The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-04
guaersou gatelligeueer.
FAMOUS SUICIDES.
a List of CongreRsmen who Hnvo Died by
Their Own Hands.

congressman Cuiue-Isoui VI Aeh'uSAJ
who attempted suicide week ago, and
has been the subject Of 80 much com
ment, is on the high road to recovery
He will soon be in Kentucky looking
after his iron manufacturing interests
which are quite large. MIR. Culber.eon't
rash act recalls some interesting incidenl
of that nature among men who have
preceded him in House or Senate. One
of tho most prominent of those was the
suicide of the Hon. Preston King, who
for many years represented. tn. Stale OF
New York in the Senate OF the United
States. He was q large man in figure
and in heart, sort OF David DAVIS IN
person at least, and, like most persons OF
large weight, was tender.hearted and
sympathetic. He was appointed by
President Andrew johnson Collector OF
the Port of New York. after his retire.
ment from the Senate. The duties Of
that Office and the anDoyances OF it's ad'
ministration, particularly the appeals Tor
position, bore upon the mind OF klng,
and one day he was found missing.
Efforts to find him were, after week,
successful, when his body was found
floating in the river, attached to which
was twenty-five ,und bag OF phot.
The tender.hearted Collector, driven TO
desperation by the appeals of office seek
ers, had sought death in this manner.
The suicide of 80 prominent man in
such q, strange way created quite sensa
ton at that lime, and it Is we'll remem.
bered by old New Yorkers in government
service here yet. Another suicide OF note
was that of the Hon. Thomas Jefferson
Rusk, of Texas, who was a member Of
the Senate in 1886, aud who committed
suicide Just; after his retirement from
that body, by shooting. Whether the
story Of Senator Rusk's suicide is as nc.
curate as that of Senator King is uncer.
tain. Ii can only be given as gathered
here, and is not matter OF historical
record as il the case Of Senator King
Senator Rusk was very prominent in
Texas, which State he represented in tho
Senate. He had been Secretary OF War
III the Republic Of Texas when it was q
republic, and had held other prominent
positions there. In the early history Of
Texas many OF It's citizens were, the
story goes, men who had found II con.
yenient to leave their former residences
on account Of incidents which law and
good society did not tolerate. The story
that this was the cause of Mr. Rusk'a
removal from South Carolina to Texas
has never been verified, but there is q
story Of this sort. Anyway, be the facts
what they may have been, yet it Is
alleged that his suicide was tho result Of
having this sort Of charge thrown against
him in the Senate during debate. His
suicide was by shooting, and occurred al
his home in Texas soon alter leaving the
Senate. A Kentuckian whose illustrious
example Mr.. Culbertson tried TO follow
was Congressman Hise, who represented
Kentucky In tho Thirty. ninth 2ngress,
and had been elected to the 4'0rtieth.
He had also been United States Minister
to GuRtamala, and had likewise taken q
prominent part in negotiating o treaty
between the United States and Great
Britain, Immediately preceding the Clay:
ton.Bulwer treaty. His suicide was cup.
posed to have been the result of mono.
mania, caused by overwork. Still anoth.
er Kentucky suicide was that of james
l.. johnson, who was 10 the Thirty first
Congress. He suic;dsd at OwenSboro,
Kentucky, during fit Of despondency
caused by illness.
Whether Mr.. John Ewing, who repro.
sented Indiana in the Twenty.third aud
Twenty fifth Congress, 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 couplot, freshly writ
ten, leg beside him:
Here lies man who loves his friends,
His God, his country and Vincennea.
His death occurred in 1867. Felix
Mcconnell, of Mississippi, WAS one Of
ths most brilliant orators in the Twenty.
eighth and Twenty. ninth Congress; but
Felix had weakness for liquor, 60 the
story goes, aad after long spIeo cut bic
throat at che, st. Charles Hotel, in this
city, and died. John D. Abhmore, of
South Carolina, was in the Thirty.sixth
Congress, and was also in the Confeder.
ate army. He blew out his brains In
1871, at Sariis, Miss. Williamson II.
w. Cobb, Of Alabama, was member Of
Congress from 1867 to 1861, when he
Withdrew on the secession of Alabama
and became member of tho Confeder.
ate Congress. His death occurred from
piP:ol shot, the weapon being held In
his own hand, though that it was inten-
tional snicido Is not certain, tho supposl.
tion being that the discharge Of the ps.
to. was accidental. There have been
rumors here of late that the Hon. Hies.
ter Ciymer, of Pennsylvania, who q few
weeks aince ws3 reported as having fall.
en- victim to apoplexy, really died by
his own hand; this, however, has not
been confirmed.
James Il. Lane, OF fLawrencebuig, Iud.,
a son of Amos Lane, who represented
that district in Congress and was Sena.
tor ffom Kansas from 1851 to 1865, shot
himself as his home in Kansas soon after
his retirement from the Senate. Sobieski
Ross, who was In the Forty third aud
Forty. fourth Congresses, from Pennsyl.
vania, suicided shortly after his return
from Congress, by shooting, in his barn
at home, In Pennsylvapia; loss of health
and consequent dependence were alleged
aB the cause.
John White, of Kentucky, who was
in the TWenty.fourth, TWenty-fith,
Twenty.sixth, Twenty anu ITwsn.
ty.eight Congresses, and was Speaker Of
tho House in the Tyenty.seyenth, and
uncle of John D. White, member Of the
present Congress, committed suicide at
Richmond, KY, by quitting his threat.
Jesse B. Thomas, who wes In the Tenth
Congress from LLAMA Territory sho
was later onlSenator from Illinois, suici.
ded in 1850 by cutting his throat with
razor because Of mental alteration.
Alfred P. Stone, who was In the Twenty.
eight Congress from tho Columbus, Ohio,
district, was afterward appointed Collec.
tor of Internal Revenue and, having
engaged In some contraband cotton spec.
uiations and became a defaulter, suicided
I n rNv thu cf Il