Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-01

A remarkable case of suicide occur.
red at Capron, Ill. The principal in
this strange affair was man named G.
w. Burleigh, who announced his inten-
tion to publicly commit suicide, by
posting the following card in various
places:
To the worthy Citizens g capron and Vicinity:
Having, since the great sensation in Chi
cago-the hanging of Sherry and Connolly,
heard sundry citizens of Capron and vi
cinity express strong desire to witness
some such tragedy, | have concluded to
crafty their lust for the horrible by COM
mitting suicide, by shooting myself through
the forehead, on the evening of the 23d
inst, at Thornton hall The price of ad.
mission to this real tragedy will be 81, and
the fund that may be realized thus shall
first be applied to my burial expenses and,
should any surplus remain, it shall be in
vested in the works of Darwin, Tyndall,
and Huxley, and the same shall be pre-
sented to the town library in my name.
My reason for thus putting period to my
life is that have endured the manifold
miseries of existence as long as I desire to,
and my only wish now is to plunge into
the eternal, soundless, lifeless gulf of un-
consciousness. The death of the body is
the annihilation of the man; and annihila-
tion is eternal peace. Before destroying
myself, shall read my auditors and death
witnesses an original lecture, in which !
shall justify suicide
In all seriousness,
e. W. BURLE1GH.
A strong desire on the part of the
citizens to see how far he really would
carry out his announced intentions, in
duced them to let him go on with his
lecture. At ten minutes after eight
Burleigh closed the door and walked
forward with firm, deliberate step to
the platform and took his stand behind
the desk, and what afterwards occurred
is told as follows:
While Burleigh was attending to the du.
| ties of doorkeeper, a couple of stout citi
Zens secreted themselves in q small side
room that opened near the speakers stand
Their intention was to overpoWer Burleigh
who is a small man, at the close of his
| lecture. The failure of this plan proved
that Burleigh had in some manner gained
q knowledge of its existance, and that he
had planned most etfectually to render il
| futile. The delivery cf the lecture occu
| pied just one hour and ten minutes, and
during that time the audience was held
spell bound. The stage manners of the
lecturer plainly indicated that he was nc
novice in public speaking His voice was
clear, distinct, and musical, bearing evi
dence of his scholarship in elocution. His
modulation was simply perfect. The lee
ture was certainly masterpiece of infide
reasoning, and its language was most pow
erful and forcible. He had studied tc
make it end In such manner that its enc
would be unsuspected. As soon as he haC
finished he stepped quickly backward tt
the middle of the stage, and with light
ming movement, drew a derringer from hi
hip-pocket, and while Messrs. Gibbs anC
Morton were rushing upon him, he placed
the pistol to his forehead and fired. falling
into the arms of those who had sought tt
save him. During this act women scream
ed and tainted, and strong men groaneC
aloud. The scene was such as will haunt
one viyidly to his dying day. 1t was the
embodiment of the horrible and terrible
| ne laIgt-SlAcu -Dall Hau lltteFally torn bur
| leigh's skull to atoms. His death was in
stantaneous. Since the consummation oil
| this fearful tragedy depression of horror
and gloom has prevaded the community
| The deepest sorrow prevails at this wa0tor
destruction of SO noble an intellectual
structure. Burleigh left request in hi
room that his body be forwarded to hi!
friends in Cincinnati. This will be don,
/ Immediately,