Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-12-06
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
An Insane Lads Singular Freak TO Insure
Self Destruction.

Carroll county, \. H., whenever the SER
vices of such an official are required,
was down at the pasture bars turning
out his cows, when he saw man coming
toward him across the fields. As the
man approached, the doctor recognized
him as II omas Deland, 4 well-tO-do
farmer of Blookfield township. "Doc-
tor, | want YOU to come over to cur
house." sal farmer Deland, in a voice
that told the doctor that something seTi-
GUS had happened.
"What is the matter; is your wife ill?"
asked the doctor.
Farmer Deland tried TO peak, but his
tongue refused its Office and big tears
rolled down his cheeks. 4 hard, rough
nan not easily moved they say but sone-
thing had moved him terribly, and his
rugged frame shook with emotions. It
was full minute before he could speak,
and tEen he said in broken voice,
"No, my boy has killed himself"
The doctors first impulse was to ask
how.
Burned himself to death on Il brush
heap. | want you to come over there as
physician and coroner"
No more was said, but the doctor got
into the farmers wagon and together
they drove sadly and silently over to
the Brookficld farm. All the neighbors
were there at the house, toe men talk
ing in low tones about the dreadful
tragedy and the women trying to COM
fort the heart broken mother. The boy
had left letter, they told the doctor
that he asked to see that first. When Mr.
Deland came into the house from the
barn that morning he required if Horace,
his sixteen -year-old son, who had re-
manned on the farm which the other
boys went away, was up, and the moth
er answered NO." and went to his room
to call hiu.. He was not there, but on
the table Was letter addressed to his
brother Arthur. Vague fears came to
the mothers mind, and tremblin ,ly she
broke the seal and read:
To ARTHUR-Suicide has been my
theme for long time. Lite is burden
and death will be QIere was blank
space of two lines.) | refuse to give the
reason for this. l very well know how
badly you all will feel about this. But
I must 90. You will Gnd me in the back
field. ii. W. ID.
Coroner Roberts read the letter, ahC
then lle went to the back field. accom-
i panied by Mr.. Deland, Selectmen Good
hue and Churchill and dozen # th'
| neichboring farmers. About third o
. mile from the house, over ridge, the.
( came to blackened, charred patch o
A ground about fifteen feet in diameter
I Bits of burnt wood were scattered abou
r the edges, and i'll the middle was
|. charred stump. Lying near the STUN
t was ehastly obiect-the shrlveled, dic
r torted form that once held the life G
4 young Horace Deland. The father follow
# ing the directions given in the letter, ha
> gone out carly in the morning to scare
for his son and had found the blackene
= empty case of him lying where the da
4 before had been a brush pile eight fee
s high. Nothing had been disturbe
L when the doctor reached the spot.
II poplar tree had been felled upon tn
a brushpile to hold it in place, a1d a b
it of the charred log remained, the tire
d having been too green to burn rapid,
- Around this log was fastened one en-
1t of a chain. the hitch having been mad
Ig by opening link, passing II throus
le another, and springing 1t together agar
N with stake. The other end OF IN
to chain was passed twice around the ie
Or wrist of the object lying there In u
er ashes, and H. aGe fast with paddock. :
I'd securely was the chain locked that IL
n doctor could not slip it over the shriv'
r. ed.hand. In the ashes. not lar ava
n vas fcurd the paddock key. A bit
strap and a buckle were under the ch
of the corpse-the remains OF str
which evidently had been drawn tig
about the heck.
,o "Hereis a razor" said somebody, pic
ing up a blade from the ground near u
body. The boy had been determin
as to leave nothing to chance IN his ter
IL BILE work.
- rbe selectmen asked the coroner II
~ intended to hold an inquest, and he
en- nlied that he could do so only at thu
to request and upon their representatnl
ill that an inquest was necessary II
bo story by the letter and the circumstant
" evidence was plain. ,
rm On Tuesday night HOrace Deland pa
Id his mother g goodnight" and retired
oof his room as usual. There he wrote l
note to his brother Arthur, and wait
'm' mill his parents were asleep. Then
aft stole Int of the house quietly, taking
1es his shoes to avoid wakening anybo'
he and going doYn to the pond he haul
ow mn his boat and detached the cham a
padlock. He had dwelt morbioly VI
ole the details, and be carried them out W
zen desperate determination.
its The coroner, having examined III
me-. utely all the traces that were lett, ar
nm m his feet. and, standing there IN
me- centre of that cbarred death circle,
ion looked into the facas OF the appal
and men about him, and said: III any
mes here thinks this is not suicide, let 1
fter ra,se his hand" NO hand was ran
re- All silently agreed with the discislon
II - ooro-er and so the question was