The times., 1897-04-26
HIS LAST THOUGHTS OF LIFE
John Fawcett Took Laudanum and
Then Recorded His Sensations.
He Felt No Remorse for the Act,
But Was Sorry the Poison
Worked Slow.

New York, April % = Almost remarkable
diary, recording in detail the writer's
sensations as he awaited death from in
territorial poisoning, is the novel legacy
John Fawcett left to the world. The mans
body, which had been found iii pond at
] lSoth street and Clinton avenue on Thurs
day, was taken to Boston yesterday for
burial.
Fawcett was an Englishman, sixty-fiye
years old. He was tinsmith bytrade and
came TO this country man years ago. He
had Inv ed n Boston until recently, when he
brought bis family to fremont. They were
living in Oakland place, between Clinton
and Franklin avenues.
Members Of the family OF the dead man
had refused TO believe the theory of the
coroner's office that Fawcett had COM
mitted suicide They were less inclined
TO be skeptical yesterday, however, when
they learned Of the diary found in one of
the pockets of his clothes. Prior TO the
finding Of the diary they believed he had
suffered a stroke of apoplexy while Gloss
ing the pond and had fallen in to the water
The statements which seem to remove
mystery from the affair were recorded
onIoose sheets of paper. These we're water
soaked when found, but have been dried
since, and are now part of the record
of the case in the coroner's office.
FawcettIeft his home on Thursday morn
ing, telling his family that he was going
to have his hair cut. 1t was learned later
that he had bought quantity of flaudanum
at drug store III the vicinity several days
before.
The closing incidents of the mans life
are told by himself, as follows
april %, IL a. nj have just swaI-
lowed an ounce OF laudanum, and as soon
as | feel its effects coming over me /
shall step into the water Goodby, work
ingnnen; whatever else you do stick to-
gether. There is no hope for you only
in unity. Trades unionism is the right
idea, and will ultimately bring about Mr.
Bellamy's dream.
Il am writing this very deliberately,
with an ounce oflaudanum in my stomach,
and hope my fellow workingmen will
think of what | am saying. 1t is fif-
teen minutes since l took the laudanum,
and / now begin TO feel a little drowsy. l
hope all will go on wen with me until
have shuffied off this mortal coil, for
I am really tired OF life, and ali after
life of strict temperance. As to the here
after, never could see anything in it
but gigantic fraud. produced by a lot of
men who go to college TO learn the art,
and when they come out go about holding
terrors before the eyes of the people to
make them believe it is entirely TO their
interest to keep this army of loafers in
good keep"
thx. in Lost lo.r
Fawcett's hand, apparently, was growing
less steady. Il feel now like going to
Sleep" the record continues, land so will
lay me down in the pond, and hope if l
wake again it will be to a state of which
no mortal has ever returned to tell" lie
then alluded to his wife in affectionate
terms, and continued:
1T is now more than half an hour since
l took the laudanum. feel no pain, only
a feeling of drowsiness, which l hope viii
soon overpower me. When l feel it is
getting fast hold Of me, l shall step into
the water aad lay me down to make finish
of the job / have begun.
1t is an hour now since / took The
laudanun, and now l will retire to my
watery bed. / have not the slightest pain.
and l have no remorse now that / have
had an hour or more to think of what l
have done / have no one to blame; NO
one has driven me to this. / should have
liked it betteri if the laudanum had operated
quicker. / am anxious to go, but must
wait my turn, suppose. have still NJ
pain, simply getting more drowsy, which
is just simply going to sleep quite ex-
haustei. This is u very quiet place. nave
lot been disturbed by anyone, and l hope
l shall get through it as well as have
done up to now.
''12 30.-I feel quite resigned to my end.
leave behind O act am ashamed of. No.
doubt right is the only way to live, but
some of us get so badly treated for it that
1t SOM etimes seems that, to get along, lou
must be rogue and never mind whom you
hurt if you escape yourself; but right VIII
prevail ultimately"
TheIas sentences of the record were read
with difficulty by the coroner They re-
ferred to death, and indicated that Faw-
cett thought twenty-four hours had passed
since he took the poison
Fawcett, lisfamily thought, was in gosd
spirits on Thursday morning, as liz hati oh
tanned work from a finn in Pearl street
He was the inventor of a veDtilator much
used on ocean steamers.