The Southern herald., 1885-11-28
SINGULAR SUICIDES
Wondsrfai Nerve SHOWN by Pso-
pls Wesry o. Lifs


cF undnabtsdly TIE records cf the Coron-
sr's 1dics Woaid eoatain ths nana Of mers
than one unfortunate ako, grown tirsi Of
nis. sought ohlivioa and relief ei earthly
cares hy making leap more terrible than
thas vbicA he Grseian lovers took = g.
stractiln.
Scma q tie mstsois employed by the
unfortunates who were weary Of lifs have
been sensat ensl Many o. them have
shown q wonderful nsrvs and . remark,
ahls Determination, while others have
been 50 carefully plaunsa as 70 very ma.
terially shake the theory that all suicides
srs the result Of adisOrdel brain. A few
Of the most notable instances are here
presented.
l. Fsnner vas young actor who lived
e. ] ,65l Ward street, in this city. Whna
laboriag under an attacS OF dsmsntia,
TIE result Of intense physical suffering,
be arose early on the morning OF Juie
ssh, 1855, and saturating bis body and
garments vita . can OF eoal oil went
into the yard and applied matea. He
had slHdsd his father and some friends.
who had been watching him, aud thsy
were startled BY bis unearthly yeliS.
They saw him envelopes 10 hames, w.ld.
ly declining passages from the last s,eae
Of Macbeth. Shortly after the Ore Led
been qaenched be began declaiming an.
other psssage and isll over dead.
Only ivo Or three years age one Of the
most determined suicides on record was
eonsummatsd on board the ferry-boat
Dauntless on the trip from this city to
Kaign's Point A middle-aged man swal-
lowed dose Of strychnlne, and immedi
ateiy on feeling the arst twingss Of its ac-
tion drew a revolver, and leaning over the
edge of the boat so that his BODY would
overbalance. nred q bullss through his
brain and dropped dead into the water,
where bis body was struck by the paddle
wheel Of the boat Old soldiers tell Of
man named Francis. who served during
the war in enc OF the Pennsylvania regi-
ments. In one OF the engagements he was
shot In the head, and was insane after his
recovery. One day be managed to get
handful Of powder and a piece Of fuse
about foot in length. He swallowed the
powder and then forced the fuse down his
throat He lit the fuse, intending to kill
himself by exploding the powder in his
stomach The fuse did not burn, however,
but sticking in his throat strangled him.
One Of the most remarkable cases which
have come within the jurisdiction Of the
Coroner's Office in this city is the follow.
ing; A few years ago a German tailor
lived in cours OF Poplar street, near
seeon. His. wife was perfect. vixen,
whose dreadful temper harassed the poor
tailor to such an extent that one day be
charged gun with powder, and filing
iarrel with water, placed the muzzls in
his mouth and fred, with the result that
be blew the top OF bis head. The widow
retained theweapon. In about year she
threw aside aer weeds and again donned
oFangp blossoms. taking to her bosom and
her late husbands board another ninth
part of man. Soon the termagant, by
her vixenish practices, drove her second
spouse to the Same desperation, he using
the same gun, and. usih hg water instead Of
pellet, he, too, blew his brains against
the ceiling.
Suicides do not always take the readiest
or easiest means Of shutting of. Thus. a
barber 10 Frankford cut his throat during
a freak Of insanity. but instead Of using
sharp razor for the purpose took hacked
and rusty blade resembling more q saw
than razor, and lived through two hours
Of terrible agony after gashing himself.
Others have used pieces of tin and glass,
which are sometimes successful in produc.
ing wound that makes the suicide bleed
10 death. Another case Is that Of servant
girl, who, year or two ago, turned on the
gas, removed the burner, applied light.
and let the fame burn in her mouth until
she fell insensible She died next day.
Three years ago German tailor, living
on Olive street, below Thirteenth, took
apart a pair Of the scissors used in his
trade, and, locating his heart by feeling the
beat with his hand. placed the point Of the
blade against his breast, and, with the op-
posite end against the wall, pressed 1t until
the weapon penetrated to the heart and
pierced the lower lobe, when he fell dead
A Connecticut Yankee, intending to de
capitate himself, invented guillotine
with an old scythe.blade sharpened to Q
fine edge for the knife. The knife was
fixed at one end OF bar Of wood, which
was balanced on an upright post. On tbs
knife end was about two hundred pounds
Of old iron, balanced by bucket of water
A small hole was bored in the bottom Il
the buck i to allow the water to escape
and when the intending suicide had copA
pleted his arrangements he lay down un
der the knife, with spongs saturated
with chloroform to his nose, for the pur
Pose of producing Inssnsihllity Wber
the wateF had escaped from the bucket ths
weighted knife was brought down forcibll
On bis neck and completely severed th,
head from the trunk.
CoronerS offices, in investigating case
Of both suicide and sudden death, some
times have curious experiences. Nv,
years ago big. burly negro hung him
self IA house on Lisls street. Dap
uty Coroner Ashbridge and Clerk Dngan
who was then messenger, went out 70 in
vessigate it. They had been told to Sd t
the third story, and Dugan advancing up
stairs IN the dark, being unaware that th
suicide had suspended himself from th,
bannissers, ran in;o him. The body wa
clad only II white undefcio thing, and tn
messenger, startled on beholding the spec
trai fg1r !, rushed down-stairs. There wer,
two policemen present, and Mr.. Ashbridg
directed one Of them to cut the body down
he did so, and the suppressed air n es
Gaping from the lungs caused the corpse t
groau horribly. The officer stood aghas