Daily Republican., 1879-06-11
SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.
Thomas y. Bnek master Deliberate.
ly Shoots Himself while Labor
tng Under Temporary Attack OF
Insanity.

Thomas s. Backmaster, laboring un-
der temporary insanity caused by ex-
treme physical suffering, took his own
life last night about 1890 o'clock by
shooting himself through the heart
with pistol. Mr.. Buckmaster came
to this city from Kent county years
ago, he having lived in the vicinity of
Lripsic and Dover. He was carpen-
ter and builder, and worked at his
trade there, years after he came to this
city.
Being troubled with kidney affection
about Ave years ago he had to stop
work since which time he has suffered
untold misery, his disease being so Sc
we're that he was at times temporarily
insane, and frequently threatened to
take his own life. Yesterday evening
his disease was unusually severe, but
in talking with his son Frederick, he
appeared perfectly rational and seemed
very much gratitied when his son told
him that after this week he would have
no business to call him out in the even
ing and he would remain at home
with him.
EThs family all retired to bed last
night as usual except the son Fredrick
who had not yet came in. About 10
o'clock Mrs. Buckmaster who slept in
an adjoining room to her husband was
awakened by the noise of somebody
going down stairs and n investigating
the cause she found that her husband
had gone down stairs and was about
returning carrying lamp in her hand.
She accompanied him to his room, and
sat up for some time when her hus band
asked her why she did not go to bed,
to which she replied that she was sit
ting up to take care of him. Mrs.
Buckmaster knowing that he made
threats of taking his life, when laboriDg
under severe suffering, took a knife
which was near by down stairs to Sc
crete it and while doing so she thought
Of pistol usually kept in closet, but
looking for it found that it was miss
ing.
The thought striking her that her
daughter had hidden the pistol in an
other place, she looked in that place
also and found it missing. Hurrying
to go up stairs again she had but reach
ed the first step when she was Mortified
to hear the report of the pistol in her
husbands room, and huarying into the
roUm found her husband lying on his
back on the floor breathing his last,
death having been almost instantane-
Gus. Mr.. Buckmaster had got the pis-
tol while he was down stairs, and not
withstanding that his wife was with
him he had succeeded in secreting it
beneath the bed clothes without her
seeing it.
From the position of the body it was
shown that Mr.. B. had lain down on
his back, while he held the muzzle of the
pistol close to his left side so that the
ball would strike the heart, and with
the right hand he had touched off the
trigger that sent the leaden messenger
on its errand of death. Mr.. Buckmas-
ter was GS years of age last December,
and leaves five sons and four daug ghters
all grown up, and wife.
The coroner being notified held an in
quest last night, when the jury render
ed a verdict of death from pistol shot by
his own hands while laboring under
temporary attack of insanity. The re-
mains of Mr.. Buekmaster will be in
tered in Riverview Cemetery, to NOR
row (Thursday) at two o'clock.