Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-02
TWELVE GRAINS MORPHINE Taken by Reuben f. Wells While
 DeSpondent, WITH SUICIDAL IN TENT Prompt Action of the City Physician Illustrates His Plan to Take His Own Life
 Who He Is.

Yesterday about 10:30 o'clock Reub ,n r. Wells youcg man about 20 years old, atempt-1 suicide by taking about twelve grains cf morphine.
 The young man halls from Pittsburg, Pa., ard has been in Birmingham ab put six weeks. He has been a frSquent Vis- ito- to the State Herald office to read the Pittsburg papers, ard often appear nervous and dsspondent. He rsc-nt y proffelsd to talk to the editor something o1 himself stating that his fath-r was well fixed and his family among the best in the state; that he had been add to drink, and a few years ag) his father proposed to him that if he would not take a drink for a year he would give him nloeey to take a trip anywhere he de- sired to go. He made the promise and kept it, and at the end of the year he was given letter of credit for $2,50O and made a trip to the diamond fields of Af- fica and other points, returning hone afb-r a stay of six months, with only $5s0 in his purse. His father then bought a half intere.it in a, drug store and start d him in business. He attended to his du- ties for several months but finally went eff on spree which resulted in m. sum- derstar1ing, ard he left, hoping to get something in the south to do. He decided uo come to Birmingham, ard failing to D his dissipation, and hl5 was finally ay- rested for being drunk on the streets and flied in the inferior court. This latter meg'tificatic'a wIls too much for him, and his friends, noting his actions, hot,fi d the druggists to sell him no morphine, as they had besn led to believe he in- tended to take his life with the medicine. Failing to secure the msdieine, he aga n became m;lancholy and shaved off his 'mustache for the purpose, 1t is thought, -l,t. .1 q. T the deadly drug.
 Yesterday morning he went to T. E. Cason's saloon or Second avenue and Nineteenth street, and took a seat be- hind the counter, and after sitting there awhile asked permission to go into the beer room and take a nap, which was granted. Suspecting something was the matter, MT. Will Sprague, who clerks for MT. Cs )n, went into the b CT room where he found him almost in the throes of death. A policeman was called and the city physician, Dr. Wilder summoned, who after some time succeeded in admin istering emetics, which the physician pro neunced would bring him around all right.
 ; Before taking the drug, Wells ad- dressed the following telegram. request ing Mir Sprague to send it off:
 Chas. F. Wells, National Lead and Oil Co, Pittsburg, Pa.
 Charley-Ere you get this telegram I will be dead. 1 can stand no more.
 REUBEN.
 At late hour last night Wells had re- covered sufficiently to be rational but appeared to be suffering considerably. He was exceedingly mortified to know that his action had been printed in the evening papers and remarked that he wished he had been let alone. That now the papers had printed the matter it was too awful and he could not stand it.
 He is quite a pleasant young man well educated and shows every evidence of good breeding and good raising, and his action is, no doubt due to the indul- gence of fond parents, who, when able, grant too much liberty to their children, who, when they strike vn with the real issues of lifeN are unal . to cope with adversities, and prefer death rather than yield their manhood and social stand ioo