Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-29

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to the proprietor Of the only enter
tainment hall in our town and en-
gagged the hall for the following
Tuesday evening, saying to the pro-
prietor that he intended to give a
dramatic entertainment on the
evening named. Having completed |
this preliminary, he returned to
his room, locked himself in and was
seen by no one for the next forty
eight hours, except
TWO CLERICAL GENTLEMEN.
During Saturday a number of his
patrons raped on his door, wish
ing to gain admission for tonsorial
treatment, but they were answered
from within that "a work of great.
er Importance would preclude the
possibility of his doing any tonsor-
ial work that day." AS the cur
tains were all drawn, no one Of the
disappointed applicants could dis
cover what "work" it was that en-
crossed Burloigh's attention so
entirely, and many conjectures were
indulged in by the patrons as to
the nature of it. The sequel, how
ever, proves that Burleigh was far
from being idle during those long
hours of seclusion. On Sunday
morning
THE FOLLOWING STARTLING NOTICE
was found posted in various public
places of our hamlet, and also on
the outer side Of Burleigh's room
door:
TO THE WORTHY CITIZENS OF
CAPRoN AND VICINITY: Having,
since the great sensation in Chicago
the hanging of Sherry and Con-
nolly-heard sundry citizens Of
Capron and vicinity express a
desire towitneSs some such tragedy,
l have concluded to crafty their
lust for the horrible by committing
suicide, by shooting myself through
the forehead on the 23d inst, at
Thornton Hall. The price of ad.
mission to this real tragedy will be
81, and the fund that may be real,
lied thus shall first be applied tC
my burial expenses, and, should
any surplus remain, it shall be in
vested in the works of Darwin
! Tyndall and Huxley, and the sam,
shall be presented to the Town Ii
brary in my name. My reason fo
thus putting a period to my life i
that | have endured the manifold
miseries of existence as long rs
desire to, and my only wish now
to plunge into the eternal, sound
q less, lifeless gulf of unconscious
> ness. The death of the body is th
humiliation of the man; and ami
! hilation is eternal peace. BefOr
= destroying myself shall read m
7 auditors and death witnesses a
original lecture, in which l sha
: Justify suicide. In all. seriousness
G. W. BURLEIGH.
1t may be well surmised that tn
! remarkable notice awakened a dc
q gree Of
!. INTEREST AND EXCITEMENT
c in our quiet town not often fe
J. here. Soon it was the theme {
J. every tongue, and ere nightfa
ie every villager and every countr,
Ie man who had come to town to a
h tend church was informed Of th
Ie amazing announcement. Many s.
g. the author Of it down as a suddenl
N developed lunatic. Others believe
1T that it was merely his intention
IS create a sensation and perpetrate
le huge joke on the community. Bl
n the few whose insight into huma
E. nature was deeper, entertained b.
N little doubt of the seriousness
III the author of this strange al
L. blood curdling announcement
IN They had noticed the popularity
a. the man-his seasons of gloon
and morose meditation. They re
objected his arguments against IL
N Immortality of the soul-his refut
he ton of the idea of a hereafter, al
lie they shook their heads gravel
ID Notwithstanding Rurleigh's a
er nouncement of his bloody inte
DIS tions upon himself, a doterminatil
It, was soon generally manifest amor
n, our citizens to prevent his erin
np However a strong and very genel
-er desire prevailed to soc how far
ss. really would carry out his a
off nounced intention; and our CT
he gems concluded to let him 90 as
'us as the reading Of
le- HIS LECTURE,
ice and then, by a Well-arTangeu sIra
sil- gem, to gain control of his pers
ror and endeayor to reason him out
ng his rash purpose. But they h
IN not calculated the GOODNESS u
nv, strength of Burleigh's determil
his tion to effect his ond. All day 81
his day Burleigh kept himself clos
to secluded IN his room, and, with
the exception CT two of our local elerl
M men, he refused admission to a
ths ore on any pretext. At two p
ing he permitted 2 brief admission
5 the Rev. Mr.. Wilcox and the r
Mr.. Burton. He allowed th
not gentlemen to expostulate with h