West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-07-31
SIXTY-TW0 SUICIDES.
Shooting Declared to Be the Most
Popular Method.
reconciliation Generally Actuates the Sui
cide-Few Colored PeopIe-More Men
Than Women-NO Day. No Wealth
er, the Favored Time.

III polccman or mOrgue attendant
were asked what sort of weather sui
cides select rs the most preferable TO
open the door and go out, they would
most likely answer dark, murky.
gloomy, rainy days, when the weather
depresscs the spirits as low rs the mer-
curry IN the barometer But that's
where / think they'd be doing wrong"
observed Coroner Carrick, as he sat in
his Office yesterday waiting for the wit
nesses IN case where man who had
overloaded his stomach with beer. and
owing TO over-squeamishness went out
and unloaded his stomach over the low
iron railing, lost his balance and stove
in his skull instead of using the floor:
''lve found that when people get ready
to commit suicide they don't wait either
for the sunshine or clouds. but 90
ahea1 and do it. There Is a haap
of nonsense that has both been
written and spoken about suicides.
For instance, there are great
many cases reported temporary insanity.
Most OF them go at their work delber-
ately, plan it for weeks and months, and
I. en- when the favorable moment ar
rives off they 90. Why, have case
IN mind now of lady; she had been in
her day great belle, had received
many offers of marriage; lived in
DrOwn-Stone front aad Wqs cTadled i'm
the lap of luxury and fed with the silver
spoon OF aiiluence. Well, she let her
opportunities pass, and by-and-by felt
old age crawling over her. Most pitt
ably she said: why, where are all my
trendsP No one comes TO see me now.
No one takes me out to the opera
There is no use in my living Then
her eyesight began 10 fail her and she
became more gloomy and despondent
as the loneliness of maidenhood pressed
upon her. One day she retired TO her
blue bordered boudoir, laid herself out.
and quietly went to sleep to wake no
more. Now, what could do in such a
case? The feelings of the family must
be considered. OF course, the verdict
was temporary insanity mental aber-
ration Yet | am just aa much satisfied
In my own mind that that young lady
deliberately planned and carried out
her suicide as | am that you are sitting
here.
Belief in future state has much to
do with the prevalence Of suicides. Il
wish was an iniidel or a Catholic. be
cause IN the first instance / would not
care what became of me, and in the
next | would purchase absolution.
1.-The fear of being doomed, no doubt.
dcters many one from taking his own
life. i am not prepared to say that
there are not moments i'm all perVuns'
lives when trouble so overpowcrs them
that they seriously contemplate death.
! should say that eighty-hve per cent
do not believe in future state at all
They work themselves up 10 the belief
OF Hamlet. This is more so with
men than woman suicides Love and
blighted affection is frequently the cause
with women They feel that everything
they hold dear is lost. and the world
has no more pleasure for them
'Ihe main causes that impel people
90 commit suicide can be classified un-
der three heads. The most important
one is liquor. Probably not less than
ono-half Of the people who commit sui
eide do so after u debauch The next
motive is the inllicton OF an incurable
disease, which produces dependency.
The third is lack Of employment. no
work, financial distress. Very few peo-
pie commit suicide unless impelled 10
do so by one of the above causes. The
theory that any religion or any sect is
exempt from self-murder is another
popular lunacy IL Is true that few
cOlOred people commit suicide. only
three during Coroner Muscroft'g
administration and the six months
Of my own, and one of these. In
gals, the condemned murderer. simply
anticipated the Sheriff and saved the
county expense There was not more
than two per cent i'm Philadelphia for
eight years; out Of six hundred and
eight-eight only eight colored people
suicided. The reason Is to be found I'm
the happy frame Of mind they arc al
ways in They live for to-day. have no
care for the morrow, so they have
enough TO eat and drink Why. q nickel
VIII buy negro watermelon. and
he'll 90 ~ sleep on q plank
"NOw take the list Of suicides There
are siXty-twO in ALL The record of the
rest was destroyed iu the courthouse
fire, though this record embraces Coro-
ner MuscrOfts and my own admins
tration. OF the list Of males there were
torty-sevon,. of females fifteen Look
at the various modes they took of making
the roxits Nineteen shot themselves.
seventeen hung themselves. ten took
poison, eleven sought the cistern or
r.vor. and three cut their throafq
Hanging where stran0ulation cusucs
J believe painless death Al that YOU
ieilow put in about the l0lluV tongue
and glaring efeballs is all nonsense
lts lho child OF YOU newspaper hends