Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-11
A philosopher Of suicide.

lN6W IcIk evening Post
Russia has not been of late very delightful
country to live In, but the method OF quitting it
oecr1oed In late number OF the St. Petersburg
Zeitung must provoke nearly as much astouish
The story told is that of suicide. He re-
solved to Kill himself, and to do it In manner
owned that he was successful. Some years
ago man In one Of our western states had a
somewhat similar idea. He made for himself
a 6ind OF amateur gulllotine. An axe; heavily
loaded, was fixed in grove above, aud block
was nicely adjusted below. The axe was held
in place by cord, aud the cord was passed
through pulley and conducted downward. A
candle was then so arranged that when its
flame had burned down to a certain point It
would consume. and so release, the cord. The
inventor OF this ingenious machine having
seen IL In thorough working orderAbolted his
door, swallowed large lumber OF whisky,
fastened himself down in the precise spot re-
quired for the purpose and was decapit ,ted
with great DeatneSS at the appointed time.
We have no intent to make pleasantly of so
CHASTITY theme, but it must be owned that
there was certain grotesque ess ABOUT this
proceeding at which II Is hard not to smile, Toe
same is true of the Russian case. This IN
happy man determined not TO Cut his head Off
but 10 roast himself to death. Nothing would
content him but TO do this in way that should
ensure the most eXcruc.atins fortunes But he
also desired that the world should be thor
onghly made aware of the fact. Ii he were
simply found roasted or broiled the presump-
tion might be that 1t was accidental or that he
was insane, or that lie had taken marc ot,c5 to
ap9sthettcs by way OF dulling the pain Or be-
coming tuSens,ble 10 1t. He had perhaps read OF
tie western man whose case we have described
and lac certainly had made q profound study OF
suicide Now, there was good reason 70 be-
lieye that tie western man, before tying him
self I'D the axe, had got extremity drunk;
and the Ru sian was resolved that no odiun or
this kind should attach to his memory. Heace
after arranging and subjecGlng himself 10 his
apparatus he wrote memoranda in four differ
ent languages, explaining his purpose and the
circumstances OF lis consummation.
He first fixed line OF candles to q board, set
the board at suitable distance under his
couch, ard then lay on his back on the frame
or skeleton OF his bedstead in such way that
tie candies roasted his back, or, according
to the Z,itung "car BOMBED his backaone." He
was found naked and dead, and hts manuscripts
In tie four tongues were close by him These
Hewas anxious to show in dying that he was
not coward. Hence his selection Of mode of
death that, in his own words, should assure
"the most atrocious sufrerings.'' He wished to
prove that he was quite sane; aud hence his
use OF the four languages and his coordinate
display OF rattocinative processes in each OF
them. woman, as usual, was at the bottom
OF his trouble, and he literally died cursing her.
"Be she accurSed with my last BREATH are this
concluding words OF the message the poor
wretch left behind him for the pity and wonder
of his fellow beings, and doubtless for the grief
and remorse OF one OF them.
Was not this unhappy creature really and In
spite OF his elaborate disclaimers insane? OF
their hands In the flames, and Of Indian war
riors who have sustained In stolcal silence the
NEST frightful physical tortures. But these
things have been led up to by q lifetime OF de-
literate expectation. The whole man has been
s'settled and bent up" he has localized, so
to say, all that nature has put in him all
heroic purposes to go through a given ordeal of
a given time. But ordinarily, and in civilized
countries, people do not voluntarily put them
selves on a bed Of horror such as PlZarro de-
would seem that their mental structure must
surely be out Of balance. 1t is pity that the
st Petersburg journal which gives the details
unprecedented occurrence, did not furnish Its
readers with an account Of the Victims life or
antecedents. Such an account might have
thrown light on the true construction to be
placed upon one Of the strangest instances OF
suicide OF which we have any record.