Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-20
WANTED TO DIE.
ABSOLOM JOHNSON HACKS HIS NECK WITH A
JACK-KNIFE
Ia His Room in ChapGns Street Boarding
HOuse-Hs Has Rather
Close Call

At noon yesterday the occupants of
boarding house at No. 1854 Chapline
street, were Mortified by hererort that one
of the boarders had attempted to commit
suicide, in his room. He was discovered a
few minutes before II o'clock by servant
girl who had gone up stairs to wake
boarder who had been up late the night
before. As she knocked on the door she
heard groans coming from the next room,
which was occupied by an old man. She
stopped and listened. when she heard
voice crying: "Oh, my God, I'm almost
gone" and then, "Wll nobody
Gomez Thinking that he might be
sick. she opened the door and
looked into the room. The window
blind was down, but through the indistinet
light she could see the old mans head
stretched upon the pillow. He was moan
ing and seemed to be in pain, so she step
ned TO the window and raised the blind,
when, on turning around, most sickening
sight met her view. The eounterpane and
a chair by the side of the bed were smear
ed with blood, drops of which were also
splashed over the floor, and vessel which
was setting on the chair was half full OF
dark. clotted blood. A blood-stained towel
WAS wrapped about his neck. while
a dripping knife which was lying on
the window-sill at the head Of the bed full
ly explained the scene.
Rushing down stairs where the inmates
A. L baro1 arnnnn the din
ner table, the girl gave the alarm and
soon the room was filled with Ooarders
aud members of the landlady's family.
DR.. Diekey was summoned and while
waiting for him they made the man as
easy as possible with pillows, etc. He
said that he had cut himself and wanted
to die. He also said that he had tried to
make his way down stairs after intllctlng
the wound, for a drink of water, but that
he found himself too weak and came back
to lie down again.
The doctor soon arrived, and after clear
ing the things away from the bedside, ne
unwrapped the towel from the old mans
neck, showing an ugly wound just under
the lower Jaw ON the right side. His neck
was hacked and gashed in several places
around one large bloody cash about two
inches long, from which clothed blood was
oozing. For moment the doctor feared
that the jugular vein had been severed,
but after sponging away the blood, he dis
covered that the vein was untouched. The
wound was deep and he stated that if the
knife had cut but an eighth OF an inch
farther back it would have struck
the carotid artery and the jugular
vein and almost instant death would have
been the result The knife which was used
was a common bone handled penknife with
a blade about two and half inches long
The blade was very dull and both blade
and handle were covered with blood, show
| ing that it must have required much effort
to inflict the wound and from the ragged
appearance of the cash he had evidently
made several cuts before he was satisfied
with his work.
While the doctor was dressing and sew
ing up the wound, DR.. Garrison and JUS
tice Ankle arrived.
The man gave his name as Absalom
johnson and his age siKty-two years.
When asked where he lived, he said: "Oh,
everywhere; live all over the country"
He said he was boiler maker by trade,
but that he hadn't been able to procure
work for several mouths. The last sltua-
| ton which he held was at Springfield,
Ohio, and ne came from there to Wheel
| ing. He declared the cause for his at
tempt on his life was the scarcity OF work
and the difficulty of procuring means
to live and that he was sorry that
the knife wasn't sharper so that he could
have finished it," One of the bOarders
said that the old man had told him that he
had an uncle who was farmer living in
LoudOn county, Virginia, and on being
asked, the old man gave his uncle's post
Office address as Leesburg, but later in the
day he stated that it was LlOydsville.
The victim of the attempted suicide is
medium sized man, rather thin and ner-
vous looking, with bushy iron gray hair
and his chin and cheeks covered with gray
whiskers. He had been boarding at the
house only a week, but during that time
he attracted the attention Of the
boarders by his queer habits. He
passed most of his time in the house
and would set for hours before the fire,
staring at the Goals and apparently brood
| inc over troubles of some kind. He ate
very sparingly, and on last Wednesday he
refused to come to his meals, and from that
time until yesterday afternoon he ate al
most nothing. 1t is also said that he has
been drinking during the last few days,
which, in addition TO his trouble, may have
caused his attempt upon his life. The
wound, though painful, is not considered
dangerous, and as soon rs he is able to be
moved he will be taken to the Poor House.