The sun., 1896-10-04
SUICIDE OF A SICK BoY.
Thirtcen-year-oId Randolph Percival De
nberateIy Sunocntes Himself.

Thirtcen.year-oId Randolph Percival DE.
nberateIy Sunocntes HimselE
Thirteen-year-old Randolph Percival Of 3o4
East Eighty eighth street committed suicide by
hanging himself yesterday morning. He was
the son OF Everard Percival. The father was
once rich man. Now he is a ticket chopper on
the elevated railroad and works at tho Second
avenue station at Chatham square. He is 65
years old gray. and feeble. Percival's first wife
died and he married again. Two children were
the result Of this marriage. Randolph was the
older. The other Is q daughter, years old.
Mrs. Percival had been promising to buy some
potted plants for the little GIRL and yesterday
morning after getting break fast and seeing her
husband off for his work, she finished up her
earlier housework and started out to keep her
promise. She also had tho Saturdays market
ing to do. She took the little girl with her, but
they left Randolph at home because he was
not feeling well. Their apartments are on tho
third floor Of the house. AS Mrs. Percival and
her daughter were leaving the front door Of the
house, Randolph appeared at front window of
their rooms. and called to them.
Don't forget to bring me the bunch Of flowers
you promised. mammal" he cried, as he waved
his hand in good-b to them.
II WAS about 8 o'clock when Mrs. Percival
went out. She got back between $3.50 and 10
o'clock. There was no ono In the rooms. ap-
parently to greet her. She had the bunch Of
flowers for Randolph in her hand Supposing
that he had run out for moment, his mother
went to the window where she had last seen
him and laid the flowers on the spot whore no
had been leaning when she bade him good by.
Then she went back through the rooms. As
she passed from ono room to another she
came upon her son. He was lying almost
promo upon the floor. between the two doors of
a doorway with his head hanging In q loop
formed OF a rubber pipe, which had been used
to connect gas stove with o gas hxture. He
was pale and limp The mother sprang forward
and iooseued him from the rub bber piping. There
was gurgling sound In his throat az she did
so. but IT was not u sign OF life. He was cold
too MFR I perctysl gave S &c cry OF grief which
doctors and some for the police.
DIR. Martha Iiuson OF 237 East Eighty-si1th
street was The S to rsip@nd she found that
son is the Percival family physician. and she
had been treating the lad for consumption for
lungs was destroyed and tho other badly affect
ed by the disease; lio was not confined to the
school at the East Eighty sixth street school
house and was at school on Friday. II school
spent his spare time either in the house or on
the H TGof ayanE k,es bfsrs, ,oo" ,o,d ,.v.o .,
them yesterday. meaning thereby the cheap
paper-covered novels which have taken the
place of the old dime novel. He read them In
school sometimes and he read them all tho timo
On Friday night he was reading newspaper.
He read among other tn nRs about n woman
who lived not far from his home who had killed
her,elf with carbolic acid. u could kill myself
easily" he said.
No one told the father OF the suicide of tho
gone home. A kindly neighbor met him at the
door and tried to prepare him for the shock.
hut he was almost overcome when his wife told
him the truth. DIR. huson had feared that the
disclosure would kill him and sho stayed until
she was sure that his life was safe.
The boy took the gas tube and tied the middle
OF 1t about his neck with slip Knot and then
fastened the ends of the ube to the knobs of
the two sliding doors. Then throwing himself
down on the floor he drew the moose tight with
his weight. DR.. Huson said that there was
evidence in the appearance OF the body that the
boy had died as much of fright as OF suffoca-
tion.