Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-05-05
A Topic Apropes.


have been impressed lately with the
number of suicides reported from one
part of the coast or the other. Near
" every issue for tine past week has
contained accounts. Of how some
men,ally-wrecked besng has shatiicd
off his mortal coil. The melancholy
circumstances of the self-murder OF
the girl Julia Siehel are still held in
the recollection. All these suicides
coming thus in heap are calculated
to set the inquiring mind ageing to
ascertain whether or not there are
conditions peculiar to the season or
to the country in operation to bring
about this Startling result, The ques-
ton is one of deep psychological
mystery. almost too intricate tor the
ordinary understanding; yet one "an-
no. help putting certainfacts together
that have been noted, and deducing
thcrefrom an opinion of his own,
more or less crude, perhaps, still
somewhat satisfactory. Many have
remarked the plain fact that suicide
as an epidemic has prevailed on this
coast for some years past in spring
time. We say rs ian epidemic in
the absence Of any better term at the
pens end to serve the purpose ID
designation. When the SKINNER
months come on, the desire for self
destruction gradually dies away, and
The telegraph wires are no longer
burdened with transmitting the
bloody news. Two years ago there
Was an extraordinary amount of this
sor, OF crime In San Francisco dur
ing the month Of April. 1t is pretty
well established that the season OF
buds and blossoms is fraught with
some mysterious influence that sends
now and then one 70 the hereafter Ivy
the shortest route. Ii has also been
said 10y a poet, however, that sin
the spring the young mans fancy
LIGHTLY turns 10 thoughts of love.
This is in accordance with we'll
known physiological law. Put the
fact alluded to above with the saying
Of the poet and u deduction may be
drawn consistent with reason. 1t
can 40 longer he said that the publ
cation of suicides in such a manner
as 10 place the details within the
reach of multitudes creates a morbid
desire for self-destruction. Such pub
locations are as faithfully done in one
season as in another. yet suicide as an
epidemic is confined TO a certain
time of the year. Such literature as
Hume's essay on the subject. in which
the art of self-murdeF il deliberately
justified, might do harm in this way,
but the newspaper does not. We
naturally call to mind the time when
ii was fashionable in the capital Of
France to swallow Paris green and
20 to heaven in the greatest agony ;
or to precipitate one's'solf from the
Column Yendome and be scraped up
shapcless mass. Also that the au-
thorities once found it necessary 10
place safe protection in certain
parts Of the London tower, 50 great
seemed the desire Of visitors - throw
themselves from this noted historical
edihce. 50 many actually did 50
that the who.e neighbol mood was
annoyed. Ii seems, from a! the evil
denee that can he gathered ON the
subject, that suicide does actually
prevail sometimes as an epidemic.
Although this is gloomy theme for
though, or discussion, yet it has
some grains of humor in it. II is
written that a certain man Of aiStiDc-
ton, distracted in love, threatened
in the presence of his adorable to
blow his brains ont, whereupon the
lady cooliy said; Il hope you will
moi do it here on the carpet Henry
Ward Beecher oHce, while on the no.
torious ragged edge, wanted to know
If morphine turned the face of the
victim black. Notwithstanding all
the various modes adopted. suicide
is no, yet reduce I 10 fine ar.
The case o! L. ). VS.. Gillett
proS triad IN the T. = District