Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1883-08-23
WINSTON, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 49, 1889
A STRANGE CONTRACT.
The Suicide and Remarkable Statement
of an Unknown Young Man in Iowa.

"A SAAA<AN"G
of an Unknown Young Man in Iowa.
The st. Louis Post Dispatch pub !
fishes the account of the suicide of a
young man, who gave his name as |
Rufus III. Eaton. He blew out his
brains at Delhi, La. There was moth |
ing ON his body to identify it, save the
following remarkable letter. without !
date or signature
am going to take. my own life,
having made up my mind to do so
more than year ago. Although do
not think that anybody cares pin
about my reasons, yet it will give me
some satisfaction to state them, and
anybody who finds this paper need not
read it if he does not want to do so.
am twenty seven years of age, a lawyer
by profession, but not so very much so
as far as practice is concerned. was
born in Baltimore, and | suppose that
is more my home than anywhere else,
although [ have travelled all the way
from Denver to New Orleans. Ihave
always been an unlucky devil, and
the only thing that has kept me from
suicide long ago was the lingering fear
that there might be hereafter. I
have arrived at the conclusion, how
ever, that there is not anything worse
than what [ had gone through, and
I'll chance the future state. But I'll
not preach. Two years ago | met a
young lady. It don't matter where,
| ,,o,. VI, hot bor po,,oo 1,,oo Che xroc ,,rot
ty. | was, as usual, fool. Ihad the
education Of gentleman, but not the
means to live up to my desires. [ had
run through considerable money, and
had not the industry to make iveli-
hood at my calling. Well, of course
I fell over head and ears in love with
the girl She liked me, I think, but
she had sense, and she never let her
sentiments run away with her pros
poets. [ drank some, and gambled
some, and was as wild as young fell
low generally is. Though I generally
wore good clothes, my pocket book
was usually very fat. Well, when her
parents saw that my visits tothe daugh-
ter were growing frequent, they imme-
/ diately interferred. "You know my
child has been tenderly raised" said
her father, "and she cannot marry a
man who can not properly support her.
F.! I like you, but you see how it is. A
man should not marry unless he can
properly support his wife" The
mother was just as stern, and the
daughter was persuaded to fall in with
their plans. [ have laughed many a
time at fellow who was fool enough
!. to kill himself for girl. But that
was before / was in love myself. | see
it all now. But love stories have been
told so often that there is little inter
est in them. The girl Tilted me. The
last time saw her she cried a little
and even let me put my arm arouno
her waist. She loved me, she said
'but her parents wanted her to marry
l a middle-aged gentleman, and she
: could not disobey.'' IF she had tolt
: the truth she would have said that she
5 loved the middle-aged gentleman
: carr: age and pair and bank accoun
better than she did me, and much bet
ter than she did him. 1 begged ano
pleaded, and got the same answer ev
cry time. I went to drinking harde
: than ever. / became a nuisance, if
+ had not beer before. One day I wa
u talking over matters with friend G
/ mine, named Jim Anderson, who al
s ways had more money and sense tha
) I had. I told Jim I was going to XII
!. myself. He laughed and sneered. ''Pl
X tell you what Ill do,'' I-said, "I'll il
r. sure my life for $4,000 in differen
g companies and make the policies owe
: to you. You pay me $2a06'a yea
for two years, let me have little hui
= rah for that time, and when it's oye
I'll agree to kill myself and you wi
e get the money. In thatwa you max
Il $4,000 and [ have some fun Jill
u laughed, but insisted, and finally "
drew up an agreement to that effect
re got out policies in the different life il
r surance companies. He holds the
IN and the agreement. He paid me $50
G a month during the last fifteen month
N although I don't believe that he ev,
a. thought of holding me to the agre
at ment. But he was of a speculati'
u turn of mind anyhow, and although
ne hardly believed 1 would kill myse
th he knew that if I had the money
ne would soon drink myself to death, al
ia he was willing to take the chance
m The time is not up yet, but Iguess |
en- / let him make the extra money. He
ne be surprised and not at all sorry. n
body else cares, for the girl | mentio
"a ed has since married the bank accoul
ler the carriage, and the middle-aged &c
tleman. This is no case of tempora
insanity, I have as much sense
er. anybody. I made a contract and |
81 carrying it out. Bury me Yherey
you like. There is S35 in my "
IN pocket, and that will pay expenses
my bill SO far.
,he {
&c MOTHER SWANS WORM SYRUP.'-In falli