Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-08-23
THE SUICIDE.

slab. Some of them shrank back involun-
tarily at the entrance Others gave evil
dence of having nerved themselves to look
upon the grcwsome sight. One or two
showed curiosity. They came in noiseless-
ly, with uncovered heads, and spoke to
each other in low tones, as if fearing to
disturb the silence which death enthroned
imperiously demands, for indeed the OBJ
ject before them was CHASTITY. No kind
hands had closed the lids over the protrud-
ing eyeballs nor be und up the hanging
jaw, which gave to the gaping mouth tho
appearance of having, for its last office,
uttered some terrible cry. From each of
the corners Of the mouth and down tho
chin slowly oozed few remaining drops
of blood. The hair at the back of the head
was matted and damp with the csklson
fluid Beyond the fact that he was dead,
nothing was known of him--the witnesses
could tell no more. So the charitable
placard, 'Unidentifled, was still allowed
to hang above him.
When the jury entered the room, one of
them-a prosperous looking, elderly man
quickly advanced to the side of the
corpse He bent his head down to the face
of the dead and kept it there. The action
that he was critically examining the self
inflicted wound. He peered into the blood
stained mouth and closely scrutinized the
back of the head. AS he Strengthened up
again there was an indefnable expression
of grim satisfaction upon his countenance
which mildly shocked more than one Of
his fellow jurymen.
After the jury had retired and were in
their room for the coroner to receive their
verdict, one of them ventured an interrog-
alive remark to him:
"You seemed to take an unusual interest
in our unfortunate subjects"
Eyes surgically."
"Then you are surgeon?"
sit was my profession once, but unfor-
tunately it has been long time since I
practiced 1t. The dead man in there did
we'll"
''Did you say well2" interrupted an
ascetic looking juryman, with great sever
ity.
II did," calmly replied the surgeon
"He did his work we'll BY placing the
muzzle of his pistol against the roof of
his mouth and shooting upward there was
no possible escape from instant death and
that is what he sought"
IAN i'll done deed well done" was the
epigrammatic comment of another.
II think it was we'll done in every as
pect of the case," continued the surgeon.
"He had cause-he must have had cause
to justify his action"
This rather sensational assertion attract
ed general attention, and the ascetic look
ing juryman observed, with even increas
ed severity:
II take it you are not a religious manY'
Probably not, in your acceptation OF
the term" was the answer. II subscribe
to none of the popular dogmatic creeds,
yet believe in conscience, morality and
an intelligent Creator. We are given no
volition as to whether or not we shall be
born, but this is, in a great measure, com
pensated by the fact that if we find life a
burden we have in our own hands the
power to end it. If our death works no
injury to the living, it is none other but
our own affair. Only coward would
desert those dependent upon him."
''That line Of sophistry has been refuted
thousand times" cried his questioner,
with some excitement.
Possibly, but those are my views new
ertheless."
AS he said this he took from his pocket
small memoranda book, tore from it o
leaf, upon which he wrote something in
pencil and then replaced the book.
The juryman who first induced the sur
gcon to mako his strange declaration had
evidently Uyen entcIu.ti..~l by It, and
sought again to draw him out.
mo one was ever yet sane, in my opin-
ion. at the moment of taking his own life, )"
he averred.
II do not agree with you, said the sur
geon placidly. "Tome the persistent cling
ing to miserable life when death Is far
preferable Is rather the evidence of insan-
ity. Many instances can be imagined
where death Is boon-a deadly and In
durable disease, cruel suffering in all its
forms with no prospect Of surcease, li1o
Imprisonment, senility, insanity, deep hui
initiation and permanent disgrace. The
last are as strong as any to tempt ono to
self destruction. I know of such case.
A father had an only son, the apple OF his
eye. The two constituted the family. All
that money could do was done for the son.
Attaining mans estate, he was given an
important and responsible position IN a
large financial institution In which tho
father was interested. All went well, and
to them both life was we'll worth the liv-
ing. But one day something terrible hap
pened-the son was defaulter; the father
disgraced and financially involved.
1.-THE son fled, and for long time In
dignation alone burned in the breast OF
tho father. Gradually the old, all absorb
ing affection for his son came back to him,
and he set out to find him. After many
disappointmenrs his search was at last re-
warded. He had but few years at best
to live himself. He did not want them
after he had found his son. He wanted re-
lief-death."
And then this man, who had discoursed
with such unimpassioned fluency, DELHI
erately took from his pocket revolver,
placed it in his mouth, fred and fell over
dead
From his outstretched hand crumpled
piece of paper fell. Upon it was written:
BURY us together. He was my son. "
William A. Taaffe in San Francisco Ar
gonaut.
Medicinal Value of Apples.
1.-THE medicinal value of apples is not
half onprociatad y said nr T l., Solkirk