The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-06-21
CARRYING OUT A CONTRACT.
Suicide and Remarkably Statement of an
Unknown Young Man In Iowa.

The st. Louis Post. .Dispath Of June 6
published the account of suicide of a
young man who gave his name as Rufus
II. Eaton. He blew out his brains at
Delhi, Iowa, the night before. There
was nothing on the body to idcutify it
save the following remarkable letter
without date or signature:
Il am going to take my own life, hny-
ing made up my mind to do so more than
a year ago. Although do not think
that anybody cares pin about my rea.
sons, yet 1t will give me some satisfac.
tion to state them, and anybody who
finds this paper need not read it if he
does not wish 10 do sc. / am q years
OF age, lawyer by profession, but not
very much so, rs far as practice is con-
cerned. | was born in Baltimore, and
suppose that is more my home than anv.
where else, although have travelled all
the way from Denver to New Orleans.
have always been an uniucky devil, and
the only thing that has kept me from
suicide long ago was the lingering fear
that there might be 4 hereafter | have
arrived at the conclusion, however, that
there ls not anything worse than | have
gone through, and III chance the future
state. But III not preach. Two years
ago l met young lady. 1t don't matter
where, nor what her name was. She
was pretty. | was, as usual, fool.
had the education Of gentleman. but
nos the means to live up to my desires.
l had run through considerable money,
and had not the industry TO make q live.
ilhood at my calling. Well, of course,
fell overhead and ears in love with this
girl. She liked me, think, but she had
sense. and she never let her sentiment
run away with her prospects. l drank
some, and gamblcd some, and was as
Wild as young fellow usually il,
Though l generally wore good clothes,
my .pockctbook was usually very fiat.
Well, when her parents saw that my
visits to the daughter were growing fire.
quent. they Immediately interfered.
You know my child has been tenderly
raised,' said her father, and she cannot
marry man who cannot properly sup.
port her. like you, but you see how it
ID. a man should not marry unless he
can properly support his wife, The
mother was just as stern, and the daugh-
ter was persuaded to fall in with their
plans. | have laughed many time at n
fellow who was fool enough to kill him
self for girl, but that was before l was
in love myself. 1 see it all now. But
love stories have been told 30 often that
there is little interest in them. The girl
Jilted me. The last time / saw her She
cried little. She loved inc, she said,
but her parents wanted her to marry a
middle.aged gentleman and she could
not disobey.' If she had told the truth
she would have said that she loved the
middle-aged gentleman's carriage and
pair of horses and his bank account bet
ter than she did me and much better
than she did him. begged and plead.
ed, and got the same answer all tho lime.
You know what l did then. l went to
drinking harder than ever. l became a
nuisance, if had not been before. One
day l was talking over matters with q
friend of mine named Jim Anderson,
who always had more money and sense
than had. l told him ] was going to
Kill myself He laughed and sneered.
I'll tell you what III do said. IN
insure my life for $4,000 n different
companies, and make the policies over 10
you. You pay me $4,000 u year for two
years, let me have little hurrah for that
time, and when it's over I'll agree to kill
myself and you will get the money. In
that way you make $4,000, and have
some fun Jim laughed, but insisted
and finally we drew up an agreement to
that effect. got out policies in the diff
ferent life insurance companies. lie
holds them and the agreement. lie paid
me 5000 month during the last fifteen
months, although don't believe that he
ever thought Of holding me to the agree.
ment. But he was of speculative turn
of mind anyhow, and although he hardly
believed l would kill myself, he knew
that if l had the money 1 would soon
drink myself to death, and he was will
ing to take the chances. The time is
not up yet, but guess I'll let him make
The extra money. He'll be surprised
and not at all sorry. Nobody else cares,
for tine girl mentioned has since mar.
ried the bank account, the carriage and
the middled-aged gentleman. This is no
case of temporary insanity. I have as
much sense as anybody. made con-
tract, and Pm carrying it out. Bury me
wherever you like. There is $35 in my
vest pocket. and that will pay expenses
n n Iii