. Yater took the vial and his knife /
away from him, and placed him in a room
AZ the statiOn-hOuse to remain through the /
night. He is Of a rather pleasing appear
ance, but from his conversation one can /
easily infer that his reason has been impair
ed by troubles, real or imaginary.