The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-19
LACK OF A CENT
SAVED HIS LIFE.
Could Not Mail a Letter Giving Notice
of His Intended Suicide.
WASSAVED At The LAST MOMENT
Dropped In at the Rooms ofa Charita-
Bile Association In Philadelphia,
Was Moved Co TIL His story
and Received Food and Work

lu fiction and on the stage, the toss
of a coin has sometimes meant ire OF
death. But In everyday llie in the ron
and great city. OF Philadelphia, says inc
philadelphia Press. the lack OF one penny
ksps a man from suiciGe three days ago.
IL Is pleasant 10 write that while ne
was seeking that one cent ana sei-
destruction Was baked for just mat
time. help came and the discouraged
desperate waif found employment and
hope The agency for his rescue was
sunday Breakfast Association or
this city.
The man had written 10 his mother,
sister and f. child. a farewell letter
He had only one penny, and believing
that the letter would not reach them
unless there was a twO-cent postage
stamp on the envelope, he neiu b. for
little time, on Sunday during wn'cn Ae
happened 10 wander past tao hOins OF
the Breakfast Association. and nndins
n By merost chance. went ga 20 seek
warmth, for he was freezing, and the
coffee and bread which are given 20
the shipWreckef on lies stormy courses.
THE LETTER
II Is not right that his name should
La given. now that be SIS wording brave.
~ again. But this is the letter which
was IN pocket OF MS frayed ana rag
ged coat when he entered the hall. 10
Is a human document weighted with
a heart breaking burden of tragedy and
pathosi
Dear Mother. Sister and Child.
Il write you few lines. but mother
I am sorry for yur sake. and my child <
sake. that yu have % know the worst.
Mother. when you receive this letter 1
will be dead. FOR am down so low that
must starvo or take my lie. FOOD
have not seen since Friday. ] am with
out home. friends. food, and anyih
else Home 10 you I cannot get Tor
cannot work my way there Employ
ment cannot get. for have tried from
place to place. but wherever ] 60. they
say no.
Dear mother please forgive me. but
have nothing else LETT. Death is wei
come to me II bad died the day my
wife died. how much happier ! would
have been but ! will soon be with her.
"Doar mother. I want 20 hold you 70
your promise now. that you made 20 my
wife. Remember. you promised her that
YOU would be a mother 20 her child
now ask you 10 look after my child. for
remember she has nobody else eXcep
you and sister Annie. Try ana De gooo
70 her. and bring her up % be good and
honest. and n she ever asks for her
papa. don't tell her what 1 have done.
for IL will break her heart
Tell sister 10 forgive me and forget
me / know II Is hard for you 10 bear.
but, mother. nothing else IS let for me.
Mother. about myself DOM worry. AS
soon as mail this letter. I will destroy
everything which anybody would identi-
~ me by, for when 1 am dead they will
md a place 20 lay my body. Now ] viii
close. and forget and forgive. Love
from your heart-broken son.
"P. :. Mother. kiss my child goodbye
for me. II ! only could see her once
more. ] could die happier. but 7 never
shall God bless you. mother. and Tor
give me-
Win numbed and shaking fingers this
letter was written in "a tremeious srawl
on a bit OF note paper begged in shop
Love for the chill Drea lies through
every despairing line. and st was this
and the piuful longing OF the would-be
suicide 10 write a farewell TO his dearest
that he might not take the black plunge
so absolutely alone. that made this mar
walt for the price OF a postage stamp.
There IS a tradition that the thirty
pieces OF silver for which Judas sold
himself are in existence SIN, some OF
Them In circulation. transformed, but
the same indestructible and blood stain
f0 ntAals ana AuAA NAlN'fNA Nf'+Nt-'
them IS cursed to suffer mlsf3rtuues amt
disaster. Perhaps the copper penny which
might have the price OF the mans itc
would have possessed the same ILL
omened power I'm lis wander.ugs
UNLOOKED-FOR HELP
The good men and women who wOrk
among the desperately poor who d~ft 90
the Sunday Breakfast Association. talk
with the members OF their rOrl0rn flock
and endeavor 20 ease them OF other
troubles than those or cold ana hunger
on Sunday night T. was bitter cold ana
the hall was crowded. one OF the work
ers was Harry W. Wood. OF li4 Norris
street
lie noticed a man sitting with bowed
head. a tragedy OF a man. collapsed and
Obvious 10 what was going on around
him. Something IN the look and posture
impelled Mr.. Wood to sit down beSite
the stranger ana talk with him.
The man was very silent. but sympa-
thetic words and the singing Of old
familiar hymns around him thawed his
reserve. Presently ne was weeping
softly and for weakness. his sobs
shook and wrenched him He told his
story In broken phrases. He hshed one
solitary penny from his clothes ana
said;
II was looking for another and II
Ia found II I'd have been down 20 the
dock before this. There are holes IN the
Zee. I saw them this morning. I'm not
used 20 begging and havn't asked for
food. but tried 10 get a penny and
people would not take me trouble %
unoutton their coats this weather
They diint know wanted only one
cent for A very important purpose. and
that g all esked I guess as much as
dozen Of them FOR az me corner
of the post-offce building this afternoon.
I suppose it's an old story TO yoC--no
money, no work and a man loses hls
nerve.
Here Is letter ] wrote to-day. I
guess me coffee and bread has gone 90
my head. or I wouldn't he telling Won
al this. That little girl OF mine is tie
dearest nd IN the world she used 90
sing some or these hymns 90 me
when ] was home AMI my WIFE was alive.
and I was making good wages.
1.-THE mill shut down. I had 20 lock for
q sob IN some other place. and Lett her
with my mother and sister. slcCcl, this
city. and it's been getting worse with me
all the time. I'm no good 10 nobody.
there's dozen men for every Jon, and
ft's freezing and starving 20 death Dy
stages, or ending 81 all In a bunch. Now
you can have me locked Up TO keep me
from doing what I've got my mimi up
20. but that won't help things whom ]
ret out"