The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-15
TWENTY TRIES AT SUICIDE.
,r,nEr WOW UHERE THE BRAIN
4 BHsp,yK PERKINS SHOULD De.
, R,rshamten R~Ian-Trisd Drown-
pseer "a rrd Then HanEinE-fHan shot
mh..,r and TaLen P~oisos-Threw rriu-
ha, propt or n Train Onoe-stm Alive.

----aNfTnS. MATCH W. NV Va
A. tv have about made up their minna that tno
- n Frank Perkins must be IN hieieet or ms
bsiny That II isn't in his head, whore It bo-
~ 1, indicated, because. according 10 al the
hsss, :. - medicine and surgery, rs they under
VI them. it is not reasonanio 20 suppose tnat
Sfahu hr,in md n .3s.calibre pistol bullet can
zee In the same place without trouble aris-
rp' rno, the bullet is in his head there can be
iG. tor Perkins shot It there himself in his
pou ~ ATTEMPT to commit suicide. In Wow
y The fact that Perkins is walking around ap-
y ~Nrr "a we'll as he ever was. save for tho loss
1arens g,n, cvc. the physicians have como to tho
y "s.,,on that the man keeps his brain some
sA.re else than in his head
V Ell IA one OF the most remarkable men
fe'A 10. aver lived hereabouts. because his
tnA .. nrcvious attempts to kill himself wero
nne%v fo,k, made up their minds that no
i 1.,s, -eolly want to die, and that his attempts
d MI we're tho result Of a craving for no.
nv when it was learned that he had shot
ton0', DIV, ,.onlc familiar with his past laughed
and said: u.r.. az. ,.r.
...,omebody took that fellow in hand
pD nv, perkins wasn't blufing. People began to
.D,,,. II when they heard that he had actually
=, . hullet mo MS DIhlh, sAN
-. Perkins was a harmless sort of fellow,
80 N he friendly and agreeable when no
~. mt suffering from an attack of the blues.
49, that. with his antics he was q source Of
u,dderable amusement, and 30 people Were
.-, 10 hear that he was dying.
pr, Perkins fooled them all again. and from
..ron he will be in demand with physicians as
.shi.ct worthy Of study. As far as the local
t.-a no Ia tha on1v man WIN hna
~, lived with a bullet in his brain.
IN. circumstances Of Perkins's latest attempt
.,So,way with himself are as follows: Some
Wy, AGO he made up his mind that he would
,h,, chickens. He hadn't any money and ho
800 any chickens. All he needed was q
,,t,r. though; so he proceeded to borrow
.s,l,n, from a farmer living on the outskirts
J,hs city. He had captured . likely looking
Nth and was walking along Court street car
,t.r them in a bag when he encountered Q
n,mber Of the local police force.
Now, Perky" said the officer. what ever
have you got in that bag3'
"'Tain't none OF yer business" said Perkins,
sbut don't mind telling yer mat IL . pertaters
from Hank Jacks
see here, Perky" said the officer. Hanks
~,rtsters don't wriggle around and mako Any
tuch gulQhTnCu luSo no oBohiB ehos boh
Just now
There followed q discussion, tho upshot Of
which was that Perkins went To the station
house and was locked in a cell for chicken steal
M. He hadn't been under lock and key for
more than an hour when the report of a pistol
sounded in the station house. When the jailcr
won't to Perkins, cell he found the inmate
stretched out on tho floor. A pistol was
4 a. La.J orl haal ,ra aFrAapN-
ing from a bullet hole in his right
temple. Physicians were summoned, and they
tt that Perkins couldn't live more than fifteen
minutes. They had him removed to the City
tally wounded. The members OF his family
gathered around his bedside to see him die. The
doctors told them there was no hope. They
din'! dare to probe for the bullet; because that
would cause instant death. Perkins's mother
and sister wept bitterly. but Perkins senior was
Iss.s s he re r sn,s1E,a s 1872 pulled 20 hsie outer rms mo rem
tese holes than Eve got fingers an toes. Nope.
frankie Amt a.goin' ter die
Iurgeon, "he's got a bullet In his brain. No man
can live under such circumstances" .
