Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-03
Suicide,

Suicide.
1t is our sad duty to record the suicide of a
prominent citizen of Lafayette county. making
Tie fourth person in our community who has
III Tile near past, with his own hands Gu. the
slender thread which suspeded him over eternity,
first' our people were shocked at hearing of the
suicide OF Mr.. Isaac Palmer; next, Conrad
"eis disappeared and was found dead, a VIC
tim 10 melancholia and n diseased mind; then
came James Mussatt's taking of. snd now the
almost dramatic death OF Albert q DuIing.
The first two shot themselves, Mussat,i cut his
own throat. and Mr.. Duling coolly drank in his
death from II vial of cloroform and sirychnine
in the presence Of three OF his neighbors. who
were powerless TO prevent the deed or to avert
Its consequences after 1t was done.
Mr.. Duling WAS born in Kanawha county.
Virginia tEow West VirgInIa). in October. 1914.
When twenty-thrce years of age he married
Miss Catherine Wilson. In the year 1885. he re-
moved. with his family, to this county, where
he has resided until the time of his death. He
had by his marriage ten children, all of whom
are living except the sixth child, William, who
died about a month ago. His eldest son Charles
F., is livingIn kanawha county, W. Va: the
next son. John r., is in the far west; his
daughters, Ellen l.. and Jos, phine, are the
wives of John Ersk inc and William Nichols.
and his other chiidreh. Albert w, Fannie c.,
ihomas Jefferson, George f. and Sallie +, were
OF his household when he died.
In his OLD home IN Virginia he was ALWAYS re-
gardei as an honest. hard working man, most
ol his lie having been passed III farming and
srs'iinS there. Until a few days before his
death no stain hHd ever been placed upon his
name, ana ne WAS highly respected aud esteemed
ny Ills heiShoors as IN honorable and upright
c'ti%eh- "hl!e ne was generally thought to be
we'll to do 1t seems that he had gotten in debt.
anu complications growing out of this Indeb,-
edncss SO disturbed his mind as to cause him tn
determine TO commit suicide.
MIR. Dullng had borrowed something over
three thousand dollars from several marie.
through M.ssrs. j. a. 5. Tut & Son, he and his
wife signing the notes. The notes all be,n1
over due, several suits were filed ausipst him for
the next term of the circuit court. and on m.
70 n ult. II crI minal suit wa. Instituted acains,
MN. and he WAS arraignei before ESQUIRE Beck
on 3 charge ut obtaining money under false
pretenses, in that he hal represented that his
wife had a separate estate IN the farm upop
"nich they hsed, whereas, in truth, her estate
WAS y regal one, vested in herself and her heirs.
changing .htire'y the character of the security.
N'' DHiih 'HtiDl!ciS lcuitu having uIai,I auy
Misrepresentation IN order TO obtain the loans.
lie gave bail to appear on Wednesday last. for
u preliminary trial.
Even before the criminal suit had been brought
against him. he seemed IL have much trouble of
inind. He stated to several parties that he had
contemplated suicide TO rid him OF his per
pleNities. The death OF his son William and the
serious illness of his son Albert, no doub, had
much to do with his distress, and there lie little
doubt that his mental faculties had become in,-
paired.
I'm wednesday morning. about eight O'Clock.
Mr.. Lon Kelly met him in the read near the fair
grounds, when he began reciting his trouble,
ana spoke in such "A manner as to Cause Mr..
Kelly to suspect that he intended to kill himself.
Dir. nelly then approached him. and speaking
to him in a friendly manner, placed one of his
Arms around him, and FELT his clothing to see if
he had II pistol, but found none. The two then
walked toward the amphithcater in the fair
grounds, where they met Mr. John S,
Clayton, and Mr.. James Smnck. two
neIghbors, who had come there fram their work
near by to get a drink oil water at the fair
ground cistern. Kelly stopped to speak TO
clayton anu Smock, but, contrary 10 his usual
custom, Mr- Duling passed without greeting
them. and ascending the steps of the ampbi-
"'"s' t'oh 'A ii5 I'm "dlktu II SNORT distance
the amphitieater. returned and drank
some chiorolOrm from u vial. Before drinking
1t he looked toward the men anu babe them good |
bye, which he also did afterward. He told |
them that he had poisoned himself, and that the |
contents Of u small box which ne held in his |
hand were ''what had done the work., They
immediately suggested that some one should 20
Tor q physician. but he SAID that 1t WAS of no Use |
that Ill the doctors in town could do him M |
ssed. unless the druggists who had sold him the
poison had deceived him. He then descended
from the promenade and entered into converss-
tioa with Kelly and Smock. Clayton having left
to send a neighbor to town after u doctor bs I
no horse. Among other tbings he STATE,
he was in great trouble, but that il Was
! 'ancial trouble and not any family di I'M cuItv
expressed a fear that the druggists mivb,
nave deceived him, as the poison did not act as
-eshily as he thought that IL should, bu, in a few
minutes ne ieit pains In his back and expressed a
'eS're 10 lie down. MIR. SnOck assisted him
up 'he Steps 10 the amphitheater, where he land
Town. ana IN a snort time was attacked by con-
'ulsions and died in about five minutes.
The finding of the coroner's jury WAS in sc-
with these facts.
He left the following ~l,tters which .x.
My DEAR WIFE, CHILDREN and rr1rx,o.
Weep not tor me. May the God of hravsn h,
iour shield ana friend. saw 1 never misc. W
,snteu my 70 acres OF land or my wife's decd
Wy emu Is n bitter cup, but those who hay. beep
ne cause ON VIII have to suffer. still trust
q Tod that he will give me dying grace. .IeGv
10 me best you can for the family. Adieu 70 XII
NH we iheet again. A. DULING.
HRoTiiER WILLIAMS will please attain,
o my funeral. For the hymn sing, ~
Come. ye that love the Lord.
And let your joys be W
reach from the 5th chapter of Romano
iot rear to die. Death is the gate tn end,a.e
oys 10 those that love the Lord, / am worn o,s
mo dont want TO live 1 have had bad incl Itost
ny Work and my labor within eleven years
.aSen q dollar that | can call nv own Nenv
y you Know l have done the best 1 could !
tunes thought l was doing for the hast H
Souiu nave done better, i would, But viii ron
ITO" me 70 say eternity Will correct ali VI ronys9 6
must say That 1 have been shamefulIy treaseS :
His remains were buried from his late ras,.
lence' u few hundred yards from the scene of :
us death, on Thursday morning. Rev, NJ. G
performing the funeral services.
The family is in great distress, and has IN.
ympathy OF the entire community.
After taking q Turkish bath a person see,s =.
though this world still had something :
worth living for, and rs IL ten vaxrs IA