The San Francisco call., 1897-01-12
HEEDED NOT The
PASTORS WORDS
Sermon on Suicide Wasted
Upon a Stockton
Citizen.
Goes From the Church to His
Apartments and Ends
His Life.
Swallows a Dose of Strychnine and
Suffers Tortures Before
Death.

STOCKTON, CAL; Jan. 11.-Afrer listen
ing attentively TO a sermon against sui
eide, preached by Rev. Phllo Phelps IN
the Presbyterian church last evening,
Ulysses Simpson Barter went home and
ended his lie. His body was found at
O'Clock this morning in his room at the
Commercial Hotel. Barber was local agent
for the jamestown stage, and his career
extended back over a period OF thirty
three years.
That was a good talk Barber had re-
marked to three ompanions after leaving
the house OF worship. Those TO whom he
expressed his approval of the pastors
xmarks were o. c. God bold, Ed Parker
v and a tailor who is employed at the Ward
Irobe, and who was known to his associates
by no more dignifed title than Jimmy,
the tailor" Barber seemed to be in joviaI
spirits. At the church when Mr.. Phelps
was assigning intemperance as a cause for
many suicides, Godbold remarked jok-
ingly, "That hits you, now."f
Barber laughed and returned the jibe.
The sermon seemed to have made con-
siderable of an impression upon him,
and he appeared to be engaged in deep
thought part OF the time, although at in
tervals he laughed and josed with his
companions. as was his custom.
After leaving the church the party went
to the mission, on Main street, between
EI Dorado and Center, and there re-
mained for time. Barber was the first
to suggest that they leave, and they de-
parted before the service was over. They
then visited the Salvation Army barracks,
and there remained until the meeting had
been dismissed, when they returned to
the hotel.
Barber stayed in the LOBBY of the hos
telry chatting until an early hour this
morning, when he went to his room. No
one could have supposed for a moment
that he contemp plated suicide. He was in
the best of spirits, told funny stories and
laughed the time away. No hint was
dropped of his being disgusted with life,
and suicide, which the sermon that he
had just listened to might naturally have
suggested as a topic of convers alton, was
not mentioned.
Barber occupied a room on the second
floor OF the hotel. In an adjoining room
slept Gus RuI, harness-maker employed
at Oldham shop, and in another apart
ment near by was George BlaZo, a carpen-
ter. After Barber had retired both heard
groans and curses coming from his room,
and George Reidy. the bellboy. was sum-
moned. He tried to open the door, but it
was locked. Night Clerk Fox was called
up, and al Baum, the night operator for
fahe Western Union, who was with Fox at
4 the time, also went up 10 the room. All
hands tried to open the door. In the
meantime the grOans continued, with oc-
casional curses. Calls to Barber brought
a response, but the only reply made was
groaning Yes"
Finally the door was forced open and
the party rushed in TO find Barber lying
and rigid; the eyes had wild stare and
the left fore arm, with the fist clenched,
extended up by the head. The mans face
was black, and a glass with a few white
crystals left clinging to IL, together with
some stTychnine by the bedside, told the
story. The bedcIothes were folded nicely
about the dead form, and although he was
heard 10 groan and swear in the agony of
his death, he must have lain on his back
and bore the pain without hinching or
moving. The clenched fist was the only
evidence of pain. The suicide had left no
notes to friends or relatives giving the
reason Tor his act.
The friends of Barber are now wonder
ing whether he premeditated the deed or
whether 1t was induced by strange in
huence produced upon his mind bv the
sermon which denounced seIf-destroYers
as towards, murderers and fools. Some
believe that Barber had not a thought of
kIIung hlmself until he heard the sermon,
when be began 10 brood over the act and
finally determined 10 put an END to his
existence. l. is more probable that he
had made up his mind to kill himself and
had that idea in mind when he went to
hear Mr. Phelps. The fact that he was
not regular attendant at the church. but
went on that special occasion when the
subject had been announced through the
papers, seems to prove that ne was at
least more or less interested in the sui
eide question.
1t is said that Barber was soon 10 be
suppanted as stage agent here, and that
the knowledge of the fact was the prime
cause of his suicide.
Barber spent most of his life at Copper
opolis. He went to school there TO Henry
Leginger IN 1874 and 1875. Lieginger is
now employed as waiter in the hotel
fwhere Barber killed himself Three of
ABarber's sisters live in Oakdale. They are
all married, one being the wife of DR.. Muir.