The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-18

Suicide was attempted by young Frank
Lacy. son OF r. II. Lacy, the shoe dealer
OF Pike street. yesterday afternoon. The
young man chose rough on rats" as the
most desirable means OF dying, but was
rescued from himself before me poison
could take effect.
II was Just after the last bulletin an
nouncing the defeat OF Jim COrbett had
been made public. -Four beardiess youths
entered the grill room OF the Butler hotel
and. with the hlase air supposed 10 mark
old sports. seated themselves 1t 2 table
and ordered drinks The drinks looked
ike beer, but were said 10 be '.sarsaparilla
and iron" one OF the four was Lacy.
The others talked prizefght. but he was
moody and silent Subsequent events
would indicsr~e that he was al that time
worrying through the TO be or not 10 be-
precedent established by Hamlet.
After several rounds Of drinks Lacy left
the table and went outside 10 a neighbor-
ing drug store He bought box OF rough
on rats" Returning To the grill room, he
retired 10 the toilet room and locked him
self In.
His three companions sat at the table
for some minutes. when becoming alarmed
a. the prolonged absence OF their friend.
they also went TO the tote room. The
door was locked. Karl Schmitz. the mus
cular cashier OF the grin room. was sum
moned. The boys were In great distress
They felt that Lacy intended doing him
self personal injury. Sc5mitz called out
open the door" II opened not. and put
ting his broad shoulder against it Sehmitz
broke the frail door down.
Within stood Lacy. AS the door crashed
In be dropped from his hands the box Of
rough on rats" which rolled on the floor
scattering its contents. He had Just start
ed TO eat the dull coored powder. The
''to be or not 20 be" had evidently been
working Slowly. and Lacy's intention 10
die was but weak.
one OF the melancholy boys friends ran
across the street for DR.. F. H. Lyon. but
suicide had fed, leaving only rough on
rats to mark his trail
Frank Lacy is well known 10 juvenile So
cleiy IN this city. lie is an inveterate
cigarette smoker. and 10 this Is attributed
his suicidal mania lie is a student Of
Wilson'S business college. and has always
stood well In his studies. especially in
music. His temperament is naturally a
dark ore. and he seemed TO feel that his
Is or 70 years Of existence had been sufff-
Client. 1T must not be forgotten. either.
that big prizehght had been won and
lost but an hour or so before.
Late last night IL was learned that Frank
I.sey's determination 70 make away with
himself was manifested on the morning Of
the same day by another attempt 20 take
poison in the rooms Of the business col
lege. After the episode at the Butler
Lacy started for HIS home. The family
lives over the shoe store at 2i7 Pike street
on his way the boy induced friend 70 buy
hira another box OF his fayorfte poison,
Rough on Rats" He had beer drinking
heavily and was apparently out OF his
head Arriving al his home, he was
searched by an elder brother who had
learned Of the previous attempts. The box
away and the boy was locked up in his
room. But Frank was not 20 be baked
through the tranSom I'm the door he man
aged TO squeeze and then started down
rtairS. On the stairs ne found hts mother
lying In a dead faint. overcome by fear
and sorrow over her sons morbid frenzy
This sight seemed 10 soften the lads heart
and bring him to his senses. He IS now at
home, apparently cured OF his desire for
standardization.