Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-04-24
HE BURIED HIMSELF.
The Unique Suicide Of Mexican IN.
dian in California.

San Jose, Cal, says the Photograph
Times. At the time of his dea'
Jose was 36 years of age, He h;
all his life been an exceedingly activ
man. Among the daring characte
then residing in San Jose none cou
excel him as rider of wild horse
He was also very ingenious, an
could not only make the finest kline
of lariats, but could also use them
many original ways.
One day the daring rider came I
grief. By some means he was throw
from wild mustang, and, beini
stunned and made helpless by tn
fall, he was dragged for some dis
lance in the stirrups. When finally
rescued he was in a condition thai
would have been sure and almost in
slant death to any but man OF won
derful nerve and tenacity of life.
Injured and helpless, he recovered
sufficiently to realize that he could
never engage in active pursuits
again, and he became very moody
and respondent. A life in which he
was precluded from daring riding on
unframed mustangs mad no charms
for him, and in the midst of his suf-
ferings from internal injuries he
made frequent threats of suicide.
Once in speaking of the matter to an
intimate friend, who tried to dissuade
him from the idea, he said that when
he killed himself it would be done in
such a manner that no one would
ever have any more trouble about
him. 1t was thought at the time
that he intended to drown himself in
the sea, where his body would never
be recovered.
Every morning for several weeks
thereafter Jose crawled away from
the adobe hut in which he and num-
Der of others lived, and came back
quite late every evening. On these
trips he took a pick and shovel, and
occasionally a piece of lumber, no
one knew for what purpose. Some
that he was mining some
where. By this time he had grown
so respondent as to be entirely I'm
communicative, and no explanation |
Of his conduct could be obtained from |
him. One evening, as was expected,
the invalid did not return to the |
adobe, and the next day Q search was
made in the direction in which he
went.
Something like a mile from the
adobe house the searching party
found small clearing In the grass
and weeds. To the surprise Of every
one Of the party, rude board box
about three feet wide and six feet
ong and about eighteen inches in
lepth was found lying upside down
n the middle of the open place. The
oox was Immediately overturned, but
but heap of loose earth
was found under it. A closer exam
nation revealed the fact that at
tached to the box were a number of
pieces OF lariat. The explanation of
all this was a mystery, and at first
It was not connected with the disap-
Dearance of the Mexican.
An intimate friend of the missing
nan then made an explanation which
was pronounced entirely plausible
md cleared the mystery. The man
said that the Mexican, after sustain
ng his injury, had been entirely de-
pendent upon strangers for his sup
port and sustenance, and he was de-
if possible, after he was
lead not to give them any more
trouble. He, therefore, devised a
scheme by which he could not only |
Kill but also, at the same time, bury !
How the thing was man
aged was easily enough determined |
by an inspection of the ground. The
deceased had dug a grave, a rather
shallow one, in which his skeleton |
vas found some years later.
After the grave was dug, which |
'equired some time, owing to the
eeble condition of the deceased, he
placed the loose earth in a box that
lad been made for that purpose. !
This earth was packed in as solid as
'ossible by being wet and then al
owed to dry again, so that when the
'ox was carefully stood on its side
With the earth toward the ground
Lone of it fell out. Several lariats
we're then stretched across from the
PIPER side Of the box as it Law
cross the grave to stakes on the
Their side.
The box was then carefully bal
need, so that any object that might
all on the lariats would cause it to
all over the grave and empty the