Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-05
A Melancholy Suicide.
DdnuSlle Va. Neaus of S,nday.

Since the early part of February, 1877,
among the quiet, unobstrusive young men
of Danville there has been one Of whom
few of our citizens knew anything except
perhaps that he was a young artist, the
junior member of a firm engaged in. the
Photographic business. His name was
Thomas B. Barkman,S and the style Of the
firm to which he belonged was Shafer u
Barkman. For some time past, probably
two or three months, it has been noticed
by the few who were ON terms OF familiar
acquaintance with HIM that his spirits had
become moody and his disposition melan-
choly. This was attributed to the dullness
of the times which were especially trying
in his line of business, and it was Surmised
among his acquaintance that business re-
verses anG financial difficulties were the
cause of his melancholy. lie came to this
city from .Staunton, where it is said he had
an affectiOnate mother and sisters to
whom he was fondly devoted. When the
Danville GrayS made their visit to Staun-
ton, recently. on the occasion OF the Me-
mortal Day, he went with them, taking
that opportunity to pay visit to his be-
loved mother and sisters at his former
home. Since his return bis moodlness, 1t
is thought, has rather grown upon him,
but this is supposed to have resulted from
the increased pressure of financial difficult
ties. For some time prior to his Visit to
Staunton, it had been observed that he
was occasionally given to intoxicatlon,
probably with the idea of forgetting his
| hal nth alanhnIIn
| intoxication. But nobody dreamed that
| his situation was desperate.
| Yesterday morning at an early hour he
| is said to have been seen walking along
| the canal bank in rear OF the drug store OF
| Mr.. Robert Brydon, and at 8 O'Clock MIR.
| Brydon saw him pass the door OF his drug
| store as if going upstairs above the drug
store where V ere the apartments occupied
| by the firm Of Shafer & Barkman as a pho
| tographic gallery. Nothing further is
known of him until near II O'Clock. Mr..
Brydon, however, desiring to see him in
| regard to the payment Of his rent, went up
and knocked at the door of the gallery short
| ly after he had seen him pass, but the door
was locked and no response was made to
his knocking. Whatever may have occur
| red fl ON the time that the unhappy man
entered the gallery after Mr.. Brydon saw
him pass his drug store and the subsequent
discovery of his dead body will remain for
ever unknown except to the Omnisclent
Judge whose eye seeth all things.
| About II O'Clock, DR.. Edward Williams,
went to the Photographic gallery to see
about picture he had recently had taken.
He went to the front door or main en-
trance to the gallery front room, and
| knocked, but received no answer. He
then went to the other door leading into
the other apartments OF the gallery, but
did not see any one or hear any sound
from anybody. At last his attention was
attracted by the foot and leg of man
which he saw on the floor Of a little bed
room adjoining the gallery. He walked up
to the object and ascertained that it was
the body of a man in an insensible con-
dition. He went at once down stairs and
gave the alarm and then returned to the
gallery in company with Mr.. Robert Bry-
don. Upon examination, being himself a
practicing physician, DR.. Williams pro-
nounced the body dead. He saw no phial
or other vessel containing poison near the
| body, AID there was no mark OF violence
upon it. He saw nothing which could
give clue to the manner in which the de-
ceased came by his death except note
| lying on the bed from which he had fallen.
The said note contained the following
words:
Il have passed in my checks.
| [Signed] L. B. BARKMAN."
Immediately after the discovery Of the
unhappy mans dead body Coroner Nose
ley issued summons for d jury of inquest,
which was placed in the hands of Con-
| S, able p Fl. Boisseau, and a jury sum-
! J. L. Tyack, foreman, T. D. Jones, j. T.
| Morton, John S. Hickey, Albert Gerst and
J. E. Gatlin.
The Jury assembled at 8 O'Clock yester-
day at the Photographic gallery where the
trial occurred, and upon view OF the
| OodY, and the examination as witnesses OF
Dr. Edward Williams and Messrs Robert
Brydon and Julius Norman and DR.. f.
| George, rendered their verdict as follows:
THAT the deceased, L. 3. Barkman,
came to his death between the hours OF
nine and twelve O'Clock this Goth day of
June, 1878, by the use Of some poison adj
ministered by his own hand; which act
WAS super induced by the immoderate use
of intoxicating liquors."
The unhappy man was about twenty
five years of age and unmarried. No au-
topsy was made as it was deemed I'M
necessary. DR.. W. l.. Robinson, the act
ing city physician, was absent on other
professional duties, and at the request of
Coroner Moseley, DR.. Franklin George
acted in DR.. Robinson's place. DR.. George
made professional examination of the
dead body and pronounced it death by
poison, though unable to determine the
character of the poison except by chemi-
cal ANALYSIS 1t is thought, however, that
the poison used was cyanide of potassium.
that being of frequent use in the art OF
photography, easily accessible to the de-
ceased, and certainly known to him as a
quick and deadly poison.
Yesterday after the death of the I'M
happy young man was discovered, Capt.
Albert Gerst telegraphed to his relatives
in Stanton announcing the melancholy
intelligence, and last night the remains
were taken by rail to Staunton where they
will be buried.
The unfortunate gentleman was popu-
lar member of that gallant military COM
pany, the Danville Grays, and his COM
sudden death, the more so because of it's
melancholy circumstances and the fact
that this is the first death that has oc-
cured in their ranks since the close of the
war. Capt. Gerst, now the commanding
officer of tie Grays, and Capt. Wooding,
their late commander, both were careful
in showing every attention to the remains
Of the deceased and last night a detach-
ment of the Grays, as an escort of honor,
accompanied the casket containing the
body to the depot where it was placed i'll
charge of Messrs. George Clutter and
William Flynn, members OF the company
who were detailed to accompany it to
StauntOn.