St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-26
SUICIDE IN THE AIR.
One Man Successfully Cuts
His Own Throat and An
other Tries to.
J. R. Van Pelt Did 1t Under
Bichloride Of Gold Treat
ment.
James Rice Was Dependent
and Made Use Of an Or
binary AK.
Retail Groeers and the Breao
War--"Jerpy the KisSer"
Arrested.

The Pickering gas lights in Gleason &
McAllister's morgue threw shadows on a
CHASTITY object last night On the cold
marble slab lay the rude form Of a man,
with face turned upwards and CLASSY
eyes staring at the white ceiling. Blood
trickled down from the slab and falling
in little pool OH the floor. splashed on
boards and wall. A wide-gaping wound
in the throat told the tale-a wound that
extended almost from ear 10 ear.
j. H. Van Pelt, a travelling salesman
for John &. Jameson, tile cigar manu-
factuTer Oh Second avenue south, com
United suicide yesterday afternoon IN his
bed at the Hughes institute for Iuebri-
ates. He arrived in the city early Sun
day morning from an extended bust
ness trip around the state. He was in a
pitiaDle condition. having INDUCED in a
prolonged debauch, and when BE got off
tie train he was suffering from an at
tack Of delerium tremens. He repaired
at once TO the store, and Mr.. jameson
noticing the condition his salesman
was in, prevailed upon bin 10 go 10
The Hughes institute for treatment. All
Sunday and Sunday night Van Pelt lay
tossing IN his delerium about the bed.
but yesterday morning he appeared to
be trifle better. In the meantime the
treatment for drunkenness had been
commenced. and DR.. Hughes felt as
sured that his patient would come out
al. eight. An attendant named Thomas
Macarthur. who had known Van Pclt
for long time, was placed in charge OF
him. During the forenoon Van Pelt re-
qursted 20 be allowed 10 get up and
T. a. a
him, and, pulling on all his clothes, Van
Pelt took several turns about the room.
conyersing in rational manner. At
noon he went to bed again, keeping on
his clothes. Everything went well un-
til shortly before 4 o'clock Macarthur
asked Van PeIt If there was anything
he could do for him and how he felt.
"Oh. Pm all right" was Van Pelps
answer, but at the same time he took an
extra pillow on the bed and placed it
over his head, also drawing the quilts
tightly to his head
Macarthur, believing everything was
all right with his patient, went into an
other room TO attend 10 other duties. A
moment later lie heard peculiar
gurgliHg sound coming from Van Pelt's
room, and, rushing in to see what the
matter was, was hOrror-stricken upon
seeing his patient welterng in his own
blood. In his right hand Van Pelt held
a little pen knife, whose blade was as
sharp as that OF a razor. He had drawn
il across his throat, and the blood
was 0oZing from the wound, STAIN
ing the quilts like crimson dye.
when Macarthur entered, Van Peet half
raised himself in the bed and the gap
ing wound closed. When he fell back
vii md ~ gsa ttFfas Il
out like Il stream from fountain. AS
sIstance was summoned. and for half
an hour six men fought with the delir-
ious dying man, to prevent him from in
flictiIlg new wounds in his throat. He
seemed to have the strength of giant
and clutched at his throat as though he
would tear the horrible cash wider.
Through the blood that came foamng
from his mouth, he managed to articu-
late:
xiii me. for Gods sake! l have be-
gun the work, so let me finish it.
DR.. Hughes rendered all the medical
assistance he could. but it was too late
to save the unfortunate mans life. He
died shortly before f O'Clock, and lay on
the bed a CHASTITY, blood-besmeared
corpse. The apartment resembled
Strengthening pen. the crimson fluid
oldlIlllIB lIb CiDliCO vi llO Otu anu
sticking in dark cots on the frame
work. Coroner Byrnes was notified ana
repaired TO the scene. After examin-
ing the body he ordered it removed to
Gleason IL McAllister's mOrgue. 1t was
not taken there, however, until 8
o'clock last night, in order that the
morbid crowd which always gathers at
the smell of blood should not have its
curiosity satisfied. The coroner does
not deem an inquest II ecessary un-
der the circumstances, so the body
will remain on the slab in the mOrgue
until some action is decided upon by the
deceased's relatives and friends.
Van Pelt was about fifty years of age,
and had always been considered a
rather exemplary man i'm his habits,
having previous to his last spree never
INDUCED to excess in liquors. He was
looked upon as a first-class salesman,
and, aside from mourning for friend,
Mr.. jameson will miss capable ELI
ploye. A sister of Van Pelt. a Mrs.
George Brown, lives IN Ashtabula, Q.
She was notified of her brothers death
by telegraph soon after it occurred.
Van Pelt also had relatives and friends
III Fayette, Ind. AS soon as their names
and addresses are learned they will also
be notified.