St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-15
TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.
Gases Where the Crime of Suicide Has
Been Concealed.
A Man Who Died to Save His Fam
fly From Want.
Secrets Locked Up in the Breast OF
n Physician.

an old doctor, as he blew a funnel-shaped
cloud of smoke into the air above the heads
of group of friends who surrounded him a
few nights ago, land although reporters are
lynx-eyed and ubiquitous, and society at
large is keen in its scent of blood. many a
man goes down to his grave under death
self-infiicted."
And who knows of ito" asked one.
Occasionally the physician who has the
deceased in charge. Otherwise, nobody.
Let me tell you a story. In the year 1850
one of the most prosperous commission
firms in New Orleans was that of Smythe
q Smith. The summer was dull, and in
the fall Smith, the junior member of the
firm, ran away with ali the money on hand
and left Smythe to hold the bag and face
a crowd of bowling creditors. Smith had
done all the active work during the year
preceding, Smythe. an old man, Oply assist
ing occasionally by his presence. After
Smiths departure, it was seen that he had
gone 10 work Systematically to ruin his
old partner, and had succeeded most damn
ably. Smith went to Canada, or TO Europe,
or TO Auckland, or somewhere, and has
never been heard of since. Smythe went
home and told his fashionable wife and his
stylish daughters that the reports that had
already reached them concerning the col
lapse of the firm We're true, and that they
were all penniless. People whose parents
have been poor, who have always been Door
themselves, and never expect to be any
thing but poor, think they know what pow
erty means, but they never sink to so low
depth as those who arise in the morning
with the knowledge that they have but to
wish for athing 10 have it, and who go to bed
Lii IL
has vanished; that the very bed they lie OH
is not their own, and that week hence, or
few days hence, they may be in need of
sustenance. This is poverty and there is
NO MISERY so GREAT AS IT.
Smythe's family consisted of his wife.
only a few years his junior; her mother, a
Septuagenarian; two daughters, grown
young ladies. who had never known what It
was to want anything, and three sons, one
an invalid and the other two under age. He
was over go years of age himself, his fam
lily were helpless without him, and the
shock of the failure had so unnamed him
rs TO deprive him of his usual good sense
His honesty remained, however, and he he
rOically sacrificed everything to his credit
ors. He made the great mistake of neg
lecting to rebuild his business, though. and
lily from his old friends. He secured EN-
ployment here as bOokkeeper in com
mission house, and eventually set his bows
To earning living. but he never recovered
from the blow inflicted by his heartless
partner. The family never lifted up its
head again. Through a system of pro-
tracted visits the young ladies managed to
live off their wealthy relatives, who were
anxious to care for them, but whose assist
ance the old man accepted sparingly. Thus
affairs went on for year, the old man buff
letting bravely the waves of adversely that
beat down upon him. No Spartan suffered
pain with more StOlidity than he. and those
who knew him saw nothing of his suffer
ingS. Ii seems, however, that Smythe had
one star ahead of him whose rays kept him
up. Hehad had the good sense to assume
a heavy life insurance when he was pros
porous, and after his failure he wrote to a
well-known grain speculatOr in New Or
leans with regard to keeping up the pre-
MUM on it, the understanding being that so
much OF the Insurance money after Smythe'S
death should go to the Spectator and so
much TO the heirs. \ document to that
effect had been drawn up, and this it was
that had.been all along the old mans guer-
don. Well, not to be prolix, let me say
that was called in to see Smythe one day
in the spring of 1888. 1 found him TO be
utterly Frustrated. He had worked him.
self out and
HIS STRENGTH WAS GONE.
why did you do this?' 1 asked him.
why did you not take a rest when YOU felt
this coming on? He smiled sadly, but did
not answer. i attended him closely, and
during my visits saw what I've seen in a
70 h,rt s,,r
less light as this. What little milk of hu-
man kindness that had flowed in the breasts
of the female members of the family had
SOured when misfortune came, and the pa
tient, brave old man, instead of having
been met with encouragement, had had to
listen to reprOacheS and TepiningS day after
day, until not only was the body weary but
the spirit dropped. Never during his long
illness did the wife or daughters relent and
as their poverty deepened their SelfishneSs
and cruelty grew. For time il appeared
as if he could not recover, but his wonder
full vitality held him up and he gradually
grew better. 1t was evident that he would
never be able to work again, and one day,
after much solicitation on his part. l told
him so. He was then moving about in the
little house with the aid of = cane and as
l spoke the words his face fell. and leaning
his head on his cane. the poor old man burst
into tears. ! held his wasted frame in my
strong arms and beSought him to have cOur-
age, TO lift up his head again and try to
WOO fortune back, but he could not be con-
soled. l felt badly at parting with him, for
l admired the grandeur OF the old mans
character, and as my services were no
longer needed felt that L should see but
little more of him. Come to my office Oc-
casionally, said, in bidding him goOd-by.
He shook his head sadly and hObbled
back to his room.
1.-Two mornings afterward / had a tefe-
phone call from the Smythes. Mr.. Smythe
was dead, they said, and would | please
come up and see about it. l went up. The
body of the old man was still in bed. He
had
DIED DURING THE NIGHT.
was surprised at this, for his condition
when / saw him last would Indicate that he
would drag through many years of life yet
L looked at his body. There was an unus-
ually rosy flush i'm the skin. This surprised
me. and l looked at his eyes. The pupils
were contracted. \ dull, cruel suspicion
crept into my brain. l investigated fur
Their. The body was as rigid almost as a
bar of iron. Here were all the symptoms
of poisoning. L called Mrs. Smythe into
the room. The poor, weak, vain woman
oOked at me like frightened animal. Il
am afraid there will have to be an autopsy
here, Mrs. Smythe,' said l. Il cannot GER
tify TO the cause of death clearly without
one With this the unfortunate woman
dropped on her knees beside the bed and
huriad her face with mOan in the he'd