The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-03
SUICIDES, LISTEN !!
Ii You Are Tired of Life, Try
"a This Place.
TUBERosES AND DEVIL FISHES.
An Establishment, Fitted Up Especially for
Those Who Are Weary Of
this Life.-Etc

raanasia Villa" very remarkable arti-
Gle by Charles Maurice, which purports to
describe, with the most minute and harrow
ing details, a curious philanthropic cstab-
hshment which was founded by one Mr.
Richard Utterex- The object Of this institu-
ton Is to afford for persons who are weary Of
tho sings and arrows of an outrageous for
tune thoroughly well fitted and well man
aged place where they can commit suicide in
any way that best pleases their fancy. Every
possible convenience is given them to depart
this life either by slow, dreamy, pleasant
process, or by route as swift as the light
ning's dazzling course through the skies The
following description of the place is given:
One day young man, haggard, pale and
tottering, entered the superbly furnished Of
nee and was obsequiously received by the
podte clerks. One of the clerks asked the
young man what manner of death he had
chosen Another of the clerks asked:
"Do you wish to see the prospectusF'
Il beg your pardon" said the young man,
but he quickly continued: THE prospectusl
Oh, yes, certainly, the prospectus"
Then, with the discreet manner of waiter
IN fashionable restaurant who seeks to
learn the guests preference-Pomard and
SauteTne-the clerk handed the young man
richly bound album, wherein were described
the different modes OF death furnished by the
house. The enumeration of these various
methods plunged the reader into shudder-
T-11r ,e-%1 A 4 G
with his finger rather than with his eye,
stopping here and there, amused by the mar
ginal illustrations; then he began again,
reading seriously this time, without, how
ever, coming to q decision. Certainly
hanging had its charms, but what poetry
there was about asphy1ia with flowers!
The soul departs with the breath of
the tuberosel And the poisons, rooms
Nos 4 to 1o-a vast choicel And the
Indian Curare-the prick of pin in the heel
or elsewhere, and then Nirvana. But here
are the lost diseasesl All, the lost diseasesl
To contract by artificial means leprosy, or
tho black death, to offer to the practitioners
OF the present day, whom the disappearance
Of thess affections" renders inconsolable, the
occasion Of studying them ''from the life" to
carry away in dying the consolation that you
leave in your remains whole field Of delicate
experienced That is without doubt incom-
parably more noble than death by laughter,
the simple idea of which gives you a nausea
and dishonors the ingenious enumeration of
Ar. Richard Utterez. But there are lima
tured persons who would be offended at this
prospect, however glorious it may be, of hav-
ing theses written on their bodies; they pre-
fer sort of aristocracy of silence What
could be better than the lancing of veins in a
warm bathl
GOING OVER THE GROUND.
The life wearied young man, according to
the story, was too bewildered to decide how
he had better slip the mortal coil, when one
of the clerks suggested;
Perhaps it would be well to visit tho es-
tabiishmentF'
THAT will suit mo exactly"
Whenever it will please you to do So"
After a few inquiries about terms, which
were answered by Richard Utterex himself,
who said that all settlements were made on
the guests leaving the building, the young
man made:the tour of Euthanasia villa
In the large vestibule of spacious stair
case the visitor was shown, with O reveren-
tial bow, which he Involuntary initiated, a
large statue of the great Schopenhauer, the
patron of the institution Then they pro-
ceeded up stairs.
A door opened; it was the chamber called
1.-THE Pistol Shot" Like all the other rooms
IN the house, this was light and elegantly
furnished in modern style. As in all others,
too, its principal ornament was handsome
coffin in carved ebony; the cover was placed
crosswise on the box, as though awaiting its
occupant There were several divans and
reclining chairs about the room; the bed was
In rosewood.
Everything is considered here with the
most perfect discretion" said the guide; "a
system of electrical currents, moved by the
piece of furniture the guest has chosen to
commit suicide on; q long basket receives the
body before it has had time to stain the fur
niture or the floor with single spot Kindly
observe that the walls are upholstered with
thickness of four mattresses, 50 that 1t Is
impossible for any one on the other side of
the partition to hear the faintest sound how
ever powerful the fIearm used, even though
it were small Krupp cannon, suoh as you
see there in the corner. Guests have all the
time they wish; we never hurry them
Each room Is provided with a library
abundantly furnished with the most
works. Schopenhauer has been
translated for US into all the languages
Of the o. nd New Worlds. Those ten
shelves are full of novels that end badly.
Upon the eleventh preachers Of various re-
igions sound the praises of death. Some |
serious philosophers and few poets, Lucre-
thus and Leopard, occupy the twelfth shelf.
As for the conveniences of life before depart
ing), they leave nothing to DO desired. A
telephone in each chamber communicates
with the office. Orders for meals, or what
ever else is wanted, are executed with the
utmost promptneSs by faceless automatons;
We keep a whole company Of them here This
delicate attention of Mr.. Utterex's part is
generally very highly appreciated, for people
who are SO disguised with life that they are
ready to commit suicide wish to see the
human face No more Finauy-will you
kindly examine the racksa-there you will
find either terrible, elegant or brutal instru-
ments of sudden death"
One by one the stranger saw all the philan-