Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-03
Taking Their Own Lives.

A case OF note was that of Thomas
Jefferson Rusk. of Texas, who was a
member of the Senate in 1885. and who
committed suicide Just after his retire
ment from that body by shooting.
Whether the story of Senator Risks
sricide Is as accurate as that OF Senator
King is uncertain, and it can only be
given as gathered but not as a matter
OF historical record. Senator Rusk was
very prominent in Texas, which State
he represented in the Senate. He had
Deen Secretary OF War IN the Republic
of Texas when it was . republic, and
had held other prominent positions
there. In the early history of Texas,
many of its citizens were, the story
goes, men who had found it convenient
to leave their former residences on ac-
count of incidents which law and good
society did not tolerate. The story
that this was the cause of Mr.. Rusk's
removal from South Carolina to Texas
has never been veSfed, but there was
such a story. 1t Is alleged that his
leath was the result of having this sort
of charge thrown against him in the
Senate during q debate. His suicide
vas by shooting, and occurred at his
home in Texas soon after leaving the
Senate.
A Kentuckian whose ilIustrious ex-
ample Mr.. Culbertson tried to follow,
was Congressman Hise, who represented
that State in the 39th Congress and had
been elected to the 10th. He had also
Aar 10
mala and had likewise taken a promi-
nent part in the negotiating party be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain Immediately preceding the
Clsyton-Bulwer treaty. His suicide
was supposed to have been the result of
monomania caused by overwork.
Still another Kentucky suicide was
that of James L. johnson, who was in
the 3Ist Congress. He killed himself
at Owensboro, ky., during it of
dependency caused by illness.
Whether Mr.. John Ewing, who rep
resented Indiana in the 23d and 25th
Congresses, committed suicide is not
stated in history, but his death was at
least curious one. He was found sitting
IN his chair at Vincennes dead, and the
following coupIet, freshly written, lay
beside him:
"Here lies 4 man who loves his friends,
Ills God, MS country, and YlncenneS-"
Felix Mcconnell, OF Mississippi, was
one of the most brilliant orators in the
2Sth and 29th Congresses. but Felix
had a weakness for liquor, so the story
goes, and after long spree cut his
throat in the st. Charles Hotel in Wash
mgton and died.
John d. Ashmore, of South Carolina,
was IN the 36th Congress, and was also
in the Confederate army. He blew out
his brains in 1871 at Sardis, Miss.
Williamson L. w. Cobb, of Alabama,
was an III. q. from 81 to '61, when he
withdrew on the secession OF Alabama,
and became a member of the Confeder-
ate Congress. His death occurred from
pistol-sh0t, the weapon being held in
his own hand, though that it was inten-
tlonaI suicide is not certain. The sup
position was that the discharge was ac-
cldental,
Hon. Hester Clymer, of Pennsylva-
MIA, who, not long since. was reported
as having fallen victim to apoplexy,
was a suicide.
James q, Lane, of Lawrenceburg.
Ind, a son OF Amos Lane, VINO repre-
sented that district III Congress. was
a Senator from Kansas from 1861 to
1866. He shot himself at his home
soon after his retirement from the Sem
ate.
Sobleski Ross, who was in the 43d
and 44th Congresses, from Pennsylva-
MIA, committed suicide shortly after
his retirement from Congress by shoot
ing In his barn at his home In Penn
sylyapia. Loss of heath and conse-
quent dependency were alleged as the
cause.
John White. of Kentucky, who was
in the 2ith, 25th, Goth, 9th and 2Sth
Congresses and was Speaker of the
House in the 9th, and an uncle of John
d. White, member of the present Con-
gress, committed suicide at Richmond,
KY, by cutting his throat.
Jesse y. Thomas, who was IN the 10Th
Congress from "1ndiana Territory"
who was later Senator from Illinois,
committed suicide in 1850 by cutting
his throat with razor because of men.
tai alteration.
Alfred P. Stone, who was in the 28th
Congress from the Columbus, O., dis
trict, was afterward appointed Collector
Of Internal Revenue, and having en-
gagged In some contraband cotton specu-
lsuon and become q defaulter, COM
mitted suicide upon the discovery of
this fact by taking poison He died on
the graves of his two children at the !
cemetery near Columbus In 1866. i