Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-07-02
Curiosities of Suicide,

The record Of suicides in 1883 affords
interesting details of the 400 self
murders, as to age, cause, condition,
sex, locality, (dsy or night, and the
day OF the month.
The fact that, as compared with sim
liar previous records, the relations be-
tween the seasons of the year and their
suicidal statistics maintain a certain
degree of regularity, appear to demon
strate the further fact, noticed by scien-
lists, that violence and crime depend
largely Cd temperance.
Summer seems to be pre- emiDently
the suicidal season, and, although the
mania of self murder in 1888 showed a
decrease as compared with the previous
year, the summer months of each year
furnished the largest proportiOnate crop
of suicides.
As to the ages and impe!ling motives,
there are some interesting illustrations.
For example: The earliest age at which
the desire for seli-destruction manifest
ed itself IN the past twelve monts was
six years.
The Oldest person committing self
murder was ninety-four years of age.
As usual, the greatest number at
ages after twenty years were at inter
walls of FIVE years. That is to say, the
creates number. relatively, occurred at
the ages OF %, 30, 80, 40, 10, so, and
so on to the age of &C. The greatest
number occurring at any specific peri
cd of life was 81 at the age of 80
years.
There appears to be little change in
the suicide climacterics, SO TO speak.
In childhood the suicidal act generally
seems 10 be impelled by chagrin at pa
rental discipline. An illustration oc-
CURED in Utah last December, when a
young and sensitive lad swallowed poi
son because an hour before his father
had spoken GROSSLY TO him and threat
ened to punish him.
In the next period, love troubles
chiefly lead to self destruction next
family troubles and business cares pre-
cipitate suicidal rashnesS. and later on
causes vary from dissipation to disgust
at life, aud not intrequently in old age
suicides occur from Authorizations re-
suliing from second childhood. For ex-
ample a well do Kansas farmer hung
himself because he had conceived the
wholly unwarranted idea that he and
wife were coming to want and would die
in the poor house.
The aggregates as to known causes
or motives of more than one thousand
OF these suicides are as follows.
Business troubles, Ill; ehagrin at
parental discipline, l3; destituuon, 46;
dissipation, III; family trouble, 10 f.;
grief, 30 ; home sickness, I insanity,
276 love trouble. 81 +; pimple on nose,
Sickness, li9; to avoid assasslna-
tion, , undergoing or threatened with
punishment, 46 Some of these impell-
ing motives were both curious aud alb
surd
We are told that an Indian young
woman suicided in May because her
sweet heart took another young woman
on an excursion.
4 Pennsylvania school teacher swal
loved laudanum on account of au in
durable pimple on her nose, which made
her mOrbldly sensitive.
An Ohio politician, candidate for
office, committed suicide because he suf
fered defeat.
An Indiana candidate for office for
Mayor took his own life for the same
reason.
A Colorado millionaire, who squau-
dered his money in riotous living, shot
himself in a fit of desperation and dis
sipatiOn.
A New York German believed him
self bewitehed aud that all MS money
troubles were due to witches, and for
this reason destroyed himself.
\ Missouri criminal committed sui
from regret that, while he had killed
three men and one woman, he had not
killed two more
\ Tennessee student died by his own
hand because an examination of the
thought of the sncients convinced him
tba; mans life was his own property,
and 10 discredit attached to suicide
and so on.
As to the occupation Of these sui
cldes, it appears that farmers led the
list, no fewer than 22I such being re-
corded
Merchants come next, TO the number
of eighty seven.
OF lahOrers there we're sixty two, aud
of saloon keepers the number was for
ty-one
OF some other occupations the record
specifies
Physicians, twenty seven; politicians
twenty-five; comwercial travellers and
courtesans, twenty one each lawyers,
seventeen ; engineers, fifteen shoema-
kers, fourteen butchers, servants and
tsilors. eleven each jewellers and MI
ners, ten each tramps, masons, ma
chinests and journalists, eight each ;
school teachers and spectators, nine
each BARRIERS, carpenters, gardeners
and printers, seven each.
By an odd coincidence, an equal
number of judges, gamblers, cigar ma
kers, drug clerks, postmasters and wal
ters five each) took their own lives.
And, sad to say. four ministers find
place in the doleful record
As to sexs. the men are ahead by a
large msjOrly, there being l,OS3 males
and 326 females in the list.-Insurance
Chronicle.