Sharp County record., 1885-07-23
SIXTY-TWO SUICIDES.
Shooting Declared to Be the Most
Popular Method.
Premeditation Generally Actuates the Sui
cide-Few Colored People-More Men
Than Women-No Day, No Wealth
er, the Favored Time.


If policeman or morgue attendant
were asked what sort of weather sui
cides select as the most preferable to
open the door and 60 out, they would
most likely answer dark, murky,
gloomy, rainy days, when the weather
depresses the spirits as low as the mer-
curry in the barometer. "But that's
where l think they'd be doing wrong" "
observed Coroner Carrick. as he sat in
his Office yesterday waiting for the wit
nesSes IN case where a 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;
"T've found that when people get ready
to commit suicide they don't wait either
for the sunshine or clouds. but 90
ahead and do it. There is a heap
of nonsense that has both been
written and spoken about suicides.
For instance, there are a great
many cases reported temporary insanity.
Most of them 60 at their work deliber-
ately, plan it for weeks and months, and
then when the faLoorable moment ar
rives off they 60. Why, l have a case
in mind now of lady; she had been in
her day a great belle; had received
many offers of marriage; lived in a
brown-stone front ald was Graded in
the lap of luxury and fed with the silver
spoon of atfluence. 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
friendsp 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 to 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 a3 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. L
wish / was an infidel or a Catholic, be-
cause in the first instance l would not
care what became of me, and in the
next l would purchase absolution.
1.-The fear of being doomed, no doubt,
deters many one from taking his own
life am not prepared to say that
there are not moments in all persons
lives when trouble so overpowers 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 to 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
tney uOlu uedr lS lOSI, dHo tuc Wollu
has no more pleasure for them.
"The main causes that impel people
to commit suicide can be classified un-
der three heads. The most important
one is liquor. Probably not less than
one-half of the people who commit sui
eide do so after debauch. The next
motive is the infiction of an incurable
disease, which produces despondency.
The third is lack of employment, no
work, financial distress Very few peo-
pie commit suicide unless impeled to
do so by one of the above causes. The
theory that any religion or any sect is
exein pt fTeo1izi from self self murder Is another
popular lunacy. 1t is true that few
colored people commit suicide, only
three during Coroner MuscroftS
administration and the six months
of my own, and one of these, In
galls. the condemned murderer, simply
anticipated the Sheriff and saved the
county expense There was not more
than two per cent. in Philadelphia for
eioht wears; out of six hundred and
eight-eight only eight colored people
suicided. The reason is to be found IN