Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-06-18
CUT HIS THROAT.
4 DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE BY DOC
NICHOLS.
He Draws a Knife Across His Neck Five Times,
Narrowly Missing the Jugular Vein
and Windpips.

In room ~ of the St. Charles Hotel last
night, T. +. Nichols, one of the best known
characters in the city, made desperate
but unsuccessful attempt to take his owl
life. Nichols, who is Familiarity known as
Doc is a compositor by occupation, but
has not been at work for some time. Yes
terday he came down from st. Clairsville
where he had been visiting relatives, anC
was with friends about the city the greater
part Of the day In the evening he called a
| the Office of the Intelliccnccr, and spoke about
returning to work In the counting-room
of that paper he intimated that he was IN
need. and an order was kindly given him
on Mr.. John RObrecht, the manager OF the
St. Charles, for his lodging and breakfast
At that time Nichols gave no lntimatlor
of the awful deed that he must have beer
contemplating, though he appeared TO be
detected and worn out. Nichols took the
order, presented it at the st. Charles. and
was assigned to room IL on the third hoor
This was about $3.50 p. IN. lew minutes
later he sent down for glass OF lemonade
which was furnished him. Shortly alter
wards. the servants and roomerS
on the same floor were startled
by seeing Nichols, clad only in his under
clothes, dash out of his room, and run TO the
stairway with the evident intention OF
throwing himself over the bannisters To the
floor beneath Before the half-crazcd man
could accomplish his purpose he was seized
and forced into into his room agaiu with
considerable difficulty. Mr. Robrccht was
absent from the building at the time and
the servants appear to have thought moth,
ing of Nichols remarkable action. He had
Ii. mi nsaf
cries of distress were heard coming from
it. Mr. Robrecht was at the front OF
the b. & o. passenger depot at the
time. and the cries were plainly
audible to him, though he thought
that some one was being run over by a
train. A number OF the hotel attaches
rushed into the room, and found Nichols
bent over tearing at his throat with both
hands while blood gushcd from his wounds.
He attempted TO force his rscuers away,
but he was finally overpowered and held on
the floor in spite of his efforts TO throw
them Off. a physician was hastily sum
mOned, and in few minutes DIR. j. Z.
Hupp arrived. BY that time Nichols had
been placed on the bed, and had quoted
down sufficiently TO admit Of an eXamina-
tiou of his wounds.
1t appeared that he had made most de-
termined effort to take his life. No fewer
! than five serious cuts were found on his
throat while there were u number Of
slighter injuries On the right side there
were three deep gashes, two Of them
grazing the jugular, though not iniurlng It,.
! On the left there was another deep cut,
while Immediately in front deep stab eX-
tended from the chin 10 the middle OF the
throat and DETECTED to the left, grazing but
not penetrating the windpipe. DR.. Hupp
dressed the injuries, and during the opera
| ton Nichols maintained silence, except to
moan occasionally that some one stabbed
| him. Twenty stitches were necessary 10
bring the wounds together, and after the
operation the suffering man was removed to
the Hospital.
The knife with which Nichols made the
desperate attack on himself was found IN
the room. ltwas lying some three feet from
Nichols when he was first reached, and APP
peared as if he had thrown it from him.
1t was a small, one-baded penknife, with
an ordinary bone handle The single blade
with which the cutting was done was not
more than two inches in length. = It was
covered with blood TO the hilt. Persons
who saw Nichols yesterday say that he
did not appear TO have been drinking and
in no manner indicated any remarkable de-
spondcncy They are AT Il loss 10 account
for his sudden effort to take his own life.
Thomas +. Nichols is one of the 'old-
time printers Of this city, having come
to the city twenty-five or thirty years ago,
from the ncighborhood of St. Clairsville,
O. He has worked at the htelligencer Of
flee for probably twenty years Of that time,
and is widely known about the city as a
quiet though somewhat peculiar person. No
cause is known for his rash act, as he was
not in a condition TO make statement last
NIGHT