The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-10-30
MORPHINE AND MYSTERY.
Journey ola Hebrew to the ''Undiscovered
Country from a Deadly Dose Ad-
ministered by Himself

Journey ola Hebrew to the undiscovered
Country" from Deadly Dose Ad-
ministered by Himself
What does man want to kill him
self for. All! that is hard question
to answer. Some there are who find
life so hard fight, so desperate bat
tie, that rather than endure burden
that no sweet-voiced whisperings of
hope promise will ever be lifted from
their weary shoulders prefer to take
the fatal step that ends everything so
far as this life, at least, is concerned,
and shuttle off the mortal COLI in the
blessed certainty of securing at least
one glorious treaSure-Test. Some
men kill themselves for love, others
because they have lost their money in
a broken bank, others-wel, the list
of causes would be too tedious to
enumerate now. Its queer subject.
anyhow, and an interesting theme for
contemplation and study, and hundreds
there are to day, no doubt, of
wretched men and women in this
broad land who daily debate with
themselves the solemn question, "to
be or not to be-"
Last Friday young man, between
twenty-five and thirty years of age,
landed in Austin, and going to the
Southern Hotel registered as William
Bache. of New Orleans. He was neat
" dressed, of pronounced Hebrew
physiogomy, and looked as if he might
be a commercial traveller. Tuesday
night he was complaining of feeling
unwell, and Mr.. Mcintyre, the propri-
etor of the house, carried him some
blackberry wine, which he drank with
evident relish. The next morning the
negro porter went to arouse him for
breakfast, and, meeting with no re-
Spouse to his calls, opened the door.
The poor fellow was lying in very
cramped position, with u profuse per-
spiration all over HE face, and the
alarmed darkey, thinking him dead,
ran down stairs hurriedly to inform
his employer. He was not dead, but
dying. DR.. @. @. Smith being sum-
moned to his bedside, after short
examination announced that owing
to the dilation of the eyes, and the
presence of some particles of morphine
found near the bed, the patient had
taken dose of that potent drug. He
resorted to the usual remedies, but the
man was past hope, and at 2 o'clock
a. m. yesterday he lay a corpse.
AS before stated, his name as it ap-
peared on the register was William
Bache, but some private letters writ
ten to different parties that were
found in his trunk were signed VIII
liam Bissinger, in hand very like that
in which he registered. Was that his
real namep Nobody knows. He
was retlcent about his af-
fairs, talking but very little
to anybody. Did he mean to kill him.
self, or was his taking off the result
of an accidentp That, too, is a mys-
terry. The parties to whom the letters
(never posted, though dated July,
1880 were addressed lived in New
Jersey, and kilograms were sent them,
but came back here, as they were not
delivered.
Some charitable Jewish gentlemen
of the city took charge of the remains
of their unfortunate countryman. A
corouer's jury returned a verdict in
accordance with TIE facts as above
stated. and that was the last of the
unknown. The mystery surrounding
his death sinks into insignifcance be
side that greater mystery, that ever
death itself may be powerless to solve