The Cecil Whig., 1881-11-19
\ DISTRESSING CASE.
A Your !, Maa III the Prir,- of Life Lies
by HIS Own Hand.

This community WAS startled on Wrdnes-
day morning last by the announcement that
Mr.. u. Taylor Strickland, eldest son of the
late ID. Price Strickland, OF this town, and
nephew of y. c. Strickland, E-q. p0StmaS-
ter AT this nlagr had taken his own life at
his boarding house in Wilmington, Del.
The sad intelligence WIS communicated 10
the relatives of the deceased in this town by
Mr. George ". Ash, of Wilmington, friend
of the deceased, who came 10 Elkton on the
morning train.
Mr. Strickland had been for Il number Of
wears in the employ Of the Harlan x H"l-
lingSwor:h Company, OF Wilmington, IN the
capacity OF master c.tr-hu!lder, and was
considered = first class mechanic. He re-
turned from Japan early in the past Sum
ncr, where he had been for 4 year superin-
tending the construction OF Il number OF
railroad cars built by his employees for the
Japanese Government. Since that time I've
has been working in the home shops. He
Went 70 the works on Tuesday last, and dur
in. the day becoming i'll. had 10 be taken
Ia his boarding house, on Seventh street
near West, where he VAS attended by his
l;lndlady, Mrs. Middleton. During the even
ing Ijr i;rimShaw WAS called in and Te-
mainet with his patient (who had become
le.irinnsp. ana when he retired left Mr..
Strickland in the care of two frirnds-Eicli-
ard Mahoney and u ,llow-boarler Dur
ing the uicit the patient was restless and
Tightly, hut ~ about 81; o'clock, on Wednes-
dav morning. he seemed tu become more
calm and rational, and said to Mr.. Mahoney
that he ;hought he could 90 to sleep He
composed himself il his bed. and, much TO
The qualification oc his nurses, apparently
slept. one of the watchers availed him
self OF The opportunity 10 leave the room
for a few moments, leaving Mr. Mahoney
alone with The sick man. The patient being
gu:et he (MahoneyJ sat down at the foot
If the bed, rested his head upon his arm, ana
slightly dozeh He had been in this posi-
tion hut Il few moments when lie was
ar,iiS-l by a noise made tsy Mr.. Strickland
on the bed. and looking up to his horror
heheld him standing on his feet in the CEN
;er OF the bed and in the act OF plungin-
the Sharp blade of :: knife into his throat,
ami which weapon, witt. the strength OF :.
maniac, he drew across his throat from ear
To ear. Mr.. Mahoney >nrang toward him,
. when Mr. Strickland jumped from the bed
to the floor, and aS Maloney approached
him, Strickland dealt him Il powerful blow,
knocking him PROSTATE, and before he could
recover himself, the maniac again plunged
the knit. into his throat and sank upon the
floor. DIR. Grimshaw and DIR. Haz!ett We're
hastily summoned and arrived promptly.
The suicide was laid upon the rloor and an
attempt made to tie up the severed veins
and arteries, but before this could he accom-
plished, the wounded man g;.-ped and eN
pired. The windpipe, jugular vein, and
carotid artery We're ali severed, the w"nnd
being Il terrible one and necessarily fatal.
, The sniciie had, while his watcher mapped,
reached down TO his i,antaloons, hanging
upon the pos; at the foot Of the bed, and
taken from the pocket = small knife, the
blade of which was not more than IN inch
and half in length, but quite sharp. This
was the instrument with which the fatal
cutting was done
Mr. Strickland WAS yoilng man thirty
years of age, Of fine appearance being con-
sidered Il handsome man n,-and genial and
/ Sociable disposition, a universal tavorite
among his acquaintance. About year
ago his mother. Mrs Martha Strickland,
was killed by being thrown from carriage,
from the shock OF which the family--a
Younger brother and tonr sisters of deceased
had scarce recovered. This aftiiction, the
death of the eldest brother. TO whom they
naturally looked a> their protector, now
comes with double force.
The deceased WIS in Elkton on election
day, the sth inst, only week prior TO the
day of his death, and appeared to be in his
usual health. 1t is said, however, that re-
Gently he had been dissipating consider
ably, and this may have been the cause to
which this sad occurrence is attributable.
If 50, the lesson is Il stronger one than all
the temperance lectures ever uttered.
r The remain, were brought to Elkton on
"Wednesday, the day OF the suicide, hv Mr..
Marshhark undertaken Of this town, who
went /" Wilmington to prepare the body
for burial, and were taken To the residence
of his sisters, on Main street.
The funeral took place Yesterday after
noon, I:eNs. Messrs. Nclntire and Avery
officiating. The following named persons,
friends Of the deceased, acted as pail bear
ers: VIM. j. .iricil VIM. j. Smith and
George W. Taylor, Of Elktou, and George
NJ. Ash, John Shippers and Richard Maho-
ney, OF Wilmington.
The remains, which We're inferred in the
Presbyterian cemetery, were followed to
the grave ly a large number III our citizens,
who SvmrathiZed with the afflicted family.