Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-22
WAS ANXIOUS TO DIE
IRWIN II. RAySOR MADE THREE
ATTEMPTS os HIS LIFE.
USED RAZOR, ROPE, And POISON.
All Three Modes Tried In Vain, and
the Nan VIII Soon BE WeII-Waa
on ~ Spree, and Fancied Detectives
Were After Him.

irwin Halpin RavnOr, a mechanic and
locomotive engineer by profession, and
at one time a prominent member OF the
American Railway Union. attempted in
| three ways last night 10 end. his exist
ence. each effort being crowned with
failure. owing to the bungllrg fashion
IN which he went az II. lie is now at the
City Almshouse and will recover.
Raynor IS well known In railroad cir
cies. having been for three years prior
to February %. 1885, general foreman OF
the shops OF the Charleston. Sumter. and
Northern railroad. az Sumter, s. c. lie
has not been actively or steadily en-
ployed since that time. and that facts
coupled with the action Of his wife, who
secured divorce from him some time
ago, caused him to take to drink. and
maniaapotu followed, with the result
that he, imagining he was being pur'
sued by detectives for some horrible
crime. attempted his life.
HAD BEEN DRINKING HARD.
Raynor came here about three weeks
ago, and had been on a spree ever since.
He showed up at James Holloran's place.
al the extreme northern end OF Seven-
| teenth street. about 5 o'clock yesterday
| morning. and hung around the saloor
| during the greater portion OF the day.
| seeming 10 be in an exceedingly morosd
| humor lie talked occasionally. but his
\ remarks were all wild, and about dusk
| Mr.. HOllOran sent of for the police 10
have him taken away.
| In the mean time, however Rayncr
| found his way TO the bedrooms upstairs,
| and made the attempts on his life. Mr..
! HpIfrrnn m him from bar.
! and sent a colorod 10y 20 look Tor MIN.
| The boy found him suspended by ms
neck from door-knob, In one or the
| rooms. with blood streaming from wounds
| in his throat. and rushed down and re-
! ported that fact.
A crowd soon went to the rescue. and.
! cutting the suspenders. by which Raynor
! had hanged himself, placed him on the
bed. and summoned the ambulance sur
| geOns as soon thereafter as possible. Dr.
| Baughman responded, and found three
cuts in the mans neck. two short ones
on the side, and one about half an inch
| deep and inches long across his throat.
| He took five stitches in this wound, ana
| removed the patient to the almshouse.
\ where he was trea ted, and he is now on
| the road TO recovery.
TELLS HOW HE DID IT.
Raynor was seen by Dispatch man at
| the hospital after his wound had been
| dressed and, though az iirst he declined
| TO talk. he subs eQuently dscoursed quite
! what he did and the circumstances lead
| ing thereto. lie said:
! II was bounded TO death by Chesapeake
! and Ohio detectives, who wanted ne be-
cause my train killed two MexIcans down
I'm South America. and they followed me
| night and day with magic-anterns, 1ash-
! ing them on me at All times ana In al
! places They were In Hollordn's to-day,
| and / heard them hatch conspiracy 20
club me- so | went upstairs. intending
! TO XIII myself and head them on. 1
! didn't take laudanum. but swallowed II
| big dose OF marwuana, a deadly Mexican
poison. then found razor. and cut
| my throat. The blade was very duh,
| and ] could not cut very deep with II,
! but / suppose / must have made a hQio
! big enough for the poison to run out, Ior
that hasn't worked; sat down ier
slow in coming that ! got tired OF wait
| ing. | knew / didn't have more than
three minutes. as the detectives were stnl
! after me, so l pulled my suspenlefs OF
and tied them around the door-knob.
! made a moose In them ana, slipping my
head through IL, pulled IL tight. con-
tinued to pull hoping to Kill myself out
was interrupted By the negro who came
| into the room.
WROTE TO HIS MOTHER.
Nobody at the almshouse knows any,
! thing OF a Mexican drug such as
| Raynor described and IL is believed that
| he took laudanum as an empty bottle
with the poison label was found In tho
room with him.
Raynor Is a man Of nice appearance.
and Is only 3S years OF age. Before So
ing up stairs at Holorans he left a
! note addressed TO his mother, MIS-. Mary
| Raynor ~ Syracuse. y. l., telling her
| ne was dying, and requesting her 10
send for his body. In memorandum-
| book i'm one OF his pocke.s ne had
! the address Of MISS Mayme Raynor, or
! No. 2Z5 east Seventeenth street, Erie,
Pa. whom he subsequently said was his
cousin. he bears the same Initials,
| though not the same Christian name.
! as Congressman IsadOre II. kaynor, or
Maryland, and when asked "a 70 this.
said he was a cousin OF the statesman.
HAD PLENTY OF PASSES.
! RaynOr had "a pocket full Of papers,
among them about seventy-nye unused
railroad passes made Out III nis name.
as an engineer. His letters All bore OUT
| his statements concerning his conncc-
! tiOn with various railroads IN the south
and West. Among his papers was
! Chesapeake and Ohio pass, bearing date
! Of May 10Th. emitting him TO ride ffee
/ from Newport News 20 Washington.
| This was signed by Superintendent Doyle.
| lie also had an invitation from inc
! Chesapeake ana ohio over the aisnatufo
| Of the superintendent or motive power.
| to use that line free I'm travelling 20 Oli
! Point next month 10 attend the session OF
| the Master Mechanics Association.
This was made out for himself and
/ wife, and when asked by the reporter
! where MS wife Is. he replied That sno
/ was married 10 another man. lie said
| ne married the daughter OF a wealthy
! Chicago manufacturer 81 railroad spe-
| cialty. She lived with him In Macon, Ga,
/ for u long time. but left him suddenly,
| and went 10 Chicago. where she secured
/ n divorce and married another. He be-
| gan to drink then. and has kept II up
/ spasmOdically ever since.
! He said he was not sorry he attempted
/ his life but was just little BIZ glad that
] he was living He declined 10 say
whether he would make another attempt
| or not.