Wichita eagle., 1889-09-04
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Z ail1l eagle
VICTIMS OF IMPULSE.
MANY MEN ARE FORCED TO DIE BY
SELF DESTRUCTION.


There are suicides and suicides, and they
have been written about and commented on
so much by people who never caa account
for men doing so unless they are insanen
that possibly it is too much ike tkrashing
old straw or letting the mill do that that
some one has said cannot be dore-''grind
again with the water that has passed.
tell OF some Of the peculiar suicides or at
tempts, or desires 70 attempt that have come
under the writer's personal observation.
In the first place the assertion can be truth
fully made that one-h half Of the SO called
suicides are not suicides, but emotional in
voluntary accidents Try among your
friends TO find one who has not at some time
IL his life had an insane desire to throw him
self of Of ian high eminence" or cast himself
under rapidly passing train or allow him
self TO become entangled IN the large drive
wheel OF some Immense machine, and you
viii find that they have to man had some
such experience. Many men who tell OF
struggles with Irresistible desires to make
away with themselves and think nothing Of
it, but if we happen 30 lose a friend by the
suicide route we forget all about his stIug-
giles and endeavors TO fight Oft the desire TO
do away with himself and like the average
coroner'5 jury we say: KILLED hipDsef while
laboring under it Of temporary Insanity"
This verdict more than half Of the time is
wrong. Il should be accidental suicide
brought on by the victims inability to resist
morbid involuntary impulse"
BE WAS AFRAID OF HI3IsELF.
A young man was killed in n suburban
village whose case this verdict would have
covered. He HAD repeatedly told me of the
struggle be had with himself whenever he
stood on the platform of station while q
train was passing. "Johu," said he one day,
If anything ever happens To me don't let
them say that / was crazy. | have as happy
a home as the sun shines on and am blessed
with as interesting d family Of little ones Is
you would find IN a months journey. Unfor-
tunatelY for ma allowed myself to be talked
into Buying home in the suburbs and on
that account find that l have imposed upon
myself daily struggle with the hydra-headed
monster self destruction. / cannot help it,
Every time | 90 near a railway track / have
an almost uncomfortable desire te throw my
self under the wheels OF the passing train
They seem to say Come to me- come to me-
with a voice OF command that | have up to
the present time, been able to resist. but [
fear that my power Of resistance is weaken
ing and | shall soon give way. If | do, old
man, / want you 80 fight the insanity theory
and explain my feelings TO my friends. OF
course might move into the city and have
had it on my tongues end TO suggest it TO my
wife, but this would necessitate explanations
ard only worry the little woman. I may sue
coed in fighting off this foolish desire, but If
i do not and am ever picked up on a shovel l
want you to let the world know II was not q
suicide, but an accident
l promised thas this should be done and
tried to make light of what / called his fool
ISL fears. He smiled a sickIy, faint, no.
laughtcr-in-it smile and walked away. Half
an hour later | was told that he had ''com-
mitted suicide; thrown himself in front OF q
passing train; had stealthily hid behind a
water tank, and as the train dashed by flung
himself in front OF the engine and been ground
90 f,ao that he had TO be gsbhered together
with q shovel =
People could not understand it. And final
ly all with the exception of myself, believed
that tho coroner's jury made no mistake whea
they brought in verdict of suicide while in
sane.
told my story, but it did no good His
friends and relatives could not see how a man
could be other than insane who killed himself
when be had everything that the heart could
wish for. His wife finally acknowledged that
she did not wish to hear any one say that her
poor dear husbands mind was not affected,
a. she knew full well that he would not have
left her in the horrible way he did il he had
not been insane.
WALKING IN THE ROADWAY.
The foregoing account Of one mans inabil-
ity To resist the morbid desire TO do something
horrible Is only one case IN thousands. If the
struggles that are going on daily, made some
times by nearest and dearest friends, could
be laid bare the expose would be a frightful
one In a certain building III this city which
] frequently visit there is a large rotunda
Around TINS rotunG6 runs q spiral staircase,
the bannister Of which is low and Is made 70
continue on after leaving the stairs at the
sixth floor and acts rs guard rail for the
top floor. 1t Is altogether too low and any
siX-footer falling against 1t would probably
fall over into the pit Of the Totunda. have
heard several of the men engaged on the
sixth floor OF this building tell in q matter of
fact but TO me horrihlel way OF the desire
that took possession Of them whenever they
approached this guard rail 10 throw them
selves over, aud must confess that | have
found myself edGing away from it, with the
lndlstiuct, underlined. lneEplalnahle fear that
l might throw myself over il got FOO close
TO it and have told others, who spo1s OF hav-
inE experienced the same feelings. To let the
world know that it was not q premeditated
suicide ii | should ever be picked up at the
bottom Of that pit a shapeless, broken mass
There is Yong man In this city Of Chi
cago who has q dread OF the bridges aud al
ways takes TO the wagon way when ne crosses /
the river. He has been fshed out Of the
muddy, sticky water at Clark street bridge
once, having thrown hiL,ves over the rail
When brought to terra firnIa he could not
explain why he had jumped over
THE desire took possession of nae and did
il; that's all said be, when questioned about
il. Il had jumped about a foot when !
wished from the bottom of my heart that
hadn't. he continued. and now, 70 avoid
REPETITION OF that act, always take 10 The /
middle OF the ROAD when crossing the bridges
Suicides 80 called are increasing at ar
alarming rate, ard opposite the name of many /
a man who is alive and well today. with /
bright prospects,, good health, happy home 4
and everything Oh earth 70 live tor, the WORD /
suicide" Will Re written rs the cause OF his /.
death. when he was simply the victim of one I
OF these Irresistible iInpulseS-Chioaso Times /
whisSers.
What is there that is 10 tremendously funny /
About the word whiSkerSi Instances where .
the use Of it " II not raise = laugh are hard 70 .
find Hard as the fact may be TO explain, IL .
Is nevertheless true that jokes in which whls- .
kers, or reference to them, no matter how
irreleVantly made, excite more merriment .