National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-11-07
SINGULAR SUICIDES.
Wonderful Nerve and Determination
shown by People weary of life.

shown by People weary of life.
Philadelphia has no Vcndome column, says
the News If that city, or undoubtedly the
re- cids Of the curouor's Office would contain
The name uf more than one uniortumatewho
grown tired Of lifc, sought oblivion and re.
EFF Of earthly cares by making leap more
terrible than that which the Grccian lovers
took 10 destruction.
SCmc Of the methods adopted nv the un.
fOituGntCs who were weary Of lie have
been sensational. Many OF them have
shown wonderful nerve and u rcmlTSa-
lie determination, while others have been
so carefully planned as TO very materially
shake the theory that all suicides are the
result Of dsordcfed brain. \ few Of the
most notable instances are here presented.
l.. FenGCr was young actor who lived at
iCiA Ward street, in this city. While labor
ing under an attack Of dementia, the result
Of intense physical suffering, he arose early
in the morning Of June q, 1893, and, satur.
atrg his body aud garments with can Of
CCul oil, went into the yard and applied
match. lie had cludcd his father and some
fricrds, who had been watching him, and
they were startled by his uncarthly yells.
They saw him envcopcd In flames wildly
GcclRlmlnC passages from the last scene Of
macbeth" Shortly after the fire had been
qucnchcd lie began dcclnming another
lOtsOGc Nnu lcil ucuu,
Only two or three years ago one OF the
most determined suicides on record was
contaminated on board the ferry boat
DauntlCss ON the trip from this city to
kaign's point. A middle.agcd man swal-
lowed dose Of strychnnc, aud immedl-
Ntcly on feeling the first twings of It's
action drew n revolver and leaning over
the edge Of the boat so that his body would
OvCrbalnuCe fired n bullet through his brain
a f,ttA 10 tVhn
the hody was struck by the paddlcwheel OF
the ferry boat. Old soldiers tell OF man
rrmcd Francis, who served during the war
In one Of the Pennsylvania regiments. In
ore Of the engagements he was shot in the
head, and was Insane after his recovery.
One day he managed 10 get n handful OF
powder and piece Of fuse about foot IN
length. lie swallowed the powder aud
then forced the fuse down his throat. lie
III the fuse, intending to kill himself by
exploding the powder In his stomach. The
fuse did net burn, however, but sticking In
his throat strangled him.
One Of the most remarkable cases which
have como within the Jurisdiction of the
coroner's officers In this city Is the following:
A few yeats ago German tailor lived in a
court off Poplar street, near Second. His
wife was perfect vixen, whose dreadful
temper harassed the poor tailor to such an
extent that one day he charged a gun with
powder, and filling the barrel with water
placed the mu2Ele in his mouth aud fred
with the result that he blew the top oil his
head. The widow retained the weapon. In
about year she threw aside her weeds and
again donned orange blossoms, taking to
her bosom and her late husbands board
another ninth part of a man. Soon the tenn
permanent, by her viSenish practices, drove
her second spouse TO the same desperation,
lie using the same gun, and, using water in
stead Of pellet, he too blew his brains
against the ceiling.
Suicides do not always take the rcadicst
or easiest means OF shullllng of. Thus, II
barber In Ffankford cut his throat during n
freak OF insanity, but, instead of using q
sharp razor for the purpose, took hacked
and rusty blade resembling more u saw than
a razor, and lived through two hours Of ter
rhlc agony after gashing himself. Others
have used pieces Of tin and glass, which are
sometimes successful In producing wound
that makes the suicide bleed to death. An
other case is that OF q servant girl, who, n
year or two ago, turned on the gas, removed
the burner, applied the light and let the
flame burn in her mouth until she fell in
sensible. She died the next day.
Three years ago German tailor living
ON Olive street, below Thirteenth, took
apart pair Of the scissors used in his trade,
and, locating his heart by feeling the beat
with his band, placed the point Of the blade
| against his breast, and, with the opposite
end against the wall, pressed until the
weapon penetrated to the heart and pierced
the lower lobe, when he fell dead
| A Connecticut Yankee, intending to de
| capitatc himself, invented q guillotine with
an old scythe blade sharpened to fine edge
| for the knife. The knife was fixed at Que
end Of bar Of wood, which was balanced
| ON an upright post. On the knife end was
| lie 49, al irnt, hal m
bucket Of water. A small hole was bored
| in the bottom of the bucket to allow the
| water TO escape, and when the intending
suicide had completed his arrangements hl
lay down under the knife, with sponge
saturated with chlOroform to his nose fol
the purpose of producing insenslbility
| When the water had escaped from thu
bucket the weighted knife was brough
down forcibly on his neck and completed,
severed his head from his trunk
Coroncrs officers in Investigating case
of both suicide and sudden death, some
times have curious experiences. Two year
ago n big burly negro hung himself In
house on Isle street. Deputy Coronc
AshbIidgc and Clerk Dugan, who was thel
messenger, went to investigate IL. The!
had been told to 90 to the third story, an(
DugAn advancing up stairs in the dark, be
ing unaware shat the suicide had suspende,
himself from the bannisters, ran into him
The body was clad only in white under
clothing, and the messenger, startled on he
holding the spectral figure, rushed dow
stairs.
There were two policemen present, an,
Mr.. Ashbridge directed one OF them to GU
the body down. lie did so, and the sup
pressed air in escaping from the lung
caused the corpse to groan horribly. Tn
officer stood aghast for a moment and the
fed. Mr.. Ashbrldge had great trouble i
convincing him OF the real cause of til
groaning
Boys Newmarket overcoat. Eiseman, 7th &