The Dawson journal., 1885-06-04

THE ALBANY SUICIDE.
Nr. Frederick Lehman Takes an Over
dose Of Morphine.

From the Albany papers we get
the full particulars OF the suicide
of Mr.. Lehman, mention of which
was made in last Thursdays JOUR-
NAL. "Mr. r.Lehman had been drink
ing heavily for some time, and his
brain had become affected. For
several days he had been talking
of self-destruction, but as he often
talked that way when under the
influence of whiskey, very little
was thought of it. Friday night
he went to Welch & Agar's drug
store and asked for fifteen grains
of morphine "for family pur-
poses" Mr.. Lunday,the prescrip-
tion clerk, who measured the drug,
suspected nothing wrong until, as
Mr.. Lehman, after paying for it,
walked out with his purchase mut-
tering to himself. Mr.. Lunday
Immediately went to Mrs. Lehman
and told her of the transaction,
advising her to have her husband
watched. Accordingly, one of the
sons, Frank, was constantly with
his father until all danger was
thought to be past. Knowing
that he was watched, Mr.. Lehman
showed the usual cunning of a
madman; he pretended to have
lost the morphine, accusing some
member Of the household of hav-
ing stolen it while he slept. He
gave boarder in the house so
cents to buy him another dose,
and upon being refused, he threat
ened to drown himself, saying,
"you can't take the river from me-"
Saturday he continued drinking,
and went to bed Saturday night
in a drunken stupor. His son
stayed by him until he slept
soundly, and then being satisfied
that he was safe until morning,
went to bed himself. Sunday
morning his wife looked in on him
several times, but as he appeared
to be sleeping soundly she would
not disturb him. About s O'Clock
they went to call him to break
fast, and found him under the in
duence of morphine. Some one
of the house remembered having
heard him get up about three
o'clock, and it is supposed
that he took the drug then. DR..
Strother was Immediately called
in, and though he knew it to be a
a hopeless case, he used every
means that science and skill could
suggest to resuscitate the dying
man. But it was all to no pur-
pose, and about 9 o'clock all was
over.
His mind had been giving away
for some time, and his family had
almost decided to send him to ali
asylum. Saturday he was so vio-
lent that his wife was advised to
have him restrained in the guard
house, but she refused to do SO,
prefering to keep watch over him,
rs they had often done in similar
attacks, until his reason returned
He seemed to constantly brood
over the recent murder and sui
eide in Cuthbert, frequently argu-
ing that Mr.. Russell had a per-
feet right to take his own life, but
not that Of his children. That af-
fair, acting upon mind already
diseased, no doubt prompted the
terrible act. Seven or eight years
ago, under precisely similar cir
cumstances, he attempted to take
his own life, but after having tax
en- themorphine he became fright
ened and went to Dir. Young, a
physician, who lived here at that
time, begging him to use some
means to stop the action of the
poison. 1t was done, and since
then his family have had no APP
prehension Of his ever again at
tempting like act, though he Of
ten threatened to do so. Satur-
day he made every preparation
for death, dividing his tools among
his boys, writing a letter to almost
every member of his family, in
cluding a sister in Illinois; even
partially preparing his body for
burial. His family knew all of
this, but he had acted in the same
way many times before, and they
were confident in the belief that
he would have neither the means