The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-21
THE SUICIDE CLUB.
Points About a Famous Order for |
Those Who Are Tired of Life.
From the Neto York Herald.

From the Neio York Herald.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn, June 1.-The dis
covery that Landlord E. F. Schmidt of
Birmingham, who took his life last week,
was a member of the famous Bridgeport
Suicide Club has again brought that grew
some organization into prominence. The
history of this peculiar club dates back
some six years. As originally organized its
membership was limited to six. Upon their
death the club was to become extinct, and it
was not intended that there should be any
deviation from this plan, but, incredible as
1t may seem, as soon as the existence of the
club became known the organizers were be-
seiged with applications for membership,
and the original six grew to eighteen.
None but the initiated have ever known
what the prescribed qualifications for mem
bership are. All candidates were bound by
a fearful oath before they were even sub
jected to an examination.
1t is one of the rules of the order that at
least two of the members shall shuttle off the
mortal coll each year by their own hands,
but it has never been known to outsiders
whether lots are drawn to decide the vic
tins for the sacrifice, or whether the mem
GERS are sworn at initiation to destroy them
selves within stated time. Certainly the
mortuary record Of the club has been kept
up with fearful regularity, as is attested
by the folio wing list of suicides of its mem -
bers:
First Year-Auglst Helsterhagen, found
dead in a cellar, with a bullet hole in his
head and revolver in his hand.
Joseph Kopp, shot himself in bed.
Second Year-George Leaven worth, died
in CASES. hotel from laudanum self-adminis-
tered.
William Nickel, cut his throat with a
razor in his room on Bank street.
Third Year-John Kienzy, shot himself
through the heart with a riffs in the cellar
of his saloon on Main street.
John Schneider, threw himself in from of
a locomotive on South avenue, but said by
some TO have been an accident.
Fourth Year-John Mottern, hanged
himself in the shop where he worked, on
Bank str Get.
Wendell Baum, cut his throat with jack
knife ia New York.
Fifth Year-W. H. Maby, fred a bullet
into his brain from a revolver.
E. f. Schmidt, blew his brains out with
a shotgun at his hotel in Birmingham.
This remarkable list is pretty conclusive
that two must die a year, and it is gener-
ally believed that the year in which the
horrible deed must be done is fixed at the
time they are admitted to menbe ship.
1t is also pretty well established that an
other cardinal rule of the Suicide club is
that the death penalty must be inflicted on
ones self in the most painful way of shoot
ing out of the brain or cutting of the throat.
These excruciating methods of death are
made mandatory, as it is considered efPemi-
nate to die by poison, asPhyx ia or other
similar methods. II
1t will be noticed in the above list that of
the ten members who have paid the awful
penalty of membership in the club five have
fulfilled the obligation by bullet, one by
razor, one by locomotive one by jackknfe,
one by hanging and one only by poison.
Although poison is strictly prohibited and
future punishment is supposed TO follow
any member who violates his oath in this
manner. yet there is just one instance when
it is permissible to use this means of death,
When the time arrives for man to die,
and for some reason be wants to live short
time longer, he may go to a member whose
demise is fixed at a later day and propose to
him an exchange of dates. If this person
proves obliging and is willing to act as
a substitute for his waverIng fellow mem.
Der he may do so, and as a compensation
for this sacrifice he is allowed to die by
poison.
The member who thus gets an extension
OF time must die by the most excruoiatinp
method, and he can have but one extension
of time.
1t will be noticed that of the ten suicides
half lived in Bank street, and one who lived
elsewhere committed suicide in a hotel
there. Three lived in the same house, and
two suicides were committed in the same
room.
The organization has now a worldwide
reputation, and recently the secretary re-
ceived two applications for membership
from Caen, France.