Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-08-31
HE WANTED TO DIE.
Because the Woman He Loved
Had Cast Him
Aside.
B. F. sEoRIsT ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.

! Fires a Bullet Into His Mouth, on a Bur
Hngton Passenger Train. and Lives
to Relate the TaIe-Doctors Unable to
Locate the Bau-Hs Recovery Hope
full.
Because Miss Laura B. Higgins re-
fused to return his love, B. +. Secrist,
of Marion, Iowa, concluded tn at
life was not worth the living, and last
night while coming towards Rock ISL
and on Burlington passenger train
attempted to shuttle off this mortal
coil by way of the revolver route. He
is at police headquarters, is still alive
and may recover from the wound he
so tragically inflicted unless complica-
tions, of which there are as yet no in
dications. set in.
Secrist placed the barrel of the
weapon in his mouth before he pulled
the trigger, selecting the closet of the
coach as the scene of self-destruction.
The bullet, which was from 32-cali-
bre gun, is believed to be still in the
body, but all efforts to locate it have
so far proved fruitless.
The attempted suicide occurred
about o'clock last evening near
Warner station, in Henry county.
Secrist boarded the train at Gales burg.
He seemed restless and his actions at
tracted the attention of the train
men and passengers. but they
had no reason TO suspect tragedy.
Secrist suddenly disappeared into
his pocket, he first fired into the floor
10 hn in
working order, and then turned it on
himself.
Rushes Through the Train.
With the blood cushing from his
mouth, and the smoking revolver in
hand, Secrist rushed wildly through
the train, apparently suffering in
tense pain. People on the train were
terrified, fearing he would do MUIR
der in addition to trying to kill
himself, but several of the passengers
mustered up sufficient courage to take
hold of Secrist and disarm him. At
Blrstow Conductor Rogers tele-
graphed the Rock Island police, and
when the train reached the city Secrist
was taken to the station in the patrol
and Drs. Craig summoned to attend
him. They probed for the bullet, but
could not find it.
Secrist says it was disappointme
in love that prompted him in his rash
act. He correspondent with Miss
Higgins, whose home is at Piqua,
Ohio. Three weeks ago he received a
letter from her at Peoria, in which
she said their courtship was at an
end; that she was going west and
never wanted to hear from him again.
Secrist FASTENED to Peoria from Mar |
ion last Monday, hoping to see her
before her departure and demonstrate |
with her to change her decision. He |
searched the town high and low, but |
could get, no trace of her. Sore at |
heart and respondent, Secrist boarded |
a train for Galesburg, where he pur-
chased the revolver with which he |
sought to kill himself Secrist is 4
resting well today. He has mother,
seven brothers and sister at Marion. /
He is SO years of age, and is n mem
Der of the Knights of Pvthias.
DR.. &. g. Craig, ST., said this after
noon that he believed the bullet was
lodged at the base of Secrist's brain,
and he feared fatal results. He stated
hat Secrist told him that he was not
N his right mind when he shot him
self. He was temporarily insane
when he bought ,he revolver, he
and becoming rational short
y afterward asked the dealer to take
{ back, but he refused to.