Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-30
PISTOL TO HIS HEAD.
Az OFFICER FINDS cnAs. MADISON
TRYING TO KILL HIMSELF.
WROTE THAT he WAS TROUBLED.
Asked That blessings Might Rest on
The One Who had Given Him Hap
.,nc.. Even for n Little while
Mind Probably Affected.

charles 8. Madison. q young man OF
y vears. and timer by trade. crazed
with drink, and oblivious OF evefy'h'ns'
made a desperate attempt 10 commit SUI
ode early yesterday morning BY shoot-
ing himself
II was shortly before o'clock mat
Daiccr Krause. Of the First Police-sta-
ZION who was passing along his beat
"A the nelghborhood OF Eighteenth street.
heard the report OF revolver. NJ the
same time he saw q man Dart Gown an
alley. lie gave chase. ana caught Wy
With the fugitive !n front OF McDohousn ;
stables hut Just as he caught hoid Oh
him Madison drew his revolver, ana
ao,nfing II TO his own temple, pulled the
trigger. Fortunately. the weapon m'sseu
src or death would have been ins'ah'a-
neous.
policeman Krause knocked the gun out
n the mans hand and placed him I'M
aer arrest He had some difficulty In
.afrying his prisoner to the poiice-s'a-
lion. and when he had succeeded Madi-
son was I'm such supplied condition
hat he could not give his name, ana
WAS locked Up. charged with carrying
kohcealed wcaponsl and with drunkenness
BEFORE THE POLICE COURT.
In the Police Court yesterday morning
young Madison cut very sorry hgure'
lie had 10 be led TO the dock ana utter
" disregarded all the questions addressed
n him. HIS manner was so witless that
Justice Crutchheld believed that he was
not ,n his right mind. and sentenced MN
Ia thirty DAVIS In Jail. In order that ms
actions and conduct may be cioseiy
scrutinized. The mother or the unioI-
.unate young man was In the Justice
,tiice during the hearing. she was natu-
ally very much distressed. she sald
hat Charles had always been goou
bow. and had never caused her any Sc
ions trouble. She had not noticed any
hing strange about his conduct iatey,
md was altogether at loss 10 account
Tor his strange behaviour. she lhciihcu
% the belief that the boy had peeh
drinking heavily. and that the spnHs
had had n very perverse etect upon ms
mind She knew Of no trouble tha' was
weighing upon his mind
oNE HAD CAUSED HIM HAPPINESS
The fact that Madison's act was pre-
nediated is indicated from the following
ettcr which he wrote some time Oh
Monday. or a few hours before he at
.empted TO shoot himself:
Richmond, Va. June Is, loyi
To Whom II May Concern:
Goa being my judge nave rie e6he b All IL II
looks az II the very God In Heayen had
forsaken me. try as hard as ! might
everything went wrong | have been OUT
Df work the most Of the time ana tnat
aas most robbed Of my mind, although my
so-cnled friends gave me no Creait iot
anything but laziness; but be that as !.
may, ! could have borne all OF TINS, put
there are some things that No one GAN
And now | would like 10 say to those
hat knew me In this life 10 think as GOOD
Of me as they can. and If they know no
good TO hold their peace ana say no
harm. but let the dead rest in peace.
The Bible SAYS we must hope on, but
Il also saws that hope deferred maketh
he heart sick. and have lived on hope
a after ro hone to vanish. untl at last am
forced TO give up the fight and say,
Though / fail. | have done my best
ForsalIen by those that once PROGRESSED
10 be my friends, bafiied I'm everything J
iyy 10 DO looked down upon by loved
ones fricndless and alone. with no one
to conilde IA. with no hope here or here
ufter my life looks dark, and III mas beeh
20 dark and lonely for six years now,
hat / will try and get a little res. across
the river.
And now. Good-by TO all of my friends
that care to wish me Farewell, and may
none that ever saw me smile ever know
what II hid. May God. in His mercy. spare
very human heart the pain that mine has
1ad TO bear.
II may do some heart good 10 know That
| have known happiness In the past SIX
months. N only for little while, and may
God bless the one that gave IL to me,
byeYo though 1 cannot. GOod-by,
G. s. MADISON,
sgs north Twenty street.
Richmond Va.