The herald., 1897-08-23
Mysterious. Suicide Among
the Hills
LITERALLY HACKS HIMSELF
WITH A DULL KNIFE IN THE
THROAT
A Hunter Sees a Cory Sight in the
Hills Near East Los Angeles
The Details

| A strange story Of determined sui
eide was reported at the police station
yesterday morning. Charles Breedlove,
a resident of East Los Angeles, went out
early Sunday morning, intending to hunt
over the hills that lie between East Los
Angeles and Garvanza, He was in
part of the country about one and one
half miles northwest Of e street, and
was forcing his way through the thick
brush that covers the hillsides when he
perceived a man lying down in the
bushes. Something about the mans at
titude attracted Breedloves attention.
and, looking closer, he was Mortified to
see the stranger plunge a bloody jack
knife into gaping wound at the side of
his throat. Just then the would-be sui
eide saw Breedlove, and called to him.
;mploring Breedlove to shoot him and
end his misery. Breedlove, instead of
complying with the request, went nearer,
intending to take the knife away from
the crazy man. When he got closer he
saw that the stranger had stabbed him
self several times in the region of the
heart, the blood flowing from the wounds
| The stranger apparently perceived
Breedlove's design of taking the knife
away, for he turned on him and made as
| if he would knife him. Breedlove saw no
; chance to secure the knife, so leaving
the wretched man he hurried back and
| telephoned the central police station
Officer Briest was sent out on the search,
and Sergeant McKeag of the East Side
| station sent two more officers on the
strange quest for the determined suicide.
| Breedlove met the officers and con-
Quoted them to the spot where he had
| left the apparently dying man. On the
| ground was a pool of thick blood; on
the bushes were stains and clots of gore,
but there was no sign of the man himself.
He had disappeared.
| The officers went to work and made a
systematic search of the ground In sew
eral places the bushes, with their bloody
| leaves. showed where the unfortunate
man had passed. but he himself could
not be found. In four different places
he appeared to have lain down. and each
time pool of blood showed how the life
was flowing out of him. The thickness
of the brush made the search difficult
one, for the officers could pass within
QOZeu IeeL OI tHG HAL anu lOl see uliil,
so closely did the thicket grow. More
over the steepness of the hillside added
to the hardpesaApf the quest.
| For four hours Officer Briest kept on
looking for the suicide, or at least for
his dead body, but was not rewarded by
success. The policeman then returned
to town, but the two officers of the East
Side squad and Breedlove kept up the
search all day. No further trace was
found of the man, who seemed to have
dropped into the earth. There were too
many substantiations' Of Breedlove's
story to leave any doubt of its truth.
| Breedlove describes the man as being
about So years of age, fair complexion,
reddish hair and clean shaven. He was
dressed in a flannel shirt, without coat
or vest, a pair of overalls girt around
with strap and straw hat In the few
words that he had with Breedlove the
man said he was cook by trade and had
trouble with his family. From the
amount of blood found there can be lit
| tie doubt of his death, for the pools
showed enough gore lost to kill an OK.
1t is likely that the buzzards will in'a
| few days point out the spot where the
| dead man lies