The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-30
SHOCKING SUICIDE IN HARDY
COUNTY.

COUNTY.
An aextra". from the office OF the
Keyser Tribune, March 2stb' brings Us
the particulars of the suicide OF WIN. IL
OGDEN, a well known lawyer OF Moore
field, Hardy county, which occurred on
Monday of this week:
MIR. Ogden, with his wife ana sererai
children, resided about two miles from
town on The farm owned by the late
Canaan James Parsons, who was an
uncle of Mrs Ogden. The deceased came
home from Petersburg, Grant county,
on Saturday, whittier he had been at
tending the circuit court, then In session.
He complained OF violent headache'
and went to bed. MIR. Ogden for many
wears has been very dissipated, which
ruined his health, wrecked his consti,,
tuition, and lett him not only diseased
and a sufferer, but wretchedly gloomy.
For the last lew years ne has been aa-
dicted 10 tho constant use OF morphine rs
q stupefer and cure for his Ills, during
which time he has not INDUCED so much
IN strong drink; but the excessive use OF
morphine gave his friends frequent
cause for apprehension. On his way
home. Saturday, he purchased bottle OF
morphine, and on Monday morning sent
q coiored boy to Moorelieid for another,
from which il appears that he was usin 6
more than the usual quantity OF this
s,upefying drug, and there is no
Doubt that he was under its intiu'
cpce when committing the horrid act
The negro boy returned about III o'clock
A. NJ. and gave the bottle to Mr.. ", VINO
had remained in his room-most OF the
time in bed-since Saturday. Shortly
sitter this a son of deceased came into
his room and enquired about hshlng
tackle. The father found and gave the
lad a line and hook, remarking: ITO
try and catch some fish," These were
the last words he spoke to any one.
About one o'clock the negro boy'
being sent to the garnet Tor some
article. beheld what he al first supposed
was something placed there to trlghten
him, but closer inspection revealed the
fact that it was Mr.. Ogden's corpse, ly-
ing in a pool CT blood, with his throat
cut. The negro, almost paralyZed with
right, rushed down and informed the
family, screaming frantically, Ont.
Ogden's dead" Members of the family
bu .ried to his chamber, aud finding
it vacant, went up to the garret ana
Their beheld, lying stretched out, the
coru.e, One arm was Strengthened out
and the other claSped around the leg OF
chair; about two feet away the razor,
with which the awful deed had been
accomplished, lay open. Seeing l'fe was
extinct, they hurried from the scene ana
dispatched messenger TO Mooreneld
for assistance. \ coroner's inquest was
held and verdict returned that death
resulted from suicide
There is, we believe, but one opinion
AS to what led the victim to destroy him
self. Ill health and despon dency, super
il duc"A by dissipation, preyed on his
mind. md while temporarily insane
from IA overdose of morphine, deiloer
ately got out of bed, procurel his razor,
went to the garnet, and at one stroke al
most instantly se} ereu Inc liie eui i'h v
Lying on his table was found slip oil
paper, on which WAS written, 81 am not
guilty. and die innocent; God is my
Judge" What was meant by
these words, it ls difficult To
determine. Probably they were written
while laboring under some fearful hal
lucination. The wife testified before the
coroner's jury that deceased had acted
strangely of late, and some one else stated
that he had been heard to romark thai
there WAS nothing for him to live for
Mr.. Ogden was generally regarded AS
good Office lawyer, VINO seldom, II ever
appeared in court. lie has always oeel
considered somewhat eccentric. Ever
when dissipsting he shrank instlnctlvely
from public gaze, aud always preferred
seclusion.