New-York tribune., 1878-10-04

william S vandyke committed suicide on Wednes-
day evening at a hotel in this city. He did it in a
very deliberate way. He purchased fifty cents
worth OF morphine, went to the hotel. wrote per-
fectly lucid aud deliberate letter took the poison.
and was found dead on the bed by the chambermaid
the next morning. Usually q like this requires
no comment. The insanity OF the suicide is taken
for granted, and the Coroner's jury mildly deals
with the matter according to that theory. But If
Mr. Vandyke was mad, there was a method in his
madness. He gave accurately and parficu-
larry the places of residence of his chill
dren his wife and his brothers. He expressed
desire that the Rev. DIR. Deems should
preach his funeral sermon, and that the Masonic
Lodge to which he belonged should bury him In
thor own plot. Ii is evident that he considered
himself as about to perform meritorlous, OF at
least not on immoral action, nor did it apparently
occur TO him that the reverend gentleman alluded
to might not care to read the service over suicide
and that the Lodge might have some doubts about
attending the funeral. The days in which indigni-
tes were inflicted upon the bodies of those who had
died by their own hands have gone by. Their
bodies are no longer subjected 10 an ignominiOus
burial The world. well as the CoToners
Jury, has grown considerato. Now 1t is GER
tain that suicide is felony at common
law; that person attempting it and
failing is liable to a criminal prosecution; and 1t is
possible that the truth, if spoken sharply, of such
deeds though it would not bring the dead to life.
might deter the living from following their exam
pie. Even a person of mind partially unsound
might be deferred from taking himself of if he knew
that the world would speak of his deed with hor-
ror and reprobation. When the reasoning faculties
are toleraby well preserved, public opinion decid-
edly averse to suicide might restrain those tempted
IA hot
thy. unless in cases Of decided and unmistakable
lunacy may exercise an influence greatly to be de-
plored.
There is probably no longer any reason for hoping
that Mr. Manton Marble can be induced to read
The TRIBUNE. but il Is possible that in indirect
way he may now he made aware of what going
on. Intelligence OF the discovery OF the
cipher dispatches has reached washington
Democratic newspaper. and it "a not lmPosSoie
that Washington Democratic newspapers are read IN
the Ark; indeed IL they are not read there. then
where in the name of Gutenberg and Faust are they
readf II the paper in question has got into the
Arb. there will be mighty commotion in
that mystic chest IN the course of two or
tbree days. Solid chunks Of unabridged
language will be heard knocking against one au-
other fragments of the largest known dictionary
words will be violently propelled out OF fortuitous
openngs; then some morning the lid will
av back. and Mr. Marble. steadying himself
nnon the Shechinah Of our Self-GoyeruInent,
will partly emerge from the top and
uroceed to harangue the universe, just as Mr. Pick
wick thrust his head and shoulders through the
roof Of the sedan char IN order to address the mob
To which Of the many dispatches demanding his at
tention Mr. Marble should first devote him
self it is perhaps not for as TO de-
eide; but he can hardly go amiss if he
offer a few remarks upon q message from
" Denmark" TO Smith NJ. Weed, November ii, 1874
relative to somebody's future prospects" and then
20 on 10 repeat the fine passage in his Mammoth