The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-16
LETTERS SUICIDES LEAVE.
A Queer Collection Of Reasons for
Self Destruction.

! OGil-DIOk1 ubtlUut
Things Which Make Men Think Moth
ing in the Hereafter Can Be Worse
Than What They Endure Here.
Women Seldom Write.
From the New York sun.
Persons whose business or inclination
has placed them in a position to become
familiar with the subject of self
destruction find an interesting study in
| the letters written just before the writer
| committed suicide. 1t is a curious fact
that although the persons intending to
make away with themselves realize that
they have only few minutes or hours to
live. their last message is usually written
in an off-hand manner, as though the
writer was engaged in an ordinary, every
! day business transaction. 1t is an excep-
ton when the character of the letter de-
notes nervousness on the part of the
writer. Said a well-known physician of
| this city, whose experience with suicides
! has extended over a score of years:
1t is surprising thing, the matter-of-
| fact way in which the unfortunate person
dashes off his last message on earth. 1t
| is as though he sat down, pen in hand
mature elaboration | have decided TO
make way with myself, and l owe it to
humanity to leave a parting line behind
me, so here goes
Sometimes, however, the writer goes
about his work in a more serious VEN.
He appears to have weighed the question
carefully. He sits down and without
tremGr carefully puts his few last
thoughts or wishes on paper.
i have tried to look on the bright
side" he writes, but my life has been a
failure, and l have not the courage to
begin over again"
Then he calmly folds up the letter, puts
it in prominent place, and kills himself
There are some instances where the
person contemplating suicide has left
letter apOlogiZing for the trouble he is
making One man, before shooting him
self, carefully removed the rug from the
floor of his room.
In putting myself out of the way" he
wrote, Il desire to make as little muss as
possible You will have the trouble of
laying this rug again, but it is too ex-
pensive a one TO soil"
Chief Clerk Reynolds of the coroners'
Office tells the story of a man who sent a
note to the Office in which he said that if
the coroner would send him the neces-
sary car fare he would make away with
himself in that official's apartments.
1t will save you lot of trouble" he
went on, for my body will be conven-
lent"
1--WE get all sorts of letters among the
suicides effects said Mr.. Reynolds, some
of which are written with great
care, while others are mere scrawl, as
though the writer was in hurry to get
1t over with. 1t is noticeable fact that
very few women who intend TO commit
suicide leave any writing behind them.
The letters are almost always written by
men. Women usually try 10 destroy all
proof which will lead to an identitcat ton
of their body"
Often the letters left by person who
has committed suicide are pathetic. A
| few months ago the body of a man who
had shot himself through the head was
found in a clump of bushes near Hudson.
n. Y. The BODY had been exposed to the
elements for long time, and was little
more than a skeleton. Clutched in one of
the Dony hands was slip of paper upon
which was written the single sentence:
please buy me a grave"
Another letter. found on the unidenti-
fed body of man who committed sui
eide, said:
Il cannot give my home. else my old
| mother would know how | died Please
| bury me like an honest man. In my
| pocket you will find S40.''
Cornice Maker Jean Schwarz drowned
himself in the Croton reservoir in order
that his starving wife and child might
get the insurance money on his life On
the day he committed suicide he sent his
wife farewell letter. After telling her
bow she could get the insurance money he
begged her forgiveness. The letter ended
with prayer that what he was about to
90 might keep her from want
Many of the letters left by suicides de-
clare that the writers die because they
have been disappointed in love. In a good
many instances the letters are written TO
friends, and the name of the faithless one
is not given. Pierre Brady young
trenchman, who came to this city from
Philadelphia, committed suicide in his
room at the st. James hotel. During the
afternoon Of the day on which he killed
himself he went 10 the Hotel Martin and
wrote two letters Each was addressed
to Madame" In one the writer said.
when ! first knew you, YOU had lust been
married, and | wished that / had been
that happy man" He went on TO confess
his hopeless love for Madame" and be-
walled the cruel misfortune that had
come into his life. There were hints that
the writer would be driven to self-de-
struction because of his hopeless love.
The second letter read:uho,,I ..g
"Madame-My last thoughts are Of YOU.
At the moment Of quitting this world |
say 70 you fond adieu."
IL was ascertained that Brady had been
in love with the French actress, Jane
Hading.
Adolph Labor of White Plains shot
himself in room at the Hotel Arthur.
This letter was found near the body:
~ am better of dead than alive, and
will take ball. Tell my mother TO take
IL easy. There Is a mat in my trunk /
made for mother. DO not take IL 10
heart / am better of this earth. Mother,
Kate Tobin is the fault Of my death
Miss Tobin had refused 10 marry Labor
because Of his Incorporate habits.