The Portland daily press., 1880-07-30
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
A Desperate Deed by Desperate Man.

A Desperate Deed by Desperate Man.
About 10 o'clock last evening Herbert Mar
shall, young man of about %, who for some
time past has had charge of the engine and gas
fixtures at the Preble House, shot himself with
revolver, inflicting injuries that must prove
fatal. Marshall came to this city several years
ago from Newmarket, N. H., and has remained
here most of the time since working at his
trade. He was good mechanic and earned
good wages, but was, to some extent at least,
addicted to the use of liquor Some years ago
he married young Irish girl of this city, who
was forced to leave him some two years ago, it
IS said, on account of causeless jealousy on his
part. Mrs. Marshall has been out of the city
for about year till within about two weeks,
when she returned, and Marshall made many
attempts to induce her to live with him. Yes
terday he seemed depressed and anxious, and
in the afternoon borrowed revolver of a
friend, and later instructed one of the boys
connected with the establishment how to at
tend to the gas fixtures, saying, 81 am either
going to shoot myself Or some one else before
morning. In the evening he called upon his
wife, who is stepping with her parents on Tying
street and took his wife and one of their chill
dren out riding. Mrs. Marshall noticed that
he appeared strange, and when, on their re-
turn to the house, he asked her to go out with
him again alone she, after reaching the street.
became frightened and making for an excuse
that she had forgotten her shawl she returned
and refused to leave the house again.
After leaving his wife Marshall must have
gone almost directly to the Preble House. and
the deed was committed soon after he reached
his room. The discharge of the shot was heard
by the occupant of the opposite room, and
Marshall was found in great agony, and Dr.
Thayer was Immediately sent for and found on
his arrival that there was no hope. The ball
entered the body below the heart, and the dy-
ing man sank rapidly. While still able to
speak he remained cool and unconcerned. saw
ing that he had no regret for the act and that
he wanted to die. eff my hand hadn't trem-
bled l shouldn't have made any trouble" he
said. While expressing no regret for his rash
act Marshall begged for something to be given
him to end his life.
AT 2 o'clock this morning Marshall's copdi-
ton remained much the same, and it was at
that time thought that he might live at least
through the night. AT late hour his wife recov-
cred to such an extent that she visited her hus-
band at the Preble House. A sealed letter
from Marshall to his grandfather is in the DOS
session of the proprietor of the Preble House.
and will when opened throw more light on the
mystery that would seem to surround the
whole transaction. The might clerk at the
Preble says that Marshall was certainly not
drunk last night The revolver was borrowed
OF him at noon yesterday, Marshall saying that
he was going down to the islands to do some
shooting in the evening. 1t seems that Mar
shall was quiet man, much liked by all his
associates. After the shooting he asked to
have the revolver returned to its owner. He
must at the time he fired have been seated on
the edge of his bed, as he fell back on the bed.
the revolver slipping from his hand to the
floor, where it was found. AS long as he was
able to speak Marshall persisted in saying that
he was satisfied, and that he had no desire to
live.