Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-01
A PLACE OF SUICIDES.
BEAUTIFUL LOOKOUT HILL, MADE
FAMOUS BY WASHINGTON.

A Spot In BrookIyn's Magnincsnt Park
Where DespOndent People Go to Conn
NIT Suicide - Memories That Cluster
About the NeighborhOOd.
Most New Yorkers know very little of
Lookout hill in Prospect park, Brook
lyn, except that they occasionally see
some mention Of it in the newspapers.
One Brooklynite who was asked for in
formation about it the other day de-
scribed it as place where ''fools from
New York go to commit suicide some
times"
This description of Lookout hill is
hardly fair one. It is true, however,
that for some reason men who want to
commit suicide do somehow manage
very frequently to drift out to this part
of Brooklyn's big park to carry out their
intentions. But they don't all of them
60 from New York There have been
two suicides there by Brooklynites. The
two that preceded these, however, were
men from New York, and of the many
prior to these Brooklyn may be charged
with the most of them.
One stormy, snowy day well dressed
young man hired cab in this city and
was driven rapidly over the bridge to
Brooklyn and out to Prospect park.
When the cab reached the city line the
young man got out and sent it back to
New York Then he went into saloon
near by. He left the saloon, entered the
park, walked through the driving snow
to the summit of Lookout hill and there
shot himself
A policeman heard the shot, and found
the body Of the suicide still warm, but
he was dead. He had evidently intended
that there should be nothing cheap or
vulgar about the affair, for even the re-
volver used by him was of the most ex-
pensive pattern and make and had been
bought new for the purpose. He was
identified as Columbia college student
belonging to New York family of ex-
cellent standing.
REMARKABLE IDENTIFICATION.
The suicide before this was also that
of New York man, and it attracted
some little attention at the time by rea-
son of the fact that there was mix up
about the Identification of the body.
This had lain on the hill so long before
It was found that it could be identified
only by the clothes on it and by the for
nation Of the body. 1t was formally
identified at the Brooklyn morgue the
morning it was found as the body of
New York printer, who had, through
dependency, taken his life.
This Identification was made by two
members Of Typographical Union No. 6,
who had known the man. Later that
day the body was again identified as
that of barber doing business on Third
avenue in this city, and this identified
ton was finally found to be correct.
The most curious thing about this case
was the physical likeness of the printer
and the barber. The barber was de-
formed-that is, he had club foot. The
same was true Of the printer, and it was
the left foot that was deformed, as was
the case with the barber. They were
physically alike otherwise. Then the
printers friends identified the clothing,
the shoes and the hat and even a knife
that was in the pocket of the suicide.
But the printer wasn't dead. The
writer knows that, for he reported the
first Identification for an afternoon pa
per; the second was made too late for
notice that day, and in about week
afterward the printer brought suit
against that paper for sec, 1000 damages
for saying that he committed suicide
He didn't get the $4,000, but he did
prove to the satisfaction Of all that he
was very much alive.
HISTORIC PLACE.
But there have been any number Of
suicides on Lookout hill. Brooklynites
are inclined to object to the use that is
made Of this picturesque spot, and as for
the Prospect park police, they more than
object They constantly patrol the
neighborhood of the hill, and any lounger
about there is sure to have a very care
full eye kept upon him by the bluecoated
guardians of the park.
Lookout hill is one of Prospect parks
picturesque and historical spots. It is a
high hill looking out over the big lake
and the boulevard, and is heavily wood
cd. As point from which to view the
surrounding country it is unsurpassed
From its brow you can see for miles in
all directions. Coney island, Manhattan
beach, and even Far Rockaway, are Wis
ible to the naked eye. Flatbush and
other towns nesting down among the
trees, and the farms stretching out over
the level country, present fine scene at
this season.
General Washington used this very
hill to make observations from when he
was holding Brooklyn and watching for
the expected landing of Sir Henry Clin-
ton on Long Island. 1t was from here
that the American generals watched
Clinton's movements when preparing for
the disastrous battle of Long Island that
resulted in the retreat of Washington to
the heights above the Harlem and gave
New York city into the hands of Sir
Henry Clinton.
The tide of battle swept all around the
hill and in the green field below it good
blood stained the sward.
But times have changed. Battles are
still fought in the field below Lookout
hill-the sham battles Of the Brooklyn
militia. And the hill itself is no longer
visited by great generals. Those who
want to commit suicide go there instead.
New York Recorder.