The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-07-12
HIS LAST LETTER.


HIS LAST LETTER.
HE TELLS HOW he SHOULD SHUTTLE OFF
AT CHICAGO AND sCoUP ST. LOUIS.
The letter Is addressed to the editor o.
the Chicago Times, and is dated July l.
and states that he is at the time of writing
on the steamer Lady Lee in the Mis-
sissippi at the foot of Spruce street, St
Louis. He says he commences the letter
there as he fears that when he gets to Chi
cago he Will have too little time to say al
he wishes TO say, as he will have to answer
some letters he expects to get when reaching
there. Il then proceeds as follows: SCI will
probably arrive in Chicago Monday even
ing in time for supper and my last night.
sleep. / shall stop at the Palmer House
| which think is the best hotel there.
like Chicago better than any city / have
| yet been in, though none of them are ex
sctly what would like for home. ] 90
back there because tbat Is the best. / can
die in palace, or next thing to it, first
class hotsl. Who could blame me for not
doing so, then? You may wonder why
am determined to go, but shall not tell
YOU my full reasons for it, for If / were to
express my candid opinion of this life, and
enter into lengthy argument such as
have had within myself, / would
not 90 this; let each one think for
himself. am not dependent, far from
IL; am happy and shall die so. You
may read OF people being gifted with TORE
| sight, who could read the future and tell
of coming events. used to think them
all humbugs, bat have now personal res-
sons for changing my ideas. What 1 have
seen and what 1 know OF the next few
years / shall not tell fully and plainly
1 . II haTnu hon IN
tinue in this state OF Ii re where all one can
| get will be as quickly snstched away from
nim. l wish That might tell you all and
| why
CHOOSE THIS TO A LIFE OF JOY ON EARTH
for such 1 might have had. IT'S not
through loss OF hope that this end comes,
for had hope and was happy, am happy,
| in fact, as l said before. No one has ever
passed four months of such genuine hap
piness as the last four months have been to
me. Neither has enc thought of, learned
or seen such sights as l have been allowed
to think, learn and see. 1 never felt better
in all my life. No one would guess to see
me handle the dirk which / bought here
thst was going to send it through my
heart in less than week. Neither could
one suspect when in the handsome
store getting a rope, that that selfsame
cord would help extInguish the breath
which at thst very moment gave vent to
the joke of my lie and caused the proprie
tor to
DoUBLBUP WITH LAUGHTER,
and present it to me, as he said, free gratis,
without pay Then there are the poisons
that bothered me the most. How l did get
them finally, it matters not. One of these
days you will see speed that will travel as
fast as thought or sight. 'Twould
the morning in Boston, and hear
an opera that evening in San Fran
cisco? and nice to riss in the morning in
the former place and pass entirely around
the globe, returning in time to fill the
same bed the very next night? You may
wonder again why /, knowing these
strange yet not at all strange things
should want to die. the very knowledge
OF them has cost me nv lite, or rather my
existence, for actually do not expect to
be what is known as dead. You may wish
to know why do so much. Well, for
more reasons than one. In the first place,
to show that
DEATH HAS NO TERRoRs FOR ME,
yond recognition, so that if any are foolish
enough to weep over me, 1t may be asked
for whom are they weeping without their
being able to positively assert. At the
time OF the suicide shall wear my black
pants, an old shirt, and a thin stripped
coat. These shall be saturated with slcO-
hol, in order that they may burn with
rapidity. This is how 1 shall do
the deed. There will be many
who will surmise this way and
that. In the first place shall go to the
Palmer House and get a room with bath
in it, or attached; shall eat my supper,
call for my mail and retire to my room
This will be on MONDAY night. 1 shall an
swer the ftters which 1 receive and write
to DIR r. V. Pierce OF Buffalo, giving him
my body and telling him how to dispose
of it. / shall also write letter to my
friends in general which will see is sent
10 the Cnicsgo Times with one OF
the editors of that paper of papers.
This will consume the greater part OF the
night undoubtedly. l will then take
'snooze' and after break fast shall begin my
preparations for the deed. Shall test the
hot water aud get things ready for the
evenings entertainment. This Is TO be my
debut in tragedy. When night comes on
shall draw piece of wire across the bath
tub lengthwise, it's use to be soon ex-
planned. The wire will be properly ad-
justed, the pistol loaded, and with the
razor conveniently hung on strings where
L can readily reach them. The poisons
will then be
CAREFULLY FIXED AND MIXED.
The rope, understand, is to come where II
will suspend my body when attached ex-
sctly over the middle of the tank. Directly
over this rope, and on the wire before
mentioned, shall attach cotton or some
hing else that will burn well when alcohol
- poured on 1t. The moose will have been
made in the cord. and shove my head on