The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-08
A PLEDGE OF SUICIDE.
Lieutenant Backus, U. S. A., 1t lie
Thought, Has Kept Els Word.
HE WAS VERY SCRUPULOUS MAN
And When Ho Wrote to tho Wnr Do.
partmcnt, "Strikc My Namo From
the TOLLS of tho Army, I'm Going to
Commit Suicide" 1t Must Have
Meant SomcthinE....A bravo and
Faithful Army Onlccr.

George u. Blckus, First. United states
calvary, wrote to tho war department
last Saturday: Strike my name from
tho rolls OF tho army; I'm going to
commit suicide"
The letter was dated from this city,
whore he has been for the past four
months. Up TO Z o'clock yesterday
morning Lieutenant Dackus was very
much alive. At that hour no left the
Sturtcvant house. Since then he has
not been seen.
Lieutenant Daclius' friends believe
that ho has carried out his threat, and
several Of them prepared to sit up all
night TO await the news Of tho finding OF
the body. Many other people who know
the lieutenant do no: believe that he
has committed suicide.
Lieutenant Dackus came to the Stur.
tevant house in January and took q
room on the European plan. lIo did
not como in contact with tho clerks oil
the office as often as thoughhe had been
n regular boarder, but when he did
meet them ho always greeted them with
u CHEEKY Good morning." But for
days ut q time he would never be seen
about the hotel. During these days he
kept to his room. This was a mystery
for n time. Then it became known
that tho officer was suffering from neu.
ralgia, and rs N antidotc for tho pain
he drew literally OH the supplies oil the
bar.
These attacks OF pain became more
and more frequent, and the acquisitions
on the bar kept pace with the pain. In
this connection It is only fair to state
that the lieutenant never drank beyond
~his'capacity, but he did drink heavily
TO deaden the pain that has tortured
him for years. He WAS never intoXicat-
cd from the effects OF liquor, but he was
frequently almost delirious from the
pain.
Between pain and tho antidote he
took for it, the lieutenant became care
less OF himself and OF his friends. He
avoided tho latter and neglected him
sell. Ills tall, soldierly figure began to
droop, he allowed his beard to grow for
Il week at q time, and his clothes be-
came rusty, il not absolutely shabby.
He had many friends who came to see
him at the hotel. For tho first month
or two most OF them were convivial
friends. Then these began 10 drop
away and his true friends remained. A
week ago these friends became alarmed
and whispered to each other the fear
that the lieutenant was not himself,
and might be vcrging on insanity.
They urged him to go into the country
for q rest, but he refused. They knew
that his leave OF absence was coming
to a close, and begged him to take some
steps to have it extended, or to prepare
himself to return to duty. He seemed
to be Indifferent to both propositions.
1t was patent TO their eyes that he was
in no condition to report tor duty. \
week ago DR.. Sternberg OF the United
States army was sont for, and after max
ing an examination OF the lieutenant,
declared that he was not fit to perform
the duties OF his position. Whether
his recommendation for an extension
of leave was forwarded to headquarters
or not is not known.
Why Lieutenant Backu3 should send
the message to the war department
that he is said to have sentis d mystery
10 all his friends. Tho only way they
account for it is on the hypothesis that
he was crazy with pain at the time and
did not really know what he was doing.
1t had probably escaped his memory
until the publication OF the dispatch
from Washington yesterday morning
telling OF the receipt Of hisletter and
the apprehension felt at headquarters
as to his safety. After reading this
publication he disappeared.
Lieutenant Guy Howard, who is sta
toned at Governors Island, said ycster-
day that no word had been received
from Washington in regard to the dis
appearance OF Lieutenant Backus, and
that was III indication that no fear was
entertained athcadquartcrs that he had
carried out his threat. AT tho Same
time, an army officer began an inquiry
at tho Sturtcvant House at Q o'clock
last night, and, while no would not ad-
init the fact, it was understood that he
was detailed for the duty on orders
from Washington. ~
Lieutenant Mcdonald, who belongs
to Lieutenant Backus' regiment, now
detailed TO duty at Governors Island,
said yesterday that he had met Backus
on the street on last Saturday, the day
that his letter was mailed to Washing
ton. Lieutenant Backus seemed to be
in his normal mind, and did not indi-
cate in any way n desire to quit the
world. He told Lieutenant Mcdonald
that he had not been out OF his bed for
two weeks. This is denied by the peo.
pie ut the hotel.
The understanding OF the few army
officers with whom Lieutenant Backus
came in contact during his stay in the
city was that ho had come 10 New York
for treatment Tor his ncu ralgia, to which
he had been 4 victim ior years. They
heard that he was to have certain nerves
in his head removed, but there is no
record OF such IN operation.
The army friends OF Lieutenant
Backus, who fear that he carried out his
threat to take his life yesterday, say
that no was 4 very punctillious man,
and may feel that he is in honor bound
to make good his word to the depart
mont. They hope, however, that lie
will recover his mental balance and re-
turn to his friends.
Lieutenant Backus was not 4 member
OF tho United Service Club, No. lG West
Thirty-tirst street. Many officers OF
that exclusive club know the lieuten-
ant, however, and speak Of him as n
brave officer but q very eccentric man.
Ono reason assigned for tho %lieuten.
ants threat to take his lie is that lie
feared discipline for overstayiEg his
leave OF absence. This is not tho frs:
time he has done so. In 1855 he was
two months overdue, and was court.