The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-16
DIARY OF A Dying MAN
Spiritualist Tells of the Deep
ening of Deaths Shades.
HE SEWERS AN ARTERY
Frederick Langsdorff Makes Notes
OF the Sensations He Experiences
and Records His Condition From
Time to Ting After Taking Doses
Of the FntaI Drugs.

Kansas City. Sept. 16-The body of
Frederick Langsdorff. a spiritualist, has
been found the bank of the Kaw,
near Armonsdale, Kan. He had commit
ted suicide after taking drachm of NOR
phine, drachm of prussic acid, in small
quantities, covering period of four days,
then opening the veins of his arm. Dur
ing the four days he ate nothing and
drank only a pint of water.
Langsdorn had been out of employment
and sought the advice of spiritualistic
mediums. who told him he would die by
his own hands. His suicide was a most
wonderful show of nerve and determina-
tion.
A little notebook addressed to Mrs. Clai-
man. a medium of this city, was found
beside Lsngsdorff's body.
After explaining his purpose and his
reasons for suicide there is a break in
the diary, which is resumed thus, after
the first dose of poison:
Why am L haIpy? Why is every
body SO peaceful! ana serene roun1 :,-?
1t is because / know that soon l will he
home. About an hour ago / took two
grains of morphine because this life is
a burden TO me. 1 expected ogonies,
fear OF death. etc, Yet l am contented,
knowing that soon this iife's troubles are
TO be over. Death is not te,ribla TO one
who knows that there is a beyond far
SURPRISING in beauty this life. Beyond
there is greater unfolding of spirit
uaI powers. a greater harmony between
the disembodied spirits than on earth.
Love is such a rare article on this mon
ey-hunting sphere that many a soul is
starved for lack of love-not love of the
flesh, but love of srIr4IIai and eternal.
Six o'clock p. m--Four hours have
passed since l took the poison; only
r-se OF the pulse to about lis or 120. Have
just taken one more grain. hope u viii
soon take effect
This little booklet / wrote Wednes-
day. Please send il to Mrs. Claiman.'
Then he added these lines:
Il shall, II possible, try TO communicate
with you when ! am disembodied because
i like you spiritually, as also that of a
young girl Of your community, about
twelve or fourteen years of age, l think,
high forehead, slim build, sang duet
with another girl, quite shorter than she.
/ have the impression that this girl has
great mediumistic powers
The record he made of his experience on
the second day tells of his approaching
exhaustion. He expects to die soon. The
entry follows:
=
Yesterday afternoon l took first TWO
grains OF morphine. then one grain, with
the intention OF parting from this life,
which has been a failure with me as far
material things are concerned. After l
had taken the poison q o'clock p. M un-
til dark l wrote a few notes which told
Of my feelings and aspirations for the
future, when night, and with the night
cold and dew, came on; / was taken with
such violent chills that no doubt the
poison would not take effect. Now / have
taken three more grains of the same drug,
hoping that this. with the warmth Of the
day. viii have the desired effect. for
am determined to pass out of this life.
Thursday. p. m.-Stil on earth. Do I
bear a charmed life? Or what is more
likely. is the morphine bought no good?
AT noon ] took five more grains. Now l
shall wait till about sundown- If by that
time | am still conscious ! shall employ
the small bottle of prussic acid that l
J have with me- which will surely end this
misery"
! Here the handwriting became cramped
4 and the words more unconnected- He
! evidently had just swallowed the prussic
acid.
Yet not death; had to vomit the acid
! This is Friday morning; l can only stand
. upright WIN ulrnCQlIE, Dut nave plenty
( of morphine left. Shall eat that, and. as
/ have nothing else, ] shall starve; a few
/ days will do it.
Saturday morning, oclock-Have
taken since WedneTay noon 81 grains of
] morphine, GO grains of prussic acid. Moth
| ing to eat, nothing to drink, except a pint
! Of water Thursday morning, and still
/ live. / have slight dizziness in the head.
4 somewhat weak in the knees. 1 am now
! sharpening small brass tool which
used at my trade as bookbinder Qn rul-
! ing paper). This tool is very thin and
! will be sharper than n razor after / have
! II sharpened. With this / shall open the
I veins of my arms inside the elbows. This
! will be sure, hope; but L shall not use it
unless the pain of hunger becomes too
I great Did not think at first that 1t
would take much time. but start
ed | thought it would interest you TO
! hear as close the end as possible
Here the writing ends.