The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-11-22
NUMBER II.

place for years; jovial, CHEEKY, gencr-
Gus and good, with a kind and cheer
fnl word fn every one, he insensibly
won the hearts of those whom he was
brought 10 contact. As an evidence
of his deep, abiding religious faith,
he built a beautiful little chapel, OPP
posite his hotel, and maintained its
minister at his own expense. He was
the last man in the world that ono
wonld have suspected Of committing
suicide, for his means were ample.
and his surroundings wele exception.
ally pleasant but few months ago,
he had the misfortune to lose favor
ite daughter, who died just as she
was budding into womanhood. From
the shock Of this loss, he never le-
covered; nothing seemed to console
him or reconcile him, and, under the
weight of his misery, his reason tot
tered, and on Friday, being left alone
for few moments, he killed himself.
He leaves no enemy behind him, and
the great estimation in which he was
held by all who knew him, was owl
denced by che thousands who at
tended his funeral. Another remark
able suicide was that of one Of the
best known and weulthiest s;,il-mak-
ers in the United States, Chauncey
Barnes Of Brooklyn. Like Mr.. Tuni-
SOP, he was we'll of, and exceptionally
happy in all HE domestic relations;
but, a stroke Of paralysis SD preye,l
upon his mind, that he sank into a des-
pondency from which nothing could
rouse him, and on Sunday he procured
pistol, and blew his brains out.
have made special mention of these
two remarkable cases, because both
OF the suicides were among the best
known men in the city, and their sur
roundings were of the most enviable
character. There were no less than
six other cases during tho week,
showing that the prosperous tidal
wave still fnds some poor wretcl,ea
among the breakers, to whom death
is the smallest of evils.
A lively excitement has been cre-
ated in certain circles, caused by the
report that a lunatic patient on Black
wells Island had been starved to
death. Certain it is, that an autopsy
was held, and but slight traces of food
were found in the stomach, and the
nurse who attended the unfortunate
woman, says that she was starved to
death. Our public institutions are
getting most unenviablo reputation.
During m investigation Of the work.
ings of the Juvenile Prison or Ram
dall's Island, Col. Clay swore that the
l"ys were fed on putri,l meat, anu
that the punishments were of the
most revolving character. Our jails
are like sieves, protected only by
rusty bars, and rotten atlministra-
ton. Two days ago, Eve Of the most
desperate criminals, who had just
been sentenced to states prison for q
long term Of years, escaped from I.ud-
low street Jail, from wlIicl, place nearly
II hundred prisoners have escaped, in
the last ten years. 1t was, while in
charge of a couple of officers from this
prison, that Tweed made his memOr-
able escape, and some Of tho most mo-
torious bank burglars, coun.erfeiters
and thieves have shown it the full
front of their backs.
The severe blow that Tammany hns
just received, in our municipal cleo
lion, may possibly secure us i. new lot
of officers, at least Il shade better
than the thieves they are appointed
tn keep. AS the smoke clears away,
we begin to find that three or four
murders enlivened our election day.
IN all the cases, they were among our
Irish fellow citizens, belonging to the
rival Kelley and Robinson clans, and
whskey, mixed with politics, compli-
Gated the difficulty. Two of the cases
at least, will furnish ole Sheriff with
Il two hundred aud fifty dollar Job,
while III the others, il seems probable
that heightened s.journ at one Of
our huaiesous State institutions, NAV
not be detrimental to their health.
Thursday b,vHglrt as the first real
glimpse of winter, and when We got
up in the morning, the trees and
the house tops were dressed in i. veS-
td4% Of white. ooh! the beautiful,
what do ye cal! it," we'll, never mind,
We will 10 doubt have enough Of l.
before the winter is over.
Masked burglars seem to Lr getting
II new e;sse Of life, and to have re-
covered from the shock which they
received IA few years ago in the arrest
of jim Brady, Jack Dady, Dan H.el-
ley, and the rest Of the desperate
gang, who, for many months, kept all
the villages along the Hud-on in !.
state of trembling terror. Now that
the election and the walking matches
are over, not to mention the boat
races, it is to be hoped that our
officers will turn their attention to
this growing evil, aud crush it out at
once. AT last we are happy. Arthur
Sullivan, the author of Pinafore, and
some Of the most beautiful ballads in
the language, arrived here on We'd
nesday, with his associate, Mr.. Gilbert.
They were warmly received hy hosts
of friends, for they are not only c-le-