The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-03-09
no ANIMALS conAsr sUrcrDs,


Dsgs aaa Mersss-ms The sesrpiss 0ttnss
Itsslf - Death when sssrsuaAea b. FIRE.
Dogs hAvo sometimes acted very much like
suicides. and they are such intelligent and un-
Questionably to some ANAL oxtent reasoning
beings that II is natural to suppose that they
desire and intend the result which their actions
really and directly ana necessarily bring about.
Many oases are recorded Of their having been
found starved to death on the grave OF q beloved
master Some years ago In Paris was inter-
ested in the case OF dog who had drowned
himself in the Seine near one OF the bridges at
about the same spot where he had seen his
master the day bsfore do the same thing. Tho
master had jumped from the bridge with his
pockets weighted. - was presumed. from his
not rising again TO the surface. The next day
the dog returned to the place and from the shore
swan out to about the Same spot whore his
master had disaopeared. and then dved under.
and also was no moro seen. But this was not
necessarily suicide. though II was 80 called. He
may not improbably have boon simply search
ing for his master. and have remained so long
below that he was drowned and swept away by
the current. The dogs starving to death on tho
graves where all they loved had been buried had
not. / think. any purpose OF death. but may
have either remained watching and hoping for
the masters temperance. or clso for loves
sake could not tear themselves from the spot
before weakness from inanition supervened.
when thoy had no strength left to do so.
Do Quincy. ia his Essay on Suicide" mon
tions the case Of q young horse which was at
flrstsupposed to have killed himself by dash
ing his head against a stone wall. which. as
we'll as his skuli or neck. WAS broken by the
shook. But It was removed from the category
OF suicide by the explanation given by coun-
tryman who from the next field had observed
the doinRs OF the colt. Hs had bson tearing
about at full speed and at randoan over the
field. wild In the enjoyment Of tue exercise Of
his strength and fectness. and at one end OF 1t
there was q pretty steep descent. down which
he rushed. either blind to the danger OF the
wall At the bottom Of II. or not sufficiently alert
and alive TO II 70 wheel in time. The verdict OF
common sense in that case must 10 "acci-
dental death"
tApropos Of this. I remember having once
seen pretty sht on the then open fields OF
what 10 now populous Harlem. Mr.. Charles
Henry Hall had there a Emo country seat where
he was fond OF breeding race horses. There was
a large field for the exercise and training OF the
horses. on one sile Of which was a post. Two
horses we're alone in tho field. and walked de-
liberateiy up to this post, ranged themselves
side by side. and after a moments pause. on
some signal exchanged between themselves.
dashed of at the top Of their speed and ran q
spontaneous race round tho field. stopping at
what had been their starting post No whip
and spurs Of jockeys could have made them
strain their powers to their best more than they
seemed TO do. barcbacked and alone. in the on
joyment Of this beautiful horse play)
On the other hand. have read moro than
one story OF old and worn out horses which have
been seen to walk deliberately into tho water.
dip their heads into II. and hold them under
until they were drowned. Similar stories have
been told OF dogs. which have resisted attempts
TO save them. and persevered until they ha d
accomplished their purpose.
1t cannot DO denied that 1t is difficult to read
the chapter on suicide In the second volume OF
DR.. Lindsay work on Mind in the Lower An
imals' without boing impressed with the belief
that. however We may explain away many
cases. real suicides are committed by some OF
the lower animals when strongly impel cd to 1t
by passion or even by the te,iiUaritr That they
sometimes become insane. doubtless through
brain arrangement, seems certain. During my
residence in Portugal. one Of my carriage
horses. q noble and very good-natured black.
a. good under the saddle as In harness. began
to act SO strangely that my coaebmen advised
horses .'d:d some;lnss become crazy. losing sing
their wits OF Sc ist.. rs my horse seemed To he
doing. l had not sufficient confidence in the
theory to act on his moro experienced advice
attributins his conduct to other temporary
causes. Ii ended with his dashing the carriage
wif"'s life. and the conchman aud fo0tnan de-
clarihg That they would not sit behind him any
q some man killing horses probably proceeds
It Il dii,!ealt 70 conceive that even the most
Intelligent OF the lower animals can have an
distinct idea o! death no as to fee! a prom pting
to seek IN apnihilation an escape from despair
The dogs alteration OF the master. who Is u
god to him; seems indeed a germ, destined to
9 ha rsKSlss
idea probably ever enters his little mind of Lis
ever ceasinY to be. however familiar he may be
subsequent disappearance; But, though. he
thinks OF no future. for good or evil the instinct
tons o. s0f ntSss s " called By US nstiset
ducve TO his ph ysical well being and especially
to the health and preservation and Syolusion
1t not he possible that. without anything like
tho human individual CONSCIOUSNESS, there
may be intelligence inherent In and forming
ni1e snprsma @rest IL = 'n'
In Ss esed "yTS 81 sh 10 fsay s
| Sword Robert Buchanan. nrropos OF the death
Q, pct SEA from cruelty in,s'ed ih Wound
| pain OF human beings whose lips can speak =
arc the fatal pgnRs OF poor boasts that the
than our reason they know and feel the ap.
! proIch Of death, aud sonnet mos they seem &c
| love life weli-so we'll. they dare not die. Shal
wa weep by mortal ,deathbeds and keep dry
| eyes by those or shal. wo not rhther deem thai
tho shadow that darkens our hearts is terrible
| TO theirs. and that the blessing we ask upon
our last sleep sha!! be spoken On theirs rs vel
with the sane hoEe II awakening, with the
same poor Glenm Of comfort. with tho same
faith born OF despair in the presence OF tina
| grent darkness we cannot underestimate
! But there is one animal which inquest iOnnbi,
does kin itselfIthc scorpion, I had offer
| read that that little beast will stab himself t.
death with tho poison dagger in his tail wher
surrounded with circle OF Are. doubted the
| story, but it is true. Once Ut Havana. ] saw q
little black. plump. crawling reptile between
! two and three inches long making pretty uuicl
way across tho tiled floor OF u large parIor.
soorpioI!' was tho cry OF some relatives who
were to the manner born and no was soon i'm
prlsoned under the glass dome q q goblet. i
| wns curious then u witness the little creature
rage. He was evidently in q fury, dush,ng him
self against his TRANSPARENT glass walls. nnt
sometimes curling w his tail till tho nd touched
his head forming n vertical ring. But he die