Arizona republican., 1896-04-23
A TERRIBLE ENDING
H. C.. Latta, an Express
man, Hangs Himself.
Preferred Death to Suffering
Bodily Pain.
He Leaves Note With Instructions
and Explaining the Reasons :or
the Deed.

1SStSUUny ulUQu1ulS dUUuL D " cIUCk
a young man manned Josea Green
haw, Jr., went ITO ]. d. Reeds barn for
the purpose of arousing H. c. Latta,
driver of pne of Mr. Reeds transfer
wagons. Lanta has been sleeping i'm
the harness room and as Greenlhaw en-
tered the room he jumped back in
alarm, for suspended by a rope from
a beam was the lifetess corpse pf
tLaItta, the face looking ghastIy and
distorted. Greenhaw hastily informed
Mr.. Reed wl1o made am examination OF
the remains The corpse was cold
and the distor,ed features told that
death came slowly and only after
great suffering. After THE officials in
spected the corpse it was cut down
and removed ito the undertaker's
Lalttals mode of seeking death WIS
mot an uncommon one; he secured a
rope and tying ONE end Ito beam
| fastened the other end around his neck
| with the knot tiled behind. He placad
a bench ON a TRUNK and standing ON
this perch kicked the bench from un-
der him leaving him strangling in the
alir with his feet only a few inches
from THE floor His aeck was mot
broken, as ithe distance he fell was too
short, but the Wide staring eyes pro
claimed that he suffered untold agony
while the moose was slowly sErangiing
him Ito death.
He must have premeditated the deed
the previous evening, for on a work
bench near the corpse WAS found a
note dated the previous day The note
ran as follows:
"PHOENIX,s April 21, 1896.
ITO Whom 1t May SoneeGm:
II cannot go to s,eep i5o1ight for the
pain in my lungs I have been ge.Hing
: worse all day today and a. high fever
is burning me up. NJ one is to blamD
for the act am going TO try ito do.
Give MY carcass TO, Or. Hughes Ito cut
up and find oI't vida. he cam, as dt
may be a benefit toi5l.hers who come
here ITO die one way OF anoIther If my
body lis not disposed of in THAT way
bury me as cheapry as possible, and
send the rest of my effects ito J. C.
Latta, Forrest Grove, Oregon. I have
$50 in my trunk and a piece of a
months wages coming from my EN-
ployer, j. D. Reed. Beg pardon for
using my room for this purpose, but it
10 iuilC Ouly L N1il llOt W
bothered. Yours, &C.,
H. c. LATTA."
The deceased came ito Phoenix last
September from Kansas and for "a
couple of months worked ON Tom
Greemhaw's ranch, afterwards coming
Ito Phoenix, and took a position as
driver for one of Mr.. Reeds transfer
wagons. Mr.. Reed stayls that Lai.ba
was at all times a sober, Industrious
man and appeared always Of a jpvial
disposition. Tuesday night he w1as
unusually jolly and very tatkative,
showing no indications ;iiha. he wlss
perpetrating taking his Life He some
times complained of a pain i'm his
lungs which at times gave Rlim great
trouble
Deceased has a. brnaher living DIN Or
egon and a mother and sister i'm Kan
sas. He was 81 years Of age, but his
nativity is no. known, but it is pre-
s,nmed THAT he is Germtaul. A he,e-
gram was sent to his ,bFloI.Iher yesterday
morning, vino oelesaphed back TO
ship the remains Ito Mgg: s. C. Latta,
Hoflin, Kansas. Va
Justice Norris impaneitell COZ
oner's jury who after holding the in
quest returned a veB1klii1lt. .tcll. The aaa1se
of the suicide was Temporary Insanity
caused by pain.