The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-08-15
DRAMATIC DEATH.
A CnprOu, IlinoiA, Man Announces ~
Lecture on SeIEDestructiOn 10 he
Followed by His own Suicide.


A Cnpron, Illinois, Man Announces IL
Lecture on Standardization 10 he
Followed by His own Suicide.
A special telegram to the Chicago
Times of Thursday from Capron, ILL.,,
says: On the I'd day of last May there
arrived at our village rather dis
tinguished looking young man, who
gave his name as George w. Burleigh,
and who said he was prospecting for
location TO open tOnsOrial establish
ment.
Last Laturday morning Burleigh
went to the proprietor of the only enter
tainment hall in our town and lengaged
the hall for the following Tuesday even
ing, saying to the proprietor that he
intended to give drsmic entertainment
on the evening named. Having com
pleted this preliminary, he returned to
his room, locked himself in, and was
seen by no one for the next iorty-eight
hours except
TWO CLERICAL GENTLEMEN.
During Saturday, a number of his pa.
irons raped on the door, wishing togain
admittance for tonsorial treatment, but
they were answered from within that "a
work of greater Importance would pre-.
clude the possibility of his doing any
tonsorial work that day." AS the cur
tains were all drawn no one of the dis
appointed applicants could discover what
"work" it was that engrossed Burleigh's
attention 50 entirely, and many copieC-
lures were INDUCED in by the patrons as
to the nature of it. The sequel, however,
proves that Burleigh was far from being
idle during these long hours of seclusion.
On Sunday morning
THE FOLLOWING STARTLING STATEMENT
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 viciDity:
Having, since the great sensation in
ChicagO-the hanging of Sherry and
Connolly-heard sundry citizens of Ca
prem and vicinity expressa strong desire
to witness some such tragedy, | have
concluded to crafty their lust for the
horrible by committing suicide. by
shooting myself through the forehead,
on the evening of the 23d inst, at Thorn
ton Hall. The price Of admission to this
real tragedy will be 81, and the fund
that may be realized thus shall first be
applied to my funeral expenses, and,
should any surplus remain, it shall be
invested in the works of Darwin, Tyn-
dali and Huxley, and the same shall be
presented to the town library in my
name. My reason for thus putting Pc
riOd to my life is that have endured the
manifold miseries of existence as long as
| desire to, and my own wish now is to
plunge into the eternal, soundless, life
less gulf of Inconsistencies. The death
of the body is the annihiation of the
man; and annihilation is eternal peace.
Before destroying myself, shall read my
auditors and death witnesses an original
lecture, in which | shall justify suicide.
In all seriousness, G. W. BURLEIGH.
Notwithstanding Burleigh's announce
ment of his bloody intentions upon him
self, determination was soon generally
manifest among our citizens to prevent
his crime. However, a strong and very
general desire prevailed to see how far
he really would carry out his announced
intention, and our citizens concluded to
let him 90 so far as the reading of
HIS LECTURE.
and then, by well-arranged strategem,
to gain control of his person and en-
deaYor to reason him out of the rash
purpose. But they had not calculated
on the coOlness and strength of bur
leigh's determination to effect his end
Ali day Sunday Burleigh kept himself
closely secluded in his room, and, with
the exception of our local clergymen, ht
refused admission to any one on any pre-
text. At 2p. m. he permitted brie
admission to the Rev. Mr.. Wilcox ant
the Rev. Mr.. Burton. He allowed thes
gentlemen to expostulate with him unit
quarter of three, and then dismisse'
them, courteously declining their offer
of prayer in his behalf. The,
report that he listened to thei
arguments calmly, and answere,
them az calmly, but that al
their efforts failed to weaken his resolu
tion. During his long seclusion, from
Saturday morning until Monday morn
ing, Burleigh was doubtless engaged il
writing his lecture on
"THE JUSTIFICATION OF SUICIDE"
During Monday he walked the street
most of the time, refusing to enter int
conversation with anyone. Almost tn
whole time of his stay here he has kep
, bachelors hall; and this circumstance ha
enabled him to make his seclusion com
/ plete when he chose to do 70. He cor
; tinued his self-immurement all day ye'
t terday, until 7 O'Clock in the evening
/, when he came forth and walked briskl
: about town for half an hour. He the
? repaired to Thornton ball, to make tn
5 final preparation for his violent end:
/, was a. that time clear that his audienc
/. would be very large one. Early Tues
a day evening vehicles began to arriv
4 numerously from the rural districts. b
.lS o'clock fully one hundred and mt,
g persons had purchased admission to tn
scene of the interesting event, whicl