Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1889-08-29
SUICIDE OF A PHYSICIAN.
DEs. HENRY q. FITHIAN TAKES
HIS LIFE.
Great Excitement at Port Norris.
COrOner's Inquest Returns
u Verdict of Self Des-
frucfiOn.


self instantly" was the exclamation of
Port Norris man as he jumped off
the train at East Bridgeton, Thursday
morning. A PIONEER reporter caught
the words, and made further inquiry.
Others coming from the train verified
the report and at half-past eight
O'Clock reporter was speeding toward
Port Norris behind fast horse, to
learn all of the parti culars of the aw-
full tragedy that shock ed not only the
little oyster town, but this city as well.
Just as the reporter reached the town
where he found everybody greatly ex
cited, he Immediately started to work
up all the points regarding the sad
affair, and the story was telephoned
to this Office.
DR.. Henry G. Fithian, of Port Norris,
shot himself shortly after o'clock
Thursday morning. He had just return
ed on Tuesday night, about II o'clock.
from a trip to Cape May Court House,
Anglesea and other points, coming
home by way of Millville in hack
He was sick when he arrived home
suffering from acute Inflammation of
the stomach. He went to bed, and
Wednesday morning he told his wife if
he didn't get better by noon he would
not live two days, and suggested that
she should send for Dr. Day, if he did
not improve by the afternoon. She
didn't want to wait but sent for DR..
Day Immediately. He continued in
the same condition during the day, and
at night became delerious. His wife
sat up with him almost during the en-
tire night.
About 4 o'clock Thursday morning
she laid down on the side of the bed and
fell asleep. Directly she was awak-
ened y the report of a pistol, and
spiringing up, she exclaimed, "Why
Doctor, what are you doing, are you
trying to shoot yourself" He said,
II have already shot myself through
the heart" She sprang at him
and tried to wrest the pistol from
his grasp. The struggle was severe,
the shot not having been very effec-
tive. He then attempted to shoot
himself in the head, which he fin
ally succeeded in doing, the ball
crashing through the right temple, the
blood squirting out of his mouth and
ears, and he fell back upon the bed,
dead. He had been sitting upon the
side of the bed. She supposes that he
arose while she was slumbering, and
went to the bureau drawer and got his
revolver, about % caliber. He had
been delirous nearly the entire night.
During Wednesday, ,at the intervals of
her absence from the room, he wrote his
wife quite a long letter, detailing his
business affairs, under the impression
that he would not survive his illness.
The letter was couched in the most
affecting language explaining as we'll
his constant feeling for her. When
ever he was sick and became delirious
his aim seemed to be to commit suicide,
but nothing was ever thought of it,
An inquest was held, and Theophilus
G.. Compton, Justice of the Peace,
summoned the following jury: Glib
son G. Andrews, foreman; John G.
Hand, Joseph Onens, Walter Robbins,
]. o. Heritage, Samuel B. Pagan, Eph.
J. Cook, j. H. Lake, Mark Townsend,
Harrison Hollinger, George Pashley
and G. M. Pinkard, who returned a
verdict as follows
That the said DIR. Henry G. Fithian
came to his death by pistol shot
wounds by his own hands, at his home
in Port Norris, between the hours of
four and five o'clock, a. M, Aug. 22d,
1889.
DR.. Fithian was the son of Joel and
the late Phebe Fithian, of this city.
He received his early education at the
West Jersey Academy. He studied
medicine with DR.. J. B. Potter, of this
city, and graduated from the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania in 1877. He
afterward located at Scotch Plain, in
the upper part of this State, where he
married. A few years ago he returned
to Bridgeton for a brief period, and
afterward went to Port Norris, where
he resided at the time of his death.
Salact Party