Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-05-26
sELr.MURDER.
statistic. Of Suicide in the United sta,

Of Suicide in the United States.
Germany, it is said. is becoming Sc
riouslv alarmed at the constant increase
Of suicides among all classes of her
In Berlin hardly q day
passes without one or more. With us
in the United States popular attention
is not so much directed to the subject,
largely, no doubt, because owing to
the incompleteness Of our methods OF
gathering and tabulating vital statis-
tics, the subject is not brought before
us with such startling distinctness.
But it may well be asked whether
suicide is not increasing here, too, in a
way to justify the most secret appre-.
hension.
The New York Chronicle, for two
years past, has kept record of suicides
In the United States compiled from
the columns of the newspapers. These
data are necessarily very imperfect,
but they serve to give an idea Of the
extent to which self-murder is resort
ed to in this country and of the rapidi-
ty of its increase. For the year end
ing March, 1882, 817 suicides are re-
corded, while for ths eleven months
ending with February, 1888, there are
1906, an increase of nearly one hundred
per cent. The greatest number took
place in the summer months, 614; the
smallest in the winter, $50. This ac-
cords with the view Of DR.. John G.
Lee, coroner's physician of Philadel-
phia, who expssins the frequency of
suicide in the spring and summer
months, by reference TO the fuctua-
tions of the thermometer and barome-
ter. As between tho sexes, nearly
four times as many men as women
committed suicide, the proportion
being 1917 to 349.
In point of nationality the lead is
taken by Americans with SOB, Ger
mans coming next with 482. then
English with 142 and Irish with 1877.
AS to occupations one is surprised to
find that farmers are largely in the ma
,ority, no less than 205 Of them having
If Their own accord shuffled off this
mortal coil, while the next greatest
numbtr r, that Of mVehants, foots up
only 80. Of journalists it is agreeable
tn. nhserve .aae-a are emily fnur
Married life seems 30 conduce to self
destruction, there being in the list 47e
husbands and 178 wives as opposed to
.96 bachelors and 121 maids. Ages
'anged from ten years to ninety-three,
the largest number, 165, coming
between twenty and thirty. Family
troubles head the list Of causes. follow
ed by sickness, with 158; insanity 1856,
dissipation 131, and business troubles
l27. Other reasons assigned are of the
most whimsical nature. A North
rarolinian Committed suicide because
his mule died, AMI an Illinoisian
because he had lost his best boy and
his best COW. A susceptible youth
lrowned himself because his sweet
leart Tilted him in poetry. But per
laps the most inconsequent case Of al
was that of the New Yorker who tool
his life because he had mortal fear o
death.
The methods employed show no les
diversity, though shooting seems t.
have had the preference, being employ
ed in 4S4 cases, poisoning in 972
hanging in 267, and drowning in Isl
The pistol was usually selected b,
Americans and poison by Frenchmen
One man took his departure by jump
ing into a furnace, and one Cheerful
Californian blew himself to pieces
with giant powder, The largest pro
portion of suicides is accredited to Col
orado, where the ratio is one in 5000
and the smallest to Mississippi. where
it is one in $4,000. The average oi
suicides throughout the southern
states is small, owing, it is said. to the
large colored population with whom
self-murder is infrequent. In New
York one in every $4,000 committed
elo de Sc. The rate for the entlre
rountry is so per 100000, according
to the figures here cited, though in all
probability, il is really far greater
vt all events it is great enough to
.ause serious concern to the philan'
,hropist and the legislator.