San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-24

Is a Popular Place for Dependents.
In a talk l had a few days ago with a
gentleman who is ''well up" on the subject
OF suicide, who has made it a life study al
most, he impaired to me some facts that
were startling. There are many who say
that none but towards commit suicide,
while others insist that it requires nerve
and bravery to suddenly terminate ones
wi existence and enter into a future state
that is p~aradoxical as to it's being. Some
men who commit suicide are brave, others
are towards and do not dare to face mis-
fortune. l think they are about evenly
divided. 1t is a disease in many instances.
A work devoted for the most part to
statistics on suicide was at hand, and it
showed many interesting facts concerning
the subject under consideration. From it
the fact was CLEANED that the United States
is considered an AL country in which to
shuttle off the mortal coil. Here the ratio
is l to every 1900 inhabitants, while in gay
Paris it is / to each 2,700, and in smoky
London and chilly St. Petersburg l to each
81, 900 of population. In all Russia, how
ever, the ratio is as 1 to "a, 246; in Sweden.
/ to 1876; in Saxony, 1 to S,446.
In "the winter of our discomfort" there
are decidedly more suicides than in the
summer time, and a majority of them oc-
cur in the morning. Women appear to
love life more thar men, for four men COM
init suicide where one takes her
Owl life, and the ratio is much smaller in
married life than in widowerhood. The
early part of the week claims more sui
cides than the latter part, and the early
part of the month more thar the waning.
DEATHS AT NIAGARA.
In any one particular part of the United
States Niagara Falls has the call, and there
is no doubt that many disappearance
find a last resting place at this suicide
suggesting resort. Suicides are so COM
mon nowadays that the subject would not
be worthy of extended comment were it
not for the fact that the means used to as
sure the desired result have in a number
of cases been SO remarkable.
The pistol, poison and the rope are gen.
orally used in solving the great problem,
and these are so frequently used by the
man or woman tired of life that unless
there is some romance connected with the
suicide or unless he or she may have been a
distinguished person very little space is
~vouchsafed the story in the daily newspa-
pers. Here are a few Of the remarkable
ones which have caused excitement during
the past score of years or SO and which are
remarkable for the exceptional reasons
above referred to.
TWO WELL REMEMBERED DEATHS.
Twenty years ago there was probably nc
man better known among gentleman
drivers than Mort Tunison, whose famed
hosiery was on the old Coney island road.
Mort was known from Coney island tc
Canada as a jolly host and good fellow.
His hotel was the stopping place, and Mort
grew wealthy. Suddenly the park com.
missioners determined to construct a new
80 foot boulevard about a quarter of a
mile west of Coney island road. Mort
kicked. The commissioners urged him to
move his hotel to a new site on the pro-
posed boulevard, but he wouldn't have it.
He said that his place would draw the
crowds, boulevard or no boulevard. The
new parkway soon became a fact, and new
hotels sprang up all along its line. The
old Coney island road became deserted.
One by one Morris old customers left him.
as the new road was a beauty and was just
built for t~rotters.
Mort had plenty of opportunity to get in
the swim, but he was contrary and wouldn't
take advantage of it. One fine morning
Mort didn't appear at breakfast as had
been his wont. Investigation proved that
he would never appear at breakfast in this
world again. During the night or in the
early morning hours he har committed
suicide. His old friends had left him, his
famed hosiery had become desolate and
life had become a burden to him.
The suicide of Cornelius j. Vanderbilt
was an exception to the rule because OF
the fact that his name was world known.
He was a son of Commodore Vanderbilt.
He had become a spendthrift and in March.
1882, he shot himself through the head in
his room in the Glenham hotel in this city.
Financial troubles were said to have been
the cause of the deed. Several times Com
modore Vanderbilt had been called upon tC
pay his sons debts and he finally became
tired of so doing. When the commodore
died he left young Cornell the interest OF
100000. Cornell also received a large sum
to withdraw from the contest of the com.
modore's will. These amounts he soon
squandered and he died almost penniless.
AN UNCANNY SUICIDE.
Another case of interest at the time OF
its occurrence was that of Nine. Restell, a
malpractitioner, who was one of the
wealthiest women in the country, her
wealth having been accumulated in hel
practice. She owned and occupied a pala-
tial mansion on Fifth avenue. One morn
ing she was found dead in her bathtub,
and few sorrowed, as she was said to hold
many secrets concerning scandals in high
life which died with her.
Probably the most uncanny suicide that
the newspapers were called upon to report
the facts of was that of Philip Truschel,
which occurred in Clarkson street, Flat
bush, l.. l., in the summer of 1880. Truschel
was employed by his uncle, Louis Schmutz,
who was a florist in the village named.