The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-07-19
A SAD SUICIDE.
GAN ANTONIO is THE SCENE.
An Impoverished. characterization Man
Deliberately Walks into the Valley
ofthe Shadow-His Touching
Letters to Friends.

SAN ANTONIO, July lS.-tSpecial. M.
+. Gilliland, originally from Georgia,
hut of late engaged in the sheep bust
ness at Sabinal, was found dead i'll his |
he'd at the Southern hotel this morning,
having committed suicide. He was
about 40 years of age, in bad health and
had very little money. He left a num-
her of letters behind, and on one OF
them had penciled note to the effect
that he had taken five grains
NJ morphine, and would soon have
departed, A 1 p. IN. he filed
another bulletin son the wall
nv his bed, stating shat he had taken an
additional four grains and felt sleepy.
His room was broken open this morning
and the body found on the bed in an I'M
sttired position and cold and stiff enough
10 indicate that death had occurred some
hours before. In order to disprove the
usual theory Of insanity, one of his let
tprs stated that he was never Saner in
his life. A letter TO the hotel proprietor
directed him where to get his money. 4
package of letters was sealed BY him
with a request that they j." inferred
without examination. One of his ant =
mortem documents is as follows:
southern Hotel, san Antonio, Ju'y l7.--IOhr
d.
Fargo 4 COS Express:
DEAR SIR:-Whcn you receive this
shall be in another world. You vii
please communicate to your sister Man
lie. the time, place and manner Suicide
of my death, provided she is still unmar
ried: if she is married, suppose such
communication will be uncalled for. Tn
Gus .ut ny death is long-cOntinued il
Ii dl.G aud nistortunes in business mat
Ida Of
note 10 Hiss Mantle is because / wish
avoid bringing her name into publicit
Nv connecting it with that of suicide
Twill be dead tomorrow.
Respectfully.
VI. l.. GII IILANY.
p S.--Flease say To Miss Mantle thu
the bible she gave me on Christine
night, 1879, has been with me in m
wandcrings, and tomorrow will be lai
in the grave with me, also the lettcl
and picture that | received from her
our interviews this summer three yea
ago. You may assure her, that mort
eyes, saye mine, have ney Q: seen Il en-
my knowledge, and | have every reasC
% think they have not. rs | always ha'
taken the most particular care OF thel
sealed and locked up in my trun
and now have them well e
veloped, with request that thu
may not he examined, aS they u
of no earthly importance to any one G
slpt myself and the writer. Tell yot
father that | shall remember him al
his family without exception with Il
most aifectionate regard till | shall cCa
10 have the power OF remembering II
friends. Please also communicate I
nows of my death to William ClaypC
and his estimablc wife, providing v
have no objections to doing so. Goo
bye. NJ. l.. GILdLAND
A letter addressed "ro whom 1t IN
concern" says:
A perilous passage maketh a p,
pleasant. a new port will be pleasi
sight TO my longing eyes. My intirr
ties are incurablc, and ha
not the means to associate with Tho
whom / love. My mind was ne'
clearer than il is now. die in that
not able to live. | have wandered
world over both old and new, and hi
come back to lay my bones under
shadow of the Alamo. My hands
not stained with the blood of my fol-
men. My sins have been rather
omission than commission. |
without an i'll will to n living soul ;
there il no one living that ] would
willingly do service. OF those who
have offended | humbly crave pard
am now very near to where the ri
of life flows into the deep sea of etorI
and | commend my soul to God.
NJ. l., GILLIAN