The herald., 1898-09-09
SUICIDE EPIDEMIC
FOUR DESPERATE MEN WITHIN
TWENTY-ToUR HOURS
Two Slowly Strangled to Death-The
Third Took Poison-The Fourth
Pistol

Antoine Velasquez, IS years, by .
. strychnine, at Pasadena; cause, de- .
Q spondency over feebleness and iuabil- .
ity to work. .
Charles Toennes, q years, by shoot .
. ing himself in head with pistol at SOL .
. diers' home; cause, dependency over
. ill-health. .
Alfred Johansen, IS years, by hang .
. ing Off the Buena Vista street bridge; .
. cause, general dependency. .
c. A. McGubin, 40 years, by hanging; .
. cause, dependency over destitution. .
Four suicides within twenty-four hours
is the gruesome record of the coroner's Of
flee. All of the victims were driven to
their final acts through dependency, one
being miserable over ill-health, another de-
spondent because Of feebleness, third be-
cause he was generally despondent, and
the last one on account of destitut.on. Va
rious means were used and in two IN
stances the victims tortured themselves by
slow stranguathon. The oldest suicide
killed himself with strychnine poison, while
the youngest used revolver. Whether
there was suicidal telepathy stirring be-
tween Tuesday and Wednesday is beyond
the power Of mortal to determine, but four
suicides within few hours, and all on ac-
count of despondency, would seem to indi-
cate that some dnscrutable influence had
been at work. 1t is an old adage of the
coroner's office. though, that suicides come
''in bunch" but the latest record beats
any previous experience in that depart
ment. The abnormally hot weather may
have had some effect upon the victims, but
each of the four took his life during. the
night. Hr-
The latest suicide was c. Alex McGubin,
who was found strangled ait Pasadena early
yesterday morning John Mulcinock, son
of the proprietor Of the Nevada lodging
house, had occasion to climb to the roof OF
the kitchen and happening to glance
through a window into the room occupied
by McGubin, was mortified to see that
lodger, apparently dead, lying beside the
bed with a shawl strap about his neck. The
alarm was given and the room entered
McGubin's body, however, was breathless
DR.. Hodge giving his opinion that he had
taken his life early Wednesday evening
The unfortunate had xoc made elaborated
preparations for his demise, but had merely
removed his coat, vest and shoes, ther
taking the strap had slipped one enc
through the buckle, making moose that ht
placed around his neck, and the other enc
he had wound around the bedpost. Ther
he slid Off the bed no doubt tugging at the
strap to hasten his slow death, which wa.
occasioned by strangulation. His head and
shoulders were supported by the strap, bu
the rest of his body was resting upon the
floor.
From cards and letters found in the room
his name was learned. He had lodged a.
the Nevada house for the past two weeks
and was in arrears for one weeks rent
Previous to that he had been employed
by Johnson & Ford and had also worked OF
the Campbell-Johnson ranch. A letter from
niece who signed herself Nina, dated
Fredericktown, o., was found in the room
A singel nickel was the only piece Of money
found in the mans clothes. A verdict IL
accordance with the facts was returned.