Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-16
ASutcfde's Last Words.

A Suicides Last Words.
The suicide by drowning ia Lake Michigan
of John ". Binckley, at ono time editor OF
the Milwaukee News and Assistant Attorneg
General under johnson, has been moo.ioued.
He left the following letter, addressed to .
friend.
| If their father had been exceptionally id.
| domtable under trial. tho recognized fact
would be great encouragement to my little
boys; therefore if my end shall seem to obscure
it, but not 10 any event otherwise, then ds.
| close this statement, VIZ:
Longevity | inherit, and through traditions
exceptionally remote ou both sides. 40 disease.
| mental or bodily. | ON but just matured,
| without bankruptcy. without a gray hair, an
| uostrung nerve, a disease, bad habit, cor.
| rupt scent, or stain on my poor name. ! au
| DOT brokeu down, as might be guessed at dis.
| tance. My business condition, of late years go
oftep desperate. is now toJerable and my ulte.
rior prospects good. My plans are working
we'll. I never 10 my life saw au hour OF tot.
! tering reason, falteriDg will, or uDtil now,
ecipsed hope. My lot denied me oheerfuluess,
but could not canker me. Yet with competency
and psrsistenoy distinctly reinforced by trial
aud experience, [ am about to lay down my
ashes. Why?
cannot tell. Not beoluse l DO not know
but language GOES not grow for that kind
of truth which is stranger than fiction.
and let no person itquire further who
would not rife q frauk mans grave
There is steroer tragedy than ever bled.--
There is deeper verify than ever spoke.
looked up at noon and tie suu fell from the sky.
| have since not been rash, am slain BY the
loviucibility of deceit. My motives are qaite
extinct. For months past [ have been but try
iug to prevent the collapse Of q suddenly rup.
tured balloon. do not kill but bury myself.
am mill whose stream has been Diverted
a clock whose weights have been taken out.
At best [ am sentenced for life to the basement
of my constitution, or else to the inaccessible
attic. Neither BELTS my little boys. whose
mansion an. For their good-exoluslvely,
solely for their good 20. If belonged to
myself, would have powerful motives to live.
If my passions Wcro 10 control, 10 doubt my
love of life would hold its OVID with the rest.
am not DOW suffering much. am simply ra.
tionaI. judge that | ought to disappear.
though only God knows that | am es latent 80
40 egg My Intellectual life has always ap
poarcd to othors inooherent. To me it awsye
seemed to have aa iotoarity of stages, tending
towards useful, symmetrical outcome, through
,uffcriog toll aud fTic!ion, should my strength
nold cut. Observing that varied extreme aud
prolonged trials bad rather strengthened me.
and that | had growiog facility for orgaoig'ug
uy deeper thoughts, | came latterly to tbiok /
was approaching time when could digest
the memoranda Of many years into durable
work, but thundcrbolt ritted me. 1t is now
consolation to reflect that after all, this may
ave been mere conceit though it grew With
lime. =,
From reaources Of my own I provide fer Il
j. bts legal or honorary, to thu last ceo.
DO most heartily forgive all who ever iojur q
ne. BIZ; inj juries to my children Is not N 's
70 forgive; yet s &c ny love 10 all men. tor 8
,eel, JoHN NJ. BINoKLLY
The Frederick sburQ \ us, refeTriug Cd 'he
disappearance OF Mr.. Buckley, says some :weotg
| years ago bc came, y0uog man, 10 Fredr'lehs.
,urc as an artist, aud made the scGu+lntatce
of Mr.. A. A. Little, aud was betrlended BY u.
He lief, and buoame WssboItnD onrreSlt nd
ut of Baltimore paper, and studied laa.-
rnr fret year uf the var b. agan Came tu ed
r:;k,bure and Vas avsin befrieuded b, mrs
Littic, NJ more VAS beard of him ti b ap
| ulutmeo; as Assistant Attorney e 'ocra', dur
| os Jubnsou's Aluinlsrari 10, AID orthiog
1 Il ,..ly ri, Law NJ ~ m"rnn0 "~hen. (1sys
the News) the early mail brought !stteI from
| nl.oux.r dueu... a. q xa.ui Li"te,
| sq., fredericksburg Y rgiula, aod IN o. @ cor
nrr OF the envelope the addres., pr'o'ed!, OF
John VI. Buckley. The postm.Ik 10 oot cltsr
but looks like May 8, y. H. and the con
..nts an excellent photograph OF tho seuder.~
! 1878 is written below it. and Oh the back. 10
my dear end long valued friend. A. A. Little.
81. NJ. BINckLEY.'
"'ValeI'
1.-THE face is that Of man about fifty, full,
dark hair, and side whiskers, strong, genial,
kindly r.os, Indicative both Of iuteect and hu'
NOR.
Some pleasant memory Of the past. some
grateful recollection CT, old times, some Wish OF
| friendly thought and rene brauce, must have
suggested the sending Of This photograph on
the very eve Of suicide. A strange coincidence
is it nol?'
TIE PRoaREss OF BolANY.--A Belgian
Journal Ct horicu ure has given come curious
figures, showing the rapid increase in our
knowledge Of The v,getsb.e kingdom. In the
| Bible about 100 plauts are alluded to; Hippo
lcratcs mentioned 234; Theopbrastus 500, and
PIiny 800. From this time there was little ad'
dition to our Knowledge uutil tho Renaissance
10 the beginning of the e eeuth century Ges
ner could only euuuerate 800, but at lts CLOSE
Bauhin described 5000. Tournefort in 1894
> reooeuiz ID 10, ,l46 species; but Liuu@us 10 the
next century, working more cautiously. deaned
oply 1924. 10 the begiuoioe of this century,
| in 1905, Persooa described Is 900 species, co@
prisiog numerous minute fuogl lo 1917 ~ Ds
Caudolle estimsted The kuowo snecles ~ ~,
y 600 Loodou 10 1889 gave 3l,73l spectes' lac
,,,.uuus aod l3 952 monoootyeduus, 10 a!
20 387: but 10 1858 these had increased Il
= 90 oon nnd In 1863 RanteY cstimated tht