Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-08-08
HIS LIFE A TOTAL FAILURE
SUICIDE OF 4. a. sBEIGHTER OF
THE PEOPLks' EIORARGE.
Five Reasons for Terminating n
Miserable ExisteBce-Tarriage a
Failure i'm the Suicides Case-Hse
Knew the Peoples Exchange Was
Crooked.



over the suicide OF L. A. S'eighter, the
young man referred to in the GA
zETTE last week in connection with the
Peoples Exchange Of Reading, Pa. No
prior intimation of his intention to com.
NIT suicide was given; no fareweIls wsre
spoken to the many friends he had made
in the town, but he deliberately COM
mitted the act, and as cody as il he was
taking the $500 deposit Of some would
be agent Of the Peoples Exchange, of
which he was the representative in Della
ware, as the papers found in his room
show 6leighter seemed perfectly
cheerful on Tuesday evening and
to F. Ralph Pfettyman. fellow b1ardar
at the house OF Capt. William q. Morris,
ne said in answer to On inquiry as to
what course he would pursue in regard
to the expose in the newspapers that ne
would place the matter, with all the
necessary papers, in the hands Of a
lawyer the next morning. At the aarno
time he pointed to bundle Of documents
lying upon table in his room, intimst.
ing that they were the ones he should de-
liver into ths hands of the lawyer as
material for the prosecution of the news
papers exposing him and his methods.
Mr.. Prettyman stayed in Sleightes's
room until 1890 O'Clock, snd says that
sleighter was to all outward appearances
as we'll and happy as usual, and gave no
sign that he would soon end his life.
The first intimation anyone had of the
tragedy was next morning, when this sldo
door of the house was found open, al
though its being open was not at the time
connected with the unfortunate young
man, who was supposed to be in his room
asleep. The proprietor OF the boarding
house waited until between 8 an1 10
o'clock and as Sleighter did not coina
down to breakfast he went upstairs and
found the door to the room fastened.
Being suspicious he gained entrance to
the room and found the lamp burning,
the bad unOccupied and as it had been
made up the day before, and several
documents. The following letter to the
public was penned very deliberately and
in fact he revised it and corrected several
grammatical and physiological errors
in il:
DovEn, Dsl., July 3o.--To Ny Friends
| and The Public.-This will notify you that l,
having gone ont iu the world as poor
boy, worked myself up to good business
standard, then having disappointments =
First, by a girl second, by business fail.
u
In marriage; fourth, sickness and business
| trouble caused by the unsuccessful mar
riage; fifth, being defrauded and induced
intos trouble through the Peoples Ex-
change, and thus being brought down to
| ruin and as l want all to he right and
good, and find nothing but fraud meeting
me evsrywhereand no announcement any
| where, l therefore accept Death ss my
| friend and companion and thus avoid all
| future troubles II there should be any such
IN store and forgive all my enemies and
! die happy.
| Farewell, my friends.
Farewell, my foes.
L. 4. SLEIaHTER.
In addition to this were letters to bis
father, Joseph Sleighter, in Upper Stras.
burg, Pa; one 10 his laay friend iu East
Park, Brooklyn, N. Y, and bupdle OF
papers bearing upon his trouoles to
Henry W. Cannon, editor OF the Stdtd
Sentinel, Dover, which papers showed
shat he knew there was something
crooked in the methods of the organ.za-
tiun be represented.
| It is not known at what time during
| the night he left the houss, but from all
appearances he departed about midnight
aud proceeded to place called Haza!i's
Point, at Hsman's ice house, on silver
Lake. He could not have selected a
more secluded and appropriate Epot for
the execution OF his purpose. His path
lay through dark back strest and from
that by tortuous path over two large
lots to the shore OF the lake, which, at this
point, ia low and slopes of gradually into
dsep water. Without even removing hi5
hag, or any article OF wearing apparel;
without even leaving q token upon the
bank that he had baen theirs, he walked
| out Into the water a distance of fifteen
feet until it came to his arm pits, pulled
. small cslibre revolver from the breast
pocket Of his coat, placed it TO his head
over the left eye, pulled the trigger, and
fell over into the water, to be found next
| day at about 8 p. m. BY three boys named
Charles Wright, Eldad Wright and Willie
Thomas, who, mortified, called for Philip
Oubbage, q colored man. He in turn
notified parties who telegraphed to
Coroner jacobs at FELTON,.
The body was pulled ashore and laid
on the bank for some hours awaiting the
coroner. About 6 O'Clock William l..
Pritchett, undertaken for William T.
smith, took the body in charge, placed
It in an ice-box aud took it to their un.
iertakiug establishment on Loockerman
street, where an inquest will be held this
morning. He was neatly attired in q
blue coat flannel shirt, whits crayat 90 d
striped trousers. His features were very
much swollen md distorted aud the post
ton Of his arms showed that ha had q
hard struggle in tho death throes,
Sleighter was a graduate Of Eastman
Business College, PoughEeep5ie, N. r.,
sud mis- name is entered these as "Sieigh
ter" although on some Of the cards
found in his room it is spelled "Slischer, -
While TO his father he addressed the letter
Joseph "sletcher."
He left effects at Captain Morris beard.
ing house to ths value Of $50 and only
owed bill for SIS for board, in the
town, 50 far as can be learned. He made
himself q1i.e popular with some of the
Young ladies' Of the town end vas very
ganslsMsnly in his department. Els rela-
tives have been notified.
8snry W. Cannon, editor Of the Dover
Sentinel, denies the statement printed
hat he denounced Sleighter as a fran
aud threatened him with exposure. He
however, after inquiring into his methods
chided the young man with q remark to
the effect that the business looks very
shady and be had better get out OF town
sir. Cannon deserves to great exteu,
the credit of calling the publiO's atten.
tion to the existence of a fraudulent con.
eern in the State and thereby warning
reopls against any connection with it,
Ed.
Dover, Aug. 2.-ooroner Jacobs held
az inquest over the body of L. A
elsighter, the jury rendering a verdict
Of death from his own hands by re.
volver. A post moItern examination was
! .,,ndn md nm NJ tha Il. rr.nar aiannrnaS