The morning times., 1897-03-04
SHOT HIMSELF IN THE HEAD
Joseph Hadger's Probably Sue.
cesSfal Attempt at Suicide.
HIS MIND WAS UNBALANCED
He Suffered From the Effects Of q
Bullet Accidentally Fired Into
His Brain by His Brother, Eight
cen Years AgO-Taken to E,n..rg-
ency Hospital.

Joseph Hadger, young man twenty
four years OF age, OF respectable fam
liy, lies upon cot in one of the wards
OF The Emergency Hospital in an uncon-
scious condition With two bullets in his
brain, as result CT which he will prob
abiy die. One of the bullets has been Ia
his brain for eighteen years, when he was
accidentally shot by his brother, William
ID. Hadger; the ether was from pistol
winch was held in his own hand last
night When he attempted suicide at ms
home No. 1912 East Capitol street The
deed was committed about 7 O'Clock, while
ohe young man was suffering from tenn
pofary alteration OF the mind
The affair is a particularly sad one.
inasmuch young Hadger's mental derange-
rnent, the physicians believe, was caused
by the pressure on his brain of the bullet
which he has carried in his head since
childhood. When Joseph was mere
Lad, SIX years old, his brother, few
years older, and himself thought they
could best amuse themselves by playing
wild Indian In some manner the elder
boy procured revolver which was re-
garded as one OF the first essentials for
Indian warfare.
III was the old story OF how they did not
Know 1t was loaded, and Joseph was the
victim. He was the wild Indian in the
play to be shot down by the daring COW
Doy. The weapon was discharged. and
the bullet entered the lads left eve and
penetrated the brain. For three months
he fingered between life and death. but
finally recovered, with the sight in one
eye totally gone, and the bullet still lodged
in his brain. For some time the physi-
clans thought that il might have worked
its way down into the stomach and out
or the body, but recent Developments have
proven that 1t was not dislodgeu.
The wound gave the young man but Httlc
trouDic until few years ago. He went
west and engaged in business, but as soon
as his mind became overtaxed with work
and business he eXhi bited signs OF in
sanity Upon his recovery no returned
home, and has not been actively eneagc!
Tor nearly year until about six weeks
ago, Wlienhe considered hlmsel sufficiently
well to be at work. During that time he
has been employed by the George Lemon
estate at the National Tribune building
He was well liked and favorably regarded
by all with whom he came n contact. but
as soon as his mind became actively en-
gagged he labored under the hallucination
that everybody was seeking to 10 him in
jury. His best friends he imagined were
conspiring to impose upon him, snd the
slightest inattention he regarded as a
personal insult. For the past month his
relatives have known that the young man
was not in his right mind, butIlid not an
ucipate anything serious.
Yesterday afternoon he left the house
apparently no worse than usual and
without any particular comment as to
where he was going or what he was
going to DO. Shortly after & O'Clock in
the evening he returned and passed up
stairs, only remarking to some OF the
members OF the family that he would
be down in few minutes. 4 short tine
later the report OF a pistol was heard
coming from one Of the rooms. Miss
Pauline Hadger a sister. rushed upstairs,
and, upon entering the bathroom. found
her brother unconscious upon the floor.
with blood streaming from an ugly wound
over his right ear. The smoking weapon
was still in his hand. He had evidently
gone 10 the bathroom In order not to
soil the furnishings OF his own room
No pistol is kept in the house, and It
is supposed that he purchased the wea-
pom when he went ont yesterday after
noon. as it was a new one.
The police at No. station were notified
and young Hadger was removed to the
Emergency Hospital in the police ambu-
lance. DTs. Lawrence and Hooe care
fully eXaminedthe wound, but were una bIe
to locate the bullet The TRANSMISSION
process was resOrted TO and everything
possible was done for the young man hut
he did not rgain consciousness. Late last
night trephining operation was per-
formed, but it is not believed that he can
possibly survive.
The physicians believe that the first
bullet has gradually worked itself from
its original position until it pressed upon
the brain, causing periods of insanity.