The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-11-13
SINGULAR SUICIDES.
Wonderful Nerve and Determination Shown
by People Weary Of Lite:

Wonderful Nerve and Determination Shown
by People Weary Of Lite:
Philadelphia has no Vendone col
umn, says The News of that city, or
undoubtedly the records of tho coro-
ner's Office would contain the name of
more than one unfortunate who, grown
tired Of life, sought oblivion and relief
of earthly cares by making leap
more terrible than that which the
Grecian lovers took to destruction.
Some of tho methods employed by
the unfortunates who were weary of
life havo been sensational. Many of
them have shown wonderful nerve
and a remarkable determination. whilo
others have been so carefully planned
rs to materially shake the theory that
all suicides are the result of disorder
ed brain. A few of the most notable
instances are here presented.
l.. Fcnncr was a young actor who
lived ut 1,G34 Ward street in this city.
While laboring under an attack of
demcntia, :he result of intense physical
suffering. he arose early on the morn.
ing of June 3. 1888, and saturatlng his
body and garments with can of coal
oil went INTO the yard and applied IL
match. He had eludcd his father and
some friends, who had been watching
him. and they were startled by his
unearthly yells. They saw him en-
velopcd in flames wildly dcclaiming
passages from the last scene OF Mac
both. Shortly after the fire had been
quenched he began declaiming anoth-
cr passage and fell over dead.
Only two or three years ago ono of
tho most determined suic dcs on record
was consumated ON board tho ferry
boat Dauntless on the trip from this
city to Kaign's point a middle aged
man swallowed Il dose of strycIlnine,
and Immediately on feeling tho first
twinges Of its action drew revolver,
and leaning over the edge of the boat
so that his body would ovcrbalancc
fired a bullet through his brain and
dropped dead into the water, where
the body was struck by the paddie-
wheel Of the fcrrv-bOat. Old soldiers
tell of man named Francis, who
served during tho war in one of the
Pennsylvania regiments. In one of
the engagements he was shot in the
head, and was insane after his rccov-
cry. Ono day he managed TO get IL
handful of powder and Il piece OF fuse
about foot in length. lie swallowed
the powder and then forced the fuse
down his throat. He lit tho fuse. in
tending to kill himself by exploding
tho powder in his stomach The fuse
did not burn, however. but sticking in
his throat strangled him.
One of the most remarkable eases
which have come within the jurstlic.
tion of the coroncr's Office is the fol-
lowing: A few years ago 81 German
tailor lived in n court oil Poplar street,
near Secon. His wife was a perfect
vixen, whose dreadful temper harassed
the poor tailor to such an extent that
one day he charged Il gun with pow
der, and iilling tho barrel with water,
placed til" muzzlc in his mouth aud
fired. 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 II man. Soon
the termasant. by her vixcnish prac-
ticcs. drove her second spouse to the
same desperation, hc using the same
gun, and using water instead of Il pei
let, he too blew his brains against the
ceiling.
Suicides do not always take the
readicst or easiest means OF shulllinr
of. Thus, a barber OF Frankfort cut
his throat during Il freak Of ms J. ty,
but instead OF using u Sharp razor for
the purpose took n hacked and rusty
blade resembling more saw than Il
razor, and lived through two hours of
terrible agony after gashing himself.
Others have used pieces of tin and
glass, which are sometimes successful
in producing wound which makes
the suicide bleed to death. Another
case is that of Il servant-girl, who. y
year or two ago. turned on the gas,
removed the burner, applied light,
and let the flame burn in her mouth
until she fell inscnsible. She died
next dav.
Three years ago q German tailor,
living on Olive street, below Thir-
teenth. took apart pair of the scis-
sors used IN his trade. and, locating
his heart by feeling the beat with his
hand. placed the point of the blade
against his breast, and with tho oppo.
site end against the wall. pressed un-
til the weapon penetrated to the heart
and pierced the lower lobe, when he
fell dead.
A Connecticut Yankee, intending to
dccapitate himself, invented IL guillo.
tine with an old scythe- blade sharp.
enod to fine edge for the knife. The
knife was fixed at one end of bar of
wood, which was balanced OH an up.
right post. On the knife end was
about two hundred pounds Of old iron,
balanced by a bucket of water. A
small hole WAS bored in the bottom Of
the bucket to allow tho water to cs-
cape, and when the intending suicide
had completed his arrangements he
lay down under tho knife, with Il
sponge saturated with chloroform to
his nose for the purpose OF producing
inscnsibility. When the water had
escaped from the bucket the weighted
knife was brought down forcibly on
his neck and completely severed tho
head from the trunk.
Coroncrs' officers. in investigating
cases of both suicide and sudden
death, sometimes have curious cxpori-
!