The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-06-03
A Sad Warning.

The suicide of young F. H. Milburn
the son of the chaplain of the House of
Representatives, is an incident of more
than ordinary sadness even among
suic ides. The young man who was
about thirty or thirty five years of age
registered his name at Chicago hotel
at O'Clock Saturday evening and paid
the clerk dollar, which it afterward
appeared was all the money he had.
The next afternoon at o'clock, young
Milburn had not come out of his room,
aud the messenger being unable to get
any response to his knock at the door
entered through the transom.
A CHASTITY and bloody sight presented
itself. The body of the young man
was lying across the bed, his throat cut
from ear to ear, so deep that the head
appeared to be almost discovered from
the body and beneath it was basin
nearly full of blood, The preparations
for the desperate act had been careful
aud complete.
In the dead mans pocket was found
letter from his blind and aged father
written from Jacksonville Florida. 1t
seems that young Milburn had desired
to come to his fathers home and asked
for money to pay his way. The response
was that the place was entirely filled
up aud there was absolutely no place to
put him and that he could not send him
any more money for the reason that be
had none to send. The old mans income
could support himself and adopted
daughter who acts as his guide only by
the sharpest self denial.
If his son had gone to Jacksonville
| there was no employment for him there,
he would have been idle and a burden
upon his father which the latter could
not sustain. 1t was therefore better for
| the young man to remain in Chicago
| where his business capacity his father
| felt sure, would command employ t
which would at least afford a living.
| OuHS "ao ouu VI ShPicJ
ment and without funds and his father
! had no home to which he could take
| him. This was sad situation. But
it does not account for the suicide,
Many a man has been in such a situation
| and has commended against his i'll fortune
and come out victorious. The cause of
the suicide was deeper, and his career
down the road to ruin is striking
warning to young men.
Young Miburn had excellent oppor-
tunities. He had advantages OF educa,
ton and the blessing of good father to
train him, and he possessed excellent
capacity for business. But he seems to
have been a Maynard 500. He contract
ed the thirst for liquor in his youth, the
period of life when drunkards are ordi
narily made, and according to the dis
patches he could not conquer it.
1t is the chief danger to boys in drink
ing, for in boyhood the taste for alcohol ii
quickly formed and when formed at THU
period is seldom overcome. And so i
appears the young man went on IN hi
career squandering his health and hi
strength which should have been his
capital in his later years.
He had father woo was deprived o.
his sight, and it was his duty to hav,
cared for that at1l icted parent, making
life as bright and happy for him as pos,
sible aud supporting him in his old age
Instead of that he wandered farther an
farther away from the path of duty
where he should have been help and I
: blessing, until he has finally closed hi
career by an act which will doubles
bring the gray hairs of his venerabl
father down with sorrow to the grave.