The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-04-18
MURDER OR SUICIDE?
BY Luke Sharp.

BY Luke Sharp.
We were sitting at the cafe, he said,
one evening last summer, and discus
sing the new law in the state of New
York for the execution of criminals
by electricity. There were three OF
us, all medical students, who were
putting in time at the hospitals at
Paris. We held different opinions on
the subject. and were discussing it
rather warmly, when a tall young
man who had been sitting at q table
near us, rose and came over to where
we sat.
"Gentlemen," he said, Il have been
listening to part of your cOnversa-
ton, and am very much interested
in the subject which you were discus
sing. have been in Paris for three
months and | intend to leave the city
tomorrow. | intended to go by way
of the Seine. In other words, gentle
men, proposed to commit suicide.
After what have heard YOU say |
have been convinced that this would
be a waste of valuable material. |
therefore offer myself to you, gentle
men, to he executed by electricity or
to have any oftheexperiments which
you propose tried upon me as long
as the experiment will result in a
speedy and painless death. lam not
particular as to the methods you use
or to any plan you may try upon as
long as it involves no extra suffering
to myself. confess l do not at all
look with pleasure towards the com
hitting OF suicide by throwing my
self into the river: it seems a waste
of good material, and it is so alb
surdly conventional Therefore, if
YOU will take my offer, am at your
disposal"
We looked at the young man in
astonishment. | know that l
thought he was probably insane, and
others doubtless had the same
opinion. l had a glimmering of an
idea that it might be a practical Joke
of some kind, whose point | was I'm.
allie to see.
"Gentlemen," continued theyoune
man, if you have no objections
will join your group, that we may
discuss the matter at our leisure
Please fill up your glasses, gentle
men, and drink, with me-
You say you have been in Paris
three months. Are you studying
anything; l am here for treatment.
And what is your idea-that is
what is the reason that you propos
the act which YOU told usof? Finan
cIai difficulties? If that is the case
we might able to help you out"
NO, my finances are all right, and
that reminds me, | know a medical
student is not too we'll blessed with
this worlds goods. If the expert
ment which you propose to conduct
costs more than you think YOU
would like to spend, you may draw
on my bank account to whatever
extent YOU desire. There is nobody
to whom | wish in particular to
leave what money | shall have to
leave behind, and so if it will help
you any in your eXperiment, my cash
as we'll rs myselfis atyour disposal. -
care YOU fully determined on
suicide?'
"Certainly, made up my mind to
it n week ago. You see am afflicted
with an incurable disease; in fact nv
case and that of the late crown
prince are very similar. have seen
the best specialists in France and
Germany and they offer me no hope
l have no desire to linger along.
have no intentions of dying a linger.
ing death The moment | satisfied
myself that my malady was incur,
able | resolved to commit suicide
and | can see nothing that would in.
duce me to change that intention
Now, gentlemen, you will probably
desire to have some conversation to-
gether about this proposal, which
presume YOU will look upon as some
what extraordinary, and if you will
give me the address ofone of you, OF
if you will meet me here tomorrow
morning ] shall keep any appoint
ment that you choose to make. Ny
time is entirely unoccupied, and one
place of meeting is as convenient fol-
me as another"
gave him the address at which I
lodged, and asked him to call the
next day at about eleven o'clock
With that he bade us "good-bye'
in a very gentlemanly manner, and
paying his bill to the waiter, disap
peared down the boulevard.
"Well. boys" said Brown, "do
you think he is in earnest?"
81 don't know, | am sure" | said
/ VT seems 10 me he has some kind OF
practical joke to work on us, but
hardly see what his object would be
1t is we'll known that medical stu.
dents never commit practical Jokes
on anybody else, and | therefore fail
to understand why he should want
to try a practical joke on u.s."
"He might find it rather q serious
practical Joke" said Smith, eff he
once got into our clutches. Perhaps
the quickest way of killing him
would be to undertake to cure his
trouble"
eff he's in earnest" said Brown
who was the most serious of oul
party, suppose that we arrange an
interview between him and our pro
fessor?"
HE will tell us at once whether his
throat trouble is incurable or not