The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-01-08
A Kentucky Lawyer Who "Died Like
a Geutleman.'

1Hyucn II. CuOuSC ICN0'Ay
talking with a friend about man VINO
had blown his brains out, ''lt was
dirty thing to do. Nobody has a right
to make mess of himself in that man.
ner. There are GOO different ways OF
committing suicide in a gentlemanly
way. Shooting and cutting are disgust
ing, and no man of sensibility and taste
would distigure himself. Opium offers
the best means of suicide, and II ever
conclude to 90, III take it. A man can
90 to sleep like q gentleman and wake
up at his destination. There is no
blood, no HORROR Mr.: Shouse was
noted for being singularly handsome;
His face, when he was younger, had
been described as Raphael-!ike, ana q
maturity of heavy eating and drinking
had not robbed him of his beauty. tie
was a lawyer, residing at Henderson, but It
his reputation and practice extenueG al
over kentucky. He was candidate
for the Congressional nomination IN the
Second district last fall.
Yesterday MIR. Shouse turned from a
table on which he was writing in a pub:
lie room of the Louisville Hotel, ana
read to perfect stranger in the room a
letter that he had written. 1t was re-
quest that the person to whom it was
addressed would receive his body and
bury it, and it enjoined quick trans.
portation, so that the remains might not
suffer injury on the way. The lawyers
manner wa, distraught, and the listen
er, deeming him alunatic, walked away
without regarding the matter as OF any
Importance.
The matter was soon afterward re-
lated to the hotel clerk, who knew tina,
Mr.. Shouse had been drinking heavily,
and feared that the letter had been writ
ten in earnest. He and physician
went to the lawyers room and fount
him dying neatly in bed from opium
Everything possible was done TO saw
his life, though he protested against tn
rude treatment, and he died.
Just after his death came this dispatcl
} from his father.in-law:
EVANSVILLE, Ind, December !.
: Phil. Judge, LouisriUe Hotel:
. HAYDEN Sl,ousc is a noble soul If he is nc
dead tell him to live for Nancie and Nlollit
. AthOusand friends will sustain him. II he
? to me. >. Is. VANCE.
). "Vancie" is Mr.. Shouse's baby an
Q "Mollie' his widow.
2 Mr.. Shouse made his mortuary pref
E ara,ions with a degree of tranquil fort
1 thought which seems somewhat remark
o able. Two weeks ago he left his hon
g in Henderson, spent night at Evan
IS vile, and came to Louisville. He ha
Q been drinking, and continued until |
q made himself sick, when he had do
is tor and got better: He gambled rec
le lessly for several days, and appears
J. have lost about $4,000. The day befo
ID his death he paid up insurance polic'
t. on his life to the amount of $500
Later he went to an express office, p
about $50 in money, some private paper
and his watch in small box, directed
to his wife, paid the charges, and took
\ receipt. Then it seems he we
~ to his hotel and wrote al
% read aloud the letter befo
Nv alluded to. This crowding of
~, o personal matter upon the attention
' ns an utter stranger showed lack Of &c
81 u tlemanlke reserve so foreign to n
" Shouse's character az to seem to
~ friends evidence of insanity. When
~ had finished the l(,er it appears II
a ~. he went to his room, took a bath,
~, %e on fresh linen. and. having fixed hims
"o as nicely as he could for the trip he h
~ in prospect, he took the laudanum a
,,n got into bed.
y 1t is said that he was delicate in :
~. w pearance, but OF an iron will; that
'o. was addicted at times to the intemper
,e ~ use of liquor; that he had a remarka
, VI, sense of humor, and could be sarcas
tho when he chose.
VIC NV On the night he died one of his friel
IN "a said: elf Shouse could see these p
~ n' pie trying to resuscitate him he W.
~ ~ be the maddest man in the State"
~ When he was first found in bed
~, emetic was brought tn him, and he
~ asked to take it, but he said, "Nt
Nv, ~, won't; ldidn't take poison Tor that
inn; ;o pose"
= az" + No satisfactory reason is given
.:. ~ Mr.. Shouse's action. " Self-Help,''
' wv. Samuel Smiles, was not found am
W. ~" his effects. 1t is said that his g.mbl
"a ro losses were not large enough to h
~ w. caused fatal uneasiness. But his he
~ he was shattered and he feared consul
i ,ne ton; and although he had wife
~ H. child, it seemed advisable to him no
,,' Nv live, and he got away as narrated
" 49, Louisville (Ky.) Cor. N. Y. Sun.
ms The Small Boy and Vaccination
ever In these smallpox times the 81
I % l,o.. l. .,l;1.o To Ill tho fnlr0rs and hur