Middletown transcript., 1894-02-17
TIRED OF LIFE.
Frank G. Coates of Milford Commits
Suicide.

u Suicide.
The Every Evening of Thursday gives fol
lowing graphic description of the suicide Q
7 F. g. Coates:
1t is not often that man takes pains t.
, briefly record history of his own life tina
he who desires may read and then coolly
administers with his own hand the fata
poison which must surely and inevitably
launch him into another world. Yet this
is just what Frank G. Coates did, if the pos
thumous papers found on his person are tc
be credited.
section of the Washington and New York
express at 1.55 o'clock this morning. The
conductor noticed that he was acting
strangely. and Coates was put off when the
train stopped at the station. The supposi-
ton was the man was intoxicated.
He was turned over to an offer, who took
him to the city hall, where it was discovered
he had taken laudanum. A call was sent
for DR.. M. J. Hughes, police surgeon, and
when he arrived he used stomach pump
on the patient, but without avail. He never
regained consciousness and at 4.15 o'clock
died. Deputy Coroner Palmer was sub
sequently notified and removed the body to
the morgue.
| AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
| An examination'of the papers of the de-
ceased this morning revealed the fact that
Coates died by his own hand. In brand
new note book he had written brief his
tory of his life. 1t read as follows:
This is my last writing and it is to whom
| it may concern. I had cause to leave home
when 1 was Is years old, and since that time
l have had varied life. have had many
ups and downs. Through it all have, so
far as know, honest have been con-
demned for many things, but those who
| condemned me did not understand my posi-
ton and could not. / am suffering from
disease inherited from my ancestors and it
is not my fault, as far as can find out it |
has always been their misfortune. I can
not help doing what have done any more |
than can help this life which was given |
me. But who could understand it. found |
in Philadelphia few nights ago a doctor |
who knows what it is, and he says it is |
disease and not a fault. If people would /
work from friendly feeling and not alone
for self-promotion the world would be bet
ter.
know man who, if he will stop and
look backward over the lives of my ances-
tor mill L SC,
them well and me also. My God, if had
no more to contend with than he has this
life would be paradise, but as it is hell
and l must leave it. So here goes. It is
swallowed. Goodbye.
...- F. G. COATES.
sTNGED AFTER THE FATAL DEED.
close examination of the note book
and its contents disclose the fact that two
of three pages of the suicides history were
written IN ink and by declicate hand
The third and last page was penned in a
scrawl and the. signature was so bad that
Coates name was barely recognizable, which {
would indicate the fact that Coates swal-
lowed the fatal drug on the train and then
OTHER LETTERS FOUND.
Several letters found on the person of the
deceased and the contents of them were
equally as sensational as the character of
the brief autobiography found in his pocket. j.,
In letter to Emery Marvel, No. 1880 Wal
nut street. Philadelphia, bearing date of Feb.
18th, and written in Washington. the sui
eide speaks of his career and hopes for the Y
welfare of his friend. "If I had my life to ]
live over again would live for SELF" the
suicide says and in the very next sentence
he sets himself right by declaring: "No. :
could not do that. 1t is not my nature. !.
A man cannot do what is not in him. You
will probably say that am demented. It
may be true. But 1 have been near the a
brink SO often that it seems am now going a
from hell to heaven. 1t is only one step
rom one to the other. shall porcure some
lrug which will end it. 1 had drug which
was a sure killer but Bertha persuaded me
o throw it away. I cannot get it now, so l
will take laudanum.'
A special dispatch to the EUery Evening 81
tates:
Frank G. Coates is son of Captain Thos %
Coates, who lives between Greenwood and
'fiford. He has been livings at Atlantic -
;ity, NJ He has had trouble with his y
parents and was rather wild young fel-
ow. y