The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-05
THE CURSE OF RUIN.
Horrible Death of a Prom
islng Young ScotChman
in HOboken.
FRANTIC FIT OF DELIRlUM
Wild Struggles With Friends and
Then a Horrible Leap From
a ROoftop.

This morning horrible affair occurred
in Hoboken. A well known young man,
while suffering from delirium tremens,
plunged headlong from an extension of
one Of row of fashionable boarding
houses. He landed on his head on some
tagging, and his brains were scattered
right and left Death was instantaneous
john Langlands was the unfortunate
man. He was Scotchman, twenty-four
years old, and was a civil engineer en-
ployed In the shops of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company at the foot of Second
street His parents in Scotland are very
wealthy, and the young man was given
the benefit of frst-class education. He
did not want for anything, but as soon as he
got his diploma as a civil engineer he
expressed a desire to visit America, aud
although his parents endeavored TO
dissnade him from doing so, he was de-
termined, and sailed. away from Scotland
engineer he had no trouble in securing
employment ut the Pennsylvania Rail-
road shops in Hoboken.
THE CURSE OF DRINK.
He made a very nigh salary. aud spent
it freely. He began 10 drink very hard,
braid him several times, bnt he could not
eire mp his drinking habits. He
was fn the babit of going
on protracted sprees Last Friday
he wound up one Of these sprees. He
went to No. IL Washington street, the
house in which he WAS boarding. John
SolIedor, his roommate, met him and
begged of him to stop drinking.
Langlands turned to Solledor and said:--
81 will give up drinking. swear | will
not touch another drop OF liquor while
live"
This promise was given with such
earnestness that Solleder believed it The
next day, Saturday, Langlands said he
felt very sick and he thought ball,
would relieve him. Solleder reminded
him of his promise and he said he would
Keep il. On Sunday Langlands said he
felt somewhat better aud he walked up
thes Boulevard. That night though he
began to act strangely and his actions
alarmed the household. All day yester-
day he was muttering 10 himself.
THE Terrible END.
Last night Solleder retired about eleven
O'Clock. Lauglands was already in bed, but
was not asleep. He was talking III a
rambling fashion. About four O'Clock this
morning Langlands became violent He
Jumped from the bed and began
firing things around the room. He picked
up an empty gin bottle and placed 1t to
his mouth When he found there was
nothing in it, he smashed IL on the floor
His roommate tried TO hold the now IN
furiated young man. But Langlauds
seemed to be possessed of extraordinary
strength. He picked up "A brick and fred
it ut Soileder. Solleder cried to the other
boarders for help, bnt received no
enswer.
Then he rushed to the police station and
asked Sergeant Tanning for help.
While Solleder was going TO tue police
station Langlands had worked himself
into fury. He paced up and down the
room with brick in one had aud
a piece Of the broken bottle
in the otner. None of the other boarders
dared 10 enter the room. Suddenly, with
a wild yell, Langlands rushed into bath
room adjoining his room. There is win
dow in the bath room which looks out on
an extension. This extension is about
twenty five feet above the
ground. Through this window Lang
lands climbed out on the extension. II
ran along the extension until he reached
No. Is Washington street, when he
got on the edge OF it
and then plunged head foremost
to the tagging below. His head struck
the tagging with sickeninR thud.
Portions of the head were scattered al
around.
The police arrived shortly after, and the
body was removed to Cranes Morgue.