The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-09
DEATH Is UNKIND
E'EFUsING TO COME TO POOR AKI
YAMA'S RELIEF,


.-ries to Cut Himself In Two with
ia panese Sword But Proves Too Short
Ma to ct ut Himself With 50 Long
wsa pon-But He Mang.ss Himself Con
Think of the Case In Hawaii-A Hawai-
ian Asa asstnation- Oriental News.
San Francisco, Oct. s.-Thc Japan Mai
of September p has the following &C
count Of attic mpted suicide Of Councillor
Aki Yama., ahe news of which wa:
brought f. ON Honolulu by steamship
China today:
! Mr.. Aki Y anna, a councillor Of the for
| eign office, VINO was sent to Honolulu in
connection with the immigrant trouble,
and who left Honolulu for Japan on
! July 90, had been in a melancholy frame
of mind ever since his return 10 Toxic.
Nothing calculated TO weigh upon his
knows, during RUS stay in Hawaii. He
seems to have d scharged his mission in
a perfectly satisfactory manner and the
agreement with reference TO aroi,ra ton
had been conclud ed before he had left
Honolulu. Still from the time Of his re-
turn il was evident that there was some
cause Of chagrin. Al 2 o'clock on the
2oth he went away from the foreign Of
fee, saying that he felt unwell, and on
reaching home ne complained of suffer
ing and retired to lie down, after having
fist partaken OF some tea prepared by
his mother. About half an hour later a
member Of the house41 old entered mis-
room and found him ba.thed in blood. A
sword about three feet long was grasped
in his right hand and several severe
wounds were visible in his neck and
stomach He was almost unconscious,
out owing TO the difficulty OF using
weapon of such length for suicidal pur
poses according to the orthodox Japanese
fashion, ne had failed 10 inflict fatal in
juries. Il would seem that when ne
plunged the sword into his stomach and
attempted 20 draw il across the impossi-
bility Of guiding it correctly resulted in
It's glancing upward against the ribs on
the left side, and although an effort was
made to change the direction TO the right
the enfeebling effect Of the first cut rem
dered the second compare lively innocu-
Gus. The same difficulty saved the Jug
ular vein when the sword was directed
against the throat. Still. two terrible
wounds were inflicted, that in the stom-
ach being eight inches long and two
inches deep, and that in the throat being
two inches long and seen-tenths of an
inch deep.
When Mr.. Aki YamaS mother raised
his head she asked him what induced
him to take such course, but he made
no answer, although he let It be under
stood that he did notwish TO haze medical
aid.
A physician was soon on the spot, and
the wounds were treated, that on the
stomach requiring fifty stitches. II is
understood to be the doctors opinion
hat if no complications ensue fatal re-
suit need not be epprehended.
The almost invaria BILE custom with a
Japanese who contempIates suicide is to
leave written statement of his reasons
for the act, but nothing of this kind has
been found in Mr. Aki Yama's and il is,
of course, idle 20 speculate on the motie
by which he was influenced. Possibly
the simple explanation is mental de-
ransement, but naturally there is a dis
position 70 infer that some feature Of the
Hawaiian affair had distressed him be-
yond endurance.
JAPANESE MISCELLANY.
San Francisco, Oct. S.-The following |
Japanese advices were received today |
per steamship China from Yokahama:
The Japanese government has officially |
sanctioned the construction of a new |
harbor at Osaka.
A submarine cable has jus. been laid |
from Kokkaido 20 Kurile Island
During the summer over 40 900 cases Of |
dysentery and about $500 deaths from |
the same cause have been reported |
the country
The Toxic Tramway company, which |
is about 10 change its presen, system 70 |
that of an electric railway, has increased |
its capital to 100000 yen.
The foreign department will next year
establish legations in Belgium, Turkey.
and Spain, and five consulatee. al Mar
settles. Hamburg, Odessa, Calcutta and |
Kanko.
During a typhoon which caused much
damage September 9 the Norwegian bark
Aletta. from Vancouver 20 Yokohama,
with cargo of lumber. was caught a.
the entrance to Toxic harbor and dash
ed on the rocks al Tateyama Bay. and
went 10 pieces. Her captain, second
mate. carpenter. steward and two sail
ors saved their lives by jumping on the
rocks, but che frs; mate and nine OF the
crew We're drowned. Ninety persons
were killed outright, 500 injured and
thousands OF houses and other buildings
destroyed in the vicinity OF Toxic by
the typhoon.
MORE ABOCA AK YAMA
San Francisco. Oct. S.-The steamer
China arrived here today from Hong
Kong. Via Honolulu. with the following
Hawaiian advices under date OF he End
instant:
Honolulu. Oct. 4-The steamer China
brought word that Councillor Aki Yama
Of the japanese foreign office. attempted
suicide at Yokohama. Al last accounts
ne was still living. There we're several
severe wounds. Aki Yama arrived in
his city on the japanese cruiser Naniva
asst May 10 assis: Minister Shi Mamu.a
n handling the japanese immigration
natter. He proved 20 be bright young
nan OF c0ns.dera ole experience in diplo-
natic work and he made many friends