"Metbe," remarked Mr.. Perkins calmly. "but
Perkins fingered between life and death for
weeks. but finally got well. The bullet had
trtred the optic nerve. and he lost the sight, of
,right eye, but otherwise he is as well as he
snf was. and almost ready for another attempt
his life.
.Psrkins's record Is a remarkable one. He 10
sbout 20 years old now. He began to try to kill
himself when he was l6 years old. His family
ss large one and the members Of 1t are. scat
htred all over the State. Perkins was born In the
little village of Brandt, Pa, about thirty miles
nom here. Years ago there used to be tannerios
ld other industries around Brandt, but the
principal business there now is quarrying. Tho
Lns Railroad runs a branch line down through
70 sasqpehanna Valley. and Brandt Is one Of
he%principal stations; for, despite the fact that
there are only about fifty houses in the place.
Mlboy Perkins was lazy and shiftless. He got
iltte education in the village schoolhouse. but
torgot all heknew, except how to read and write.
e{sr after he left the school. He earned a few
Go dollars working for farmers around harvest
nne, but never worked steadily ~, When he was
Sysais Old his mother thrashed him for strik-
hE one Of his sisters. Perkins went down to tho
NH pond and jumped In. He couldn't swim Q
EhioIe, and had sunk twice when two OF the mill
s.naI hauled him out by the hair. 1t took
saI and there didn't seem to be much
ioaa eqt What he had meant to kill himself.
kwas The first attempt at suicide that had ever
E{ssn made in Brandt. and OF course the inhab-
1 b.hnts were very. much excited over 1t. With
w. noys and girls Perkins was q hero from that
a@S q; I hU although some Of the older folks
/ sSrhi tather were so frightened that they did
S S,,SI9 ~ out cqddle and pet hin for weeks after
ferklns enjoyed the conspicuousness that his
sHs@pt at suicide gave him. but when 1t began
wear out, and the other boys began looking
nun as lust an ordinary boy, after all, he saw
E Wy something must be done IL he would retain
~ proud position. He assumed a bored air and
man 70 talk about being tired Of life. His
s NJ Iales laughed at him.. but one fine after
t0oa ne went into a neighbours barn. tied a rope
S,st atter. made a moose in one end. and
Saakeu himself: 1t may be that he knew two
NJ, we're working up In the loft, and IL may be
AL M y didn't. At any rate he made q great
ia Unnecessary noise in the operation. with
NJ IL Iesuit that the two. men ran down and cut
i WIPE before he'd been hanging more than
W. seconds. lie was resuscitated In q few
Moments and taken home. where his mother
AM nv listers "ept over him. and the neighbora
tn n ~ oj dozens to hear the sad story.
iS Muslees OF The village wanted to ship Por-
Ssrsou 70 an asylum after the hanging, but his
XII bIIe u wouldn't hear OF 1t. There was some
tnr taklh. him up to Susquehanna and put
noib ~ on trial for attempted suicide, but his
from N 7 tears ami his fathers pleas saved him
IN itory, and Perkins wandered around as
~" n "'thout attracting attention.
N" = year Perkins appeared satisfied with
nm, iheh one line day no threw himself In
ssson team OF horses attached to q farm
TS.a me ho0fs OF the horses knocked three
S,sn m .eeth out and broke his left arm. The
4 ,M I" vent over MS left leg. and the doctors said
he soc sanlpulatlOn didn't take place. although
Ia S"t1Dr' slld 1t was death to leave theleg on,
Main lew weeks Perkins was out and around
M" apparently none the worse for his esca
Ed do mo seemed very respondent, however
HccassiiniHH'e That his mex attempt would be
INV ~ lie intimated that 1t would COM
Lldn',p SS ~ 100 and sure enough 1t did. He
IL ironn,o ceh GHt OF bed a month. when he Jumped
do,,nm W. q freight train one night, In view OF a
Az pNbDlf hlu were GfAnHinn nm fhA station