Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-09-20
A HORRIBLE DEED.
Richard Sullivan Cuts His Throat
With a Broken Whisky Bottle
FOUND MOANING rIrEOUsLY.


One Of Tho most checking attempts
ut roledtBlIuciion ever recorded IN
Ibis city was made by Richard sulli.
van 1t the rear Of the Utah and Mon
lana Machinery company's place Of
business on East Temple, between
Second and Third South streets, at an
early hour this morning.
a few minutes before O'Clock a
couple Of plumbers In tho employ u
Councilman Moran were about to
enter the shop on the premises indi.
Gated whom they heard someone al.
ternatciy crying Tor holp aud moaning
piloously. 10 was evident to them that
the individual making the strange
noise was In great distress, and they
Immediately commenced search. A
few feet 10 the right Of the entrance
70 the shop was a broken trap door
leading into an unused dark and dirty
cellar under the building. On tho door
was tbs bloody Imprint VI manis
nuur by was alto Freely sprlnkled with
big drops Of blood. The workmen
Jumped into the opening and found a
man lying on an old quit with piece
Of carpet for u pillow.
A couple Of policemen were Gum.
moned aud ~ the aid Of lighted cam
die u was discovered that the man was
Richard Sullivan aud that he had NJ
tempted 10 commit suicide 10y cutting
his throat anu seyering the arteries Of
his Left wrist lie was almost uncon-
tciOus from the l0ss " blood, but 90.
cn8iOnally rallied sufficiently 10 talk.
Ho Wah taken 10 the SiAteu'Hofpitai In
thU patrol wagon, aud there nignintd
his desire 10 have the prgtouce Of
priest, believing that his time on earth
was very short. When Questioned Ms
10 why he had Ectud 90 fashly
he iceuly mufmurcd that he uid
not know but that he supposed
II was because he was crazy as the r,-
suit Of seven dayJ spice. He also
confessed 10 having used considerable
morphine the last two weeks, though
lac denied the habliual use OF the drug.
A NEWS reporter mnde an inrpec-
ton OF the premises shortly after the
removal OF Sullivan 10 the hospital. 10
was found that some time during the
night he had entered the basement Of
the Dickinson meat market, that no
had spent some time ON cot there
generally occupied by nm engineer. II
was here that the fellow, crazed with
drink, began his deadly work. This 10
evident from tue fact that the place
was covered with blood and spots VI IL
were found In the Just In the roadway
and all over the yarn across which no
had made his way TO MJrtn's cellar.
In the cellar where lac was found the
reporter discovered pint flask con-
tanning whisky. The bottle was
broken OIL Just above the body, while
tho neck had been used 10 cut his
throat, a piece " work he did In
most buugling and horrible manner.
The rlabbiug Of the wrist was no less
lfighlful.
Mr.. q. T.. Mason, In speaking to the
uowspapefnian OF Sullivan, said: ellis
history IL a very had one. / knew him
and his pnrcnlH Ia Carson, Nevada, ten
yeafs ago. His father IL wsll-to.do
gud Influential man. This boy was
his only son and upon him every alice
ton anu care possible were bestowed.
His father waH determined 10 give him
good education and did 20. After
the boy lett school his father insisted
that he should learn trade aud no
accordingly became an expert machin-
istj About year ago he came here
aud hunted mo up. He was In a
terrible condition, ragged, dirty and
downcast, having gone 10 the bad on
general principles. But took him In
anyway ana made place for him. He
attempted 10 tell me ON two or tire oc.
cgsiouH of his downfall and experience
since | had seen him ten years before;
hut | was not anxious 10 hear II anu 10
told him. He soon commenced 10
drink. But the boys In the shop liked
him on account Of scholarship and
social qualities aud they got up
subscription and put him through a
course i0r the liquor habit, and six
mont hs after he was straight
as any man. lie was "a fine Latin
scholar splendid linguist and
mathematician OF a high order. Some
| OF his books ars still here In the office.
Oils father came TO Utah couple
Of months ago 20 see him ana was
OyefiOyed at lis reform, About three
weeks ago, however, no fell into his
old way ana went 10 pieces all at once.
Since then he has gamhled anu been
drunk nearly all the time. He was y
slave 10 the use OF absinthe and would
get II wherever he could"
Adrian &. Ellls, a young attorney
with Dickson * Stone, was school
mats Of Sullivau's. lie says the latter
studied for several years nj the leading
Catholic school In San Francisco, for
the ministry. But Tor some reason he
never entered upon active church
work. He alsOspent some time Ia n
san Francisco law office. I.e has \
father, mother and step sister ut Car.
sOu, Nevada.
DR.. Meschsm said this afternoon no
WAS OF the opinion that Sullivan would
recover.