Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-11

tcuipU6u 10 ferFy
the Styx and only
ms last can 10 the grim boatman seems
hkeiy to attract old Charon's sullen at
'ehtieh. Cheeseman's persistence In
seeking a ready exit from the stage of
HE rs consistent with the varied meth
Jus OF MS lethal experiments. Some
Oh MS Failures were unique, notably
when ne interruSted the circuit of a
i've electric wire ynd survived the
ueaoiy voltage OF an alternating cir
cult o. innumerable ohms. He has
also swallowed poison and iumped
rom the promenade deck of a Southern
faclIc ferryboat. Last Saturday he
SHOT himself through the lungs, mar
rowiy missing his heart, and the doc
tors diagnose his symptoms as fatal
Cheeseman's first attempt on his life
was sensational. He threw himself
rom an upper-story window in this
city, involving himself in two POSSIBLE
nies OF successful suicide. He hoped
in the first instance to perish on the
wires or an electric light Intervening
HIS descent to the pavement, which he
imagined would mangle him suffi-
GENTLY II the wire should break. II
happened that the wire was tenacious
M Cheesman was rescued.
His next adventure was a plunge
from a ferryboat, reckoning on the
chronic iethargy of the Southern Pa
chic to achieve his purpose. But Chees-
mar could not sink. 1t is the custom
OF the Southern Pacific officials to ar
rest people who jump from their ferry
boats and turn them over 10 the police.
This was the procedure on this occa-
sion, but Cheesman, while on his way
to he station, drew a knife from his
pocket and stabbed himself three or
four times in the neck. This time his
lack OF precision as an anatomist saved
him.
After his wounds were dressed they
locked Cheesman In a cell, and half
an hour later he was found hanging by
his s~uspenders 20 the grating in the
ceiling.
When he recovered his breath suffi-
GENTLY TO explain Cheesman said he
wanted TO die because Effie Lambert
would not marry him.
A few months later the old craving
came upon him again and he poisoned
himself IN the basement of his par
ents' home In Lorin. Again the doc
tors interfered, this time with the
pump, and Cheesman came mp smil-
ing once more out Of the valley of the
shadow.
But Cheesman was stiIl unsatisfed.
His desire for death may even be re-
garded as iRsatiate. A little while
after the poisoning episode he climbed
upon a windmill loftier than those at
which his prototype OF La Mancha
tilted, and, probably imagining him
self an airship or a thunderbird, leap
ed head foremost into space. Death
at this time was inevitable, but a big
dog passed opportunely and Cheesman
landed safely on the animals back.
The object OF these evidences of an
insane regard, thus emphaticalfy i'm
portuned, concluded about this time
that Cheesman wa in deadly earnest
and that ne meant what he said when
he averred that he would not live with
out her. Consequently, on Sept. 90,
1893. Frank II. Cheesman and Ellie
Lambert were married.
In books the of life usually
ends at the altar, but in real life it rs
different, and the Cheesman tragedy
was no exception to the rule OF realism.
He began a new series OF tragic
episodes by trying to shoot his wife.
Failing to do so he knotted a handker-
chief about his neck and in the pres
enoe of his wife tried to choke himself
TO death. Mrs. Cheesman summoned
assistance and her husband made rec
ord of his seventh failure.
His wife then left him and Chees-
man came to San Francisco, where he
found a woman whose throat he tried
70 cut. He was arrested and sent to
the Ukiah insane asylum. He was
discharged six months later and ship
ned on a man-of-war, but deserted az
San Diego and returned home.
He had a lucid interval for seven
months. during which he WORKED al
the trade Of house painter in OAK
land. He was paid off last Saturday
night and vent to his home IN South
Berkley. He carried his suicidal ten
dency with him. and with a o lot
the eight time, attempted his iie'
DIR. Rowell was called and located the
bullet in Cheeseman's lung. The aoc-
tor avs the wound is serious.