Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-02-13
MSANITY's FREAK.
Burning Himself to Death In a.
Brush Heap.
How An Insane Lad Brought to His Dark
ened Mind surcease of fSorrowA-The
Result of Broodlng Over Do

Result Of BroOdlng Over Do
mestic Troubles.
rBoston Globe.l
Last Wednesday morning DIR. Roberts,
Of Wakefield, who acts as Coroner for Car
roll County, N. H., wheiiever the services
of such an official are required, was down
at the pasture bars turning out his cows,
when he saw a man coming toward him
across the fields. AS the man approached,
the doctor recognized him as Thomas De-
land, a well-to-do4 farmer of Brookfieid
Township. "Doctor, want you to come
over to our house, said Farmer Deland in
a voice that told the doctor that something
serious had happened.
whats the matter; is your wife fll?n
asked the doctor.
Farmer Deland tried to speak, but his
tongue refused its Office and big tears
rolled down his cheeks. A hard, rsEgh
man, not easily moved, they say, but
something had moved him terribly, and
his rugged frame shook with emotion. It
was a fnli minute before he could speak,
and then he said in a broken voice, aNo,
my boy has killed himself.u 80 -
The doctors first impulse was TO ask
how.
Burned himself to death on a 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 Brook
field farm. All the neighbors were there
at the house, and men talking in low tones
about the dreadful tragedy, and the
e,
broken mother. The boy had left let
ter, they told the doctor, and he asked to
see that first When Mr.. Deland came in
TO the house from the barn that morning
he inquired II Horace, his eighteen-year-
old son, who had remained on the farm
when the other boys went away, was up,
and the mother answered "No," and went
to his room to call him. He was not there,
but on the table was letter addressed to
his brother Arthur. Vague fears came to
the mothers mind, and tremblingly she
broke the seal and read:
To HUR:-Suicide has been my theme
for a long time. Life is a burden, and death
will be - (Herc was blank space oftwo
lincs) refuse 90 give the reason for this.
1 very well know how badly you all viii feel
about this. But must go. You will ind NE
In the Dack nel1. ii. W. ID.
Coroner Roberts read the letter, and then
he went to the back field; accompanied by
Mr.. Deland, Selectmen Goodhus and
Churchill and dozen of the neighboring
farmers. About third OF mile from the
house, over ridge, they came to a black
ened, charred patch of ground about fif-
teen feet in diameter. Bits OF burnt wood
were scattered about the edges, and in tho
middle was a charred stump. Lying near
the stump was CHASTITY objectzrthe shrivl
eled, distorted form that once held the life
of young Horace Deland. The father, fol-
lowing the directions given in the letter,
had gone cut early in the morning to
search for his sen and had found the black
ened, empty case Of him lying where the
day before had been brush pile eight
feet high. Nothing had been disturbed
when the doctor reached the spot. A pop
lar tree had been felled upon the brush
Pile TO hold it in place, and a bit of the
charred log remained, the tree having beer
too green to burn readily. Around this
log was fastened one, end of chain, the
hitch having been made by opening a link
passing it through another, and springing
il together again with a stake. The other
end OF the chain was passed twice around
the left wrist of the object lying there in
the ashes, and made fast with paddock
So Securely was the chain locked that the
doctor could not slip it over the shriveled
hand, In the ashes, not far away was
found the paddock key. A bit of strap and
a buckle were under the chin of the corpse
the remains of strap which evidently
had been drawn ii ght about the neck
"Here fsa razor" said somebody, pick,
ing up blade from the ground near the
body. The boy had been determined tC
leave nothing to chance in his terrible
work. 49,
The Selectmen asked the Coroner il ht
intended TO hold an inquest, and he re-
piled that he could do so only at their re-
quest and upon their representation thai
an inquest-was necessary. They did no
think it was necessary. The story tolC
by the letter and the circumstantial evi.
denee was plain.
On Tuesday night Horace Deland bad.
his mother "good might" and retired to his
room as usual. There he wrote the note K
his brother Arthur, and waited until hi
parents were asleep. Then he stole out o
the house quietly, trking off his shoes t,
avoid awakening anybody. and going dow1
to the pond he hauled up his boat and de
tachedy the chain aud paddock. He had
dwelt morbidly upon the. details, and h,
carried them ont with desperate determine
tion. - H
The Coroner having examined INFINITELY
all the traces that wero left, arose to hi
feet, and, standing there in the center o
that charred death circle, he looked int.
the faces OF the appalled, men about him
and said; ~If there is any one here VIII,
thinks this Is not q suicide, let him rails
/ his hand.p No hand was raised. Al
| silently agreed with the decision OF tn
Coroner, and so the question was settle,
without the formality of an official inquest
Why Horace Deland committed suicide
what were The Influences under which hi
mind lost its poise, what things he broode,
over in secret until they became dark
haunting terror, can only be sQrmised
Some time ago Mr.. Deland's eldest son
Arthur, got married. and Mr.. Delanr
offered to- give him deed of half tn
farm IL he would settle on the plac
and take care OF the old coupl
! for the remainder of their days. Arthu
declined the offer, but about four week
ago another son, Walter, heard of th
proposition and offeredt to take it. Whel
the subject was broached Mrs. Deland de
ciared that she never would consent {
Horhce's leaving home. Welter replie'
that he "did not see that it was any harde
for Horace to leave and seek work else
whore than it had been for the Others
Horace heard this, and from that momen
he appeared to be depressed and moody
Those who knew him in thevillage notices
that he was quieter and more preoccupie.
ia bis manner than was usual With him
but nobody realized the extent 70 whicl
his mind was affected by this morbi