Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-12-04
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.

Mr.. Hayden Fl. ShOuse, of Hen
derson, KY, committed suicide at
the Louisville Hotel, Louisville,
under circumstances so distressing
that they ought to be recorded as a
warning to young men entering on
a similar career.
This gentleman was born in Vir-
ginia, and lived in Danville during
his youth, but has been a resident
of Henderson, KY, since he was
eighteen years old. He early evinced
brilliant talents, was strikingly
handsome and his manners were
peculiarly captivating. He had
taught school while boy, but COM
menced the study of law at an early
age and was soon engaged in an ex-
tensive and lucrative practice. As
his prosperity increased, he unhap-
PLY became dissipated, gam bling
and drink Being his beSetting fol-
bles. In spite of these failings,
which did not seem to incapacitate
him for business, his practice in
creased and he was appointed mas
ter commissioner of chancery and
several times elected county attor-
ney. Horse-racing was passion
with him, and he was well known
among sporting men as prominent
member of the Louisville Jockey
club. He was also noted for the
coolest and most reckless courage.
He was a candidate for congress
against Mr.. Mckenzie last summer,
but withdrew before the election.
He arrived in Louisville on the
22d ult., having stayed a short time
at Evansville previously. While
in Louisville he gambled extens-
lively, and is said to have lost 81, 900
during his stay there. On first an
irving in town he engaged board
and paid for it for three days. On
Tuesday afternoon he went to the
o. & NJ. r.. r. express office and,
with great deliberation, packed up
his watch and some bank-notes,
amounting to some $50 or so,
which he expressed TO his wife, to
the care of her father, zfhe Hon. S.
b. Vance, at Evansville. He then
went to the Louisville Hotel and
wrote the ,etter addressed 10 Mr.. l..
a hotel clerk, which
was found in his room the next
morning. He showed it to a drum
mer staying at the house; the drum
mer mentioned the circumstance to
Mr.. Fleet, the clerk on duty at sup
perfume. Soon after DIR. Berry
was sent for, who went to his room
and found him lying asleep. He
found the note, took it down to
Fleet and, the purpose of suicide
being then manifest, returned quick
" to the room and reused him. On
being questioned, he acknowledged
in a drOwsy tone that he had taken
and positively refused to
swallow an emetic. The narcotic
had acted swiftly, probably because
ne had been eating nothing during
he day, and in spite of remedial
applied without intermis-
lion, he died at eight on Wednesday
morning.
The letter which he wrote to Mr..
AcHenry is so remarkable for its
.apg ffoid that we give it in full:
NOVEMBER Sober Lem /: I'm
after the discovery of my
leath, get coffin and have me /
shipped 6y first train to Henderson,
md telegraph my death and shipment |
II once to y. y. Pance, 52l Upper |
Third street, E'rdnSUitie, Ind, and tell |
him TO meet "tbe corpse" at Hender- |
ION. BE certain to send me by first |
possible train-I don't want to rot /
3ither here or en- route. Mr.. Vance /
Dr. my wife will pay hotel bill and /
Ill charges. Your prompt attention /
will be a favor which I viii try to /
Your friend.
III. III. SHoUsE.