The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-20
TRIED HARD TO DIE.
WARD BRIGGS MAKES 4 DESPERATE
EFFORT AT SELF-DESTRUOTION.
lie First Tried TO Sever Jugular
With a Penkuife But Breaking
That He Secured a Piece Of
Glass and Hacked His
Neck Terribly.

Ward is scion OF the large mercantile
| house OF N. F. Briggs s. Co.. Of Pratt,
Kan.
The scene of the attempted suicide was
room ''l3' of the Zimnerly block, the
same being the room occupied by young
man named "Red," one OF the men who
run with Briggs while the latter is in
| town.
For the pas. two weeks Briggs has been
in town and during all that time in de-
/ bauch. He came here with considerable
money and still had some left when he at
/ tempted suicide. The report, then. that
he attempted suicide because he was
broke" is not true.
| The fact of the matter is Briggs deter
mined to commit suicide in preference to
meeting his mother after his debauc6
which he regretted very much. Some
four or five days ago Matt
Wall interrupted Briggs in the mid
die of his debauch and insisted that he
should go home. He promised that he
would but failed to carry out his promise.
Night before last Wall tackled him again
aud said that he must go homo the next
day yesterday and said that he would be
ready to take him to the depot ard would
not leave him till he was in the train. He
gave this ultima.um to Briggs and in re-
sponse Briggs said he would brace up and
take Wallis advice. He at once quit drink
ing and there is hardly doubt but what
this sudden breaking off had such nerv-
Gus effec: on him that his mind was in bad
shape. For this nervousness DR.. Purdue
treated him twice il. the forenoon yester-
day.
At 1:30 the doctor called again and in
company with Jack Davidson proceeded to
room ''13." When they reached the door
they saw Briggs, through the glass, hack
ing his throat and covered with blood.
They yelled at him to desist and open the
door. but instead Briggs commenced saw
ing his throat with the ferocity of
maniac in hopes, evidently, of finishing
the job before help could reach him. An
effort was made to break the door open,
but in vain. Jack Davidson then jumped
for the transom and, although a cripple,
went through it with the nimbleness of
cat. Then Briggs ran into another room,
still hacking at his throat, but when he
saw that relief was at hand he threw down
the Instrument of destruction and laid
down on the bed with smile of triumph
on his lips.
DR.. Purdue was at once admitted
and that gentleman at once proceeded to
stop the flow of blood which was stream
ing down on the counterpane and from
that to the carpet in torrents. \ hasty
examination showed the possibility of
saving Briggs life as none of the jugular !
veins had been cut although the wind !
pipe was severed in two places. Drs. Old |
ham and Fabrique were also summoned |
to assist DR.. Purdue and the wound |
properly dressed.
Five minutes after the deed was COM
mitted reporter for the EAGLE visited !
the scene of the attempted suicide and saw |
Briggs. The cash on the the throat was /
terrible to look at, the white bony wind
pipe proturding and moving with every |
respiration. A calm look was on the pa |
TENTS face. He was conscious and seemed |
to be more Indifferent TO his critical situa-
tion thau any of the members of the party
in the room.
When Briggs determined to end his life, |
he took a little peuknife aud began hack
ing his throat with such ferocity that the !
blade soon yielded and broke. He then
against the window sill and with one OF /
the knife had failed in doing. 1t Is with
this piece Of glass that be cut his wind
pipe The rough edges Of this instrument
made the wound look horrible, particu-
larly as his hand was unsteady from
and wandered around, some
times tearing the flesh over the original
wound and again under it.
When asked why he attempted suicide,
he said that he could not bear to return to
Pratt after his debauch and face his
mot her, for whom, it appears, he has
almost more than a sons love. If such
thing is possible.
Ward is the son of NJ. F. Briggs of Pratt,
rs stated, and with four other brothers is
with the store. He is said to be
the ''olack sheep" of the family. aud in
the same breath he is pronounced to be the
most popular of the sons with The general
public He has the reputation OF being a
gambler. but he is not one Ia the general
sense of the term. He is Qaite scientific
poker player. and drunk or sober he has
he reputation of always not only holding
bis own at the gambling table, but gener-
departure from Pratt he WOO 500 a:
private game. The next morning he found
.wo families in destitute circumstances
and spent good deal of his winnings in
providing for them. 1t is said that
le gave u suit OF clothes 20 every Guild in
1oth families His chums here say that
10 spends money with the libersl.ty OF
Monte Cristo aad that he has q very
LIBERAL heart. His visits TO Wichita are
periodical and on many occasions he
.ould be seen in the streets with an open =
:arriase treating his companions to ride.
After be was found and before The ex
ent Of MS injuries was thoroughly kuown
iatt Wall ;e!egrsphed 70 his father. The :
after teiegraphed back TO spare 10 ex-
,ense in giving him medical aid AID also :
tsated that be would come TO Wichita on
be first train. =
Briggs was dilerious last night, but the
octors stIll insist that be will get we'll II :
yas q; first thought that he uever could :
peak again but he stii! has the use OF his
oice aud spoke freely yesterday afternoon.