Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-01
VICTIMS OF IMPULSE
MANY MEN ARE FoRceD TO nsE ~
seLr OBSTRUCTION.

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Cd asuv q lsesing ths mill do thas that
som. On hos said cannot Be dous-"grind
sxnin With shs wassr that has paAsd"-so
II of sons Il tAs pscsiiar saiciais q A.
ssmp<A Or d.riro 70 asssmpt that have cons
undsr IL vrissrs personAl ohssrvatioa
In IL arse pancs tAs ansrtion can b truth
fully nnds tAAs onShaif cf the % called
spicido ~ not suicidaa. but emotional IN
voluntary accidsnfN Try anoag your
frisnds 70 md oos who hes mos at some Tune
IN his Life bad IN tnsAns ds.irs 70 throw him
III a a ian high eGninsncsS o. cast himself
under . rapidly pa.ing train or allow him
III 70 become sntangisd IN the large drive
wheel Of soms immsuss machine, and you
viu and that they have to man bad soma
such sxpsrisooA Many men Who tell OF
ssrusglss with irresistible desires 70 make
away with thsmssivs and think nothing OF
e, but Il ~ happen to los . friend BY the
s1icids route we forget al about bis strug-
Glss and sndeavors TO eight Oh the desire TO
Do away with himself and like the average
curousrb Jury - say: KILLED himself while
laboring under fit Of temporary insanity"
This verdict more than half Of the time b
wrong. IL should 10 accidental suicide
brought on by the victims inability to resist
4 -
aH WAS AFRAID or HIAsKLg.
A young man was killed in . suburban
village whoas cass this verdict would have
covered h bad repeatedly told me Of the
struggle b bad With himself whenever be
stood Oh the platform Of . station while
train was passing. John" said he one day,
IF aaything ever happens TO me don't let
than ay that was crazy. have q happy
Q hons = tbs sun shines on and am blessed
with = interesting family Of little ones Us
you would End in . months journey. Unfor-
tunatsly for ms allowed myself to BE- talked
into buying . home in the suburbs and on
that account And that have imposed upon
myself daily struggle with the hydra-hsaded
monster seN destruction cannot help it
Every time 60 near . railway track have
an almost uncomfortable desire to throw my
self under the wheels Of the passing train
They seem to Ay Come to me, come to me-
with Q voics 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. II l do, old
man, l want you to fight the insanity theory
and explain my feelings to my friends. OF
course might move into the city and have
bad II on my tongues end to suggest it to my
wife, but this would necesdtAte explanations
and only worry the little woman may sue
coed In fighting Of this foolish desire, but il
do not and am ever picked up on a shovel
want you to let the world know it was not .
suicide, but an accident"
promised that this should be done and
tried to make light Of what called his fool
ish feara He smiled q sickly, faint, no
laughter-in-it smile and walked away. Half
an hour later | was told that he had com
United suicide: thrown himself in front Of a
passing train; had stealthily hid behind Q
water tank, and as the tram dashed by flung
himself in front Of the engine and been ground
20 tine that he had to be gathered together
with q shovel"
People could not understand it. And final
ly all, with the exception of myself, believed
that the coroners jury made no mistake when
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 man
could be other than insane who killed himself
when he had everything that the heart could
wish for. His wife finally acknoW lodged that
she did not wish to hear any one say that her
poor dear husbands mind was not affected.
as she knew full well that be would not have
left her In the horrible way he did II 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 Ii the
struggles that are going On daily, made some
times by nearest and dearest friends, could
be laid bare the EXPOSE would be frightful
one In a certain building in this city which
frequently visit there Is q large rotunda-
Around this rotunda runs a spiral staircase,
the bannixter Of which Is low and is made to
continue on after leaving the stairs at the
sixth door and acts a. a guard rail for the
top door It Is altogether too low and any
Ix-footer falling against it would probably
fall over into the pit Of the rotunda. have
heard several Of the men engaged on the
sixth Goor Of this building tell in matter OF
fact (but to me horrible) way Of the desire
that took possession Of them whenever they
approached this guard rail to throw them
selves over, and must confess that | have
found myself edging away from 1t, with the
indistinct underlined, inexplainabe fear that
might throw myself over If got too close
to II: and have told others, who spoke Of hav
ing experienced the same feelings, to let the
world know that it was not premeditated
suicide il ! should ever be picked up at the
bottom Of that pit a shapeless broken mass
There Is . young man in this city OF Chi
cago who has . dread Of the bridges and al
ways takes TO the wagon way when he crosses
the river He has been fshed out OF the
muddy, sticky water At Clark street bridge
once, having thrown hinA.sE over the rail.
When brought to terra Hrma he could not
explain why be bad jumped over.
The desire took possession Of me and did
it. that's all" said be, when questioned about
it II had jumped about . foot when
wished from the bottom Of my heart that
hadn't" he continued, land now, to avoid a
REPETITION Of that act, always take to the
middle Of the road when crossing the bridges "
Suicides 10 called are increasing at an
alarming rate, and opposite the name Of many
. man who IL alive and well today, with
bright prospects, good health, happy home,
and everything on earth to live for, the word
suicide" will b written as the cause Of his
death, when be was simply the victim Of one
ofthess irresistible impulses. Chicago Times
Doss Personal Care Of the Health Pay?
This Il . question constantly asked and
often answered in the negative Many seem
to be possessed with the idea that a man can
not take care Of his health without worrying
about 1t, and making himself constantly un-
happy for fear that be will do something he
ought not to do. Never was there q more
erroneous opinion A person who takes ra-
tional caro- Of his body does not necessarily
become . crank or 50 noAonal that it makes
every one uncomfortable to live with him.
but Just the reverse He should become more
intaraufino mora intellicent and iusrired hv