The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-12
USED A JACKKNIFE.
A Steamboat Cook Tries to Cut
His Own Throat.
WANTED TO SAVE HIS CLOTHES.
Maddened by Delfrum Tremens, He
Gives . Chastity Exhibition fin
North Seattle Vacant Lot.

Peter Maher, q steamboat cook, at
tempted suicide in q very deliberate and
peculiar manner in an open lot in North
Seattle yesterday morning about s.5o
o'clock by cutting two deep gashes in his
neck with pocket-knife.
Maher was walking down Leonora street
toward the water front When he reached
the rear of the Electric laundry building.
which stands on the southwest corner OF
West and Leonora streets, he stopped as
IL undecided. At the end of the building
is vacant lot, the distance from the side
walk to the ground being about four feet.
The length Of fence running from the cor
ner of the building down the street was
gone and as the man stood looking down
at the ground he seemed possessed by a
resolve of some nature and jumped down
from the sidewalk into the lot. AS he did
this his actions were observed by Mrs. A.
6orrenson, who lives within fifty feet Of
the spot. Maher looked at the woman
who was watching his strange actions. but
never hinched. He put his right hand
into his trousers pocket and drew forth a
knife, opened it and ran his thumb along
the blade. Mrs. Sorrenson did not think
the man was trying TO end his life and re-
On the outside the scene was growing in
teresting. Maher walked up into the cor
ner by the building and with his left hand
felt of his throat. A little girl, the daugh-
ter of Mrs. Sorrenson, cried out: ''0h,
mammal a man is killing himself" The
mother rushed to the door in time to see
Maher draw the knife across his throat.
One attempt was not enough, and again
the blade was drawn. The blood spurted
forth, and the would-be suicide gave a
wild shrek and leaned forward, resting
his head against the building.
The news spread rapidly and in a short
time large crowd had gathered about.
All efforts to make the man move were
fruitless.
A Mrs. Mooney. who had joined the
crowd. said: 'Why don't you sit down,
before you fall from loss of blood?"
Maher replied: mo, I'll die standing,
so they can use these clothes for some one
else
At this point Officer Huff appeared on
the scene and asked Maher why he tried
to cut his throat, to which came the reply:
Il guess | will do what / want to with
my own throat"
The officer did not stop to argue the
question, but secured means for conveying
the bleeding man to Providence hospital,
where DIR. George III. Sparkling examined
the cuts. Both were ugly, but made too
far in front to cause death. In both trials
the blade came in contact with the larnyx,
but did not go deeper.
Maher was visited at the hospital and
found in a state bordering on delirium
tremens. When the reporter entered the
room the man was in bed, but rose up and
asked, with a frightfnl leer, if ''they had
come for him." Then he fell back and
said:
"Oh, mol it is not time. The officer will
be here at and then they will take me to
the asylum; but l will fool them. This
was poor JOB, but must finish it before
morning."
After the first outbreak he became
more rational, and in response to a aues-
ton said that dependency over fail
ure to get employment had caused him to
attempt the deed. The story is untrue,
however. as he had a job promised him.
He was determined to die, and said that
nothing could turn him from his course.
Strict watch is kept on the patient, and
everything which can be used as a means
OF self-destruction has been removed from
the room. During the afternoon he was
constantly entreating the sisters to give
him larger dose of laudanum and let him
end it all, but when he found that the
poison scheme would not work. he began
asking for a revolver and offered all sorts
OF rewards TO the one who would bring
him the gun.
Maher is an old-timer in this section
and has worked for fifteen years as cook on
the different boats running on the Sound.
His parents are both dead, and he was I'M
able 10 name any relatives.
Among the boats upon which he has
worked are the olympian and the Queen
City.