The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-06-13
To Suicides
Commencing.

The advertisement in the newspaper
ran as follows. Suicides commencing
These should write for appointment
to Rex Blake, 70 Uppingdon Gardens.
South Kensington.
Herbert Streuth, artist. received an
appointment for $3.50 on Wednesday
afternoon. He called at the South Ken
sington address and was shown into a
solidly furnished library, where podgy
little old gentleman with white hair
shook him warmly by the hand and
babe him to be seated
II am very pleased to see you, Mr..
Streuth, and trust that l may be of
some service to you-in fact, that we
may be of service to each other But |
must begin by asking you plain ques-
ton, which You will answer truthfully
and in one word Is your intended sui
eide connected in any way with severe
poverty or overwhelming financial
losses?'
mo. said Streuth, II am consider
ed l believe, to be fairly well off y
Delighted to hear it, said Mr.
Blake. rubbing his chubby hands to-
gether, "now we will proceed I tell
you frankly that with me this thing is
business and nothing but business.
If you decide that / can serve you l
shall expect moderate fee Now, what
are the principal objections to suicideG'
1.-THE law does not permit it, - said
Streuth
Precisely, but in the case of the
successful suicide the law is not asked
1t says that you may not take your life
away. but if you do it cannot compel
you to take it back again or punish you
in any way We can leave the law out
"There is also the religious objec-
ton. said Streuth.
MANY very religious people, " replied
Mr.. Blake. shave not found it cogent.
Take the case, by no means an uncom-
mon one, where the death of one man
may be an inestimable benefit to many
to whom he is really sincerely attached.
Is an act Of self sacrifice to be regarded
as crime2 No; it seems to me that
each suicide must be judged on it's own
merits, taking into consideration the
motives and beliefs of the person suicid-
ing. Any other opinions2"
II know none Streuth answered.
''In fact, have not been thinking
much about it. l want to get out of
things / don't ask myself if there are
any objections or. not. don't care if
there are any objections.
lyon surprise me, said Mr.. Blake.
''You are an artist, and yet it has not
occurred 20 you that the manner Of the
suicide is of essential Importance The
throat cutting is very dirty. and the
same objection applies to the use of
firearms. Have little foresight. Imag-
inc what you look like afterward. and
the state of the bedclothes and all the
rest Of it.
81 was intending" said Streuth. ito
drown myself .
81 have here, /" said Mr.. Blake, "a
little work on forensic medicine There
are some interesting chapters on the
signs by which you can tell the length
of time the body has been in the water
Did you ever hear of adipocereI There
is an elegant little description of it in
this passage. Just read it. -
Streuth took it and read few lines
II can stand this. he said; sit is too
nauseous
II thought you would see it in that
light, Mr. Blake replied. 8'sPeople
mostly do when put it to them You
really can't tell what rivers going to
do to you 1t may give you back at
once, or it may keep you for bit.
Even if it gives you back at once you
don't look pretty. Here's description
of the face of man taken out of the
Thames on
''You needn't go on with that.
have given up the idea of drowning
myself There is still poison. A little
prussic acid and the bother is all over.
Excellent, said Mr.. Blake ''If you
know the right dose. you die almost
Immediately But you've got an awful
moment If you don't know the right
dose, you have very bad time You
will be found with your hands violently
clinched. your eyes glistening and your
pupils dilated, and you will shrek just
before your death Unpleasant, isn't
it2'
well, said streuth. there are
other poisons
"All are open to objections Chloral
may kill you comfortably or make you
sick Other an@sthetics may lead to
your being discovered while in state
of unconsciousness, but not dead, and
the treatment they give you then is not
pretty. Many quick poisons are pain
full, very painful, and in any case you
leave your body about after. So untidy
such a want of neatnessl Every sui
eide is anxious to wipe himself right
out. to get away from public attention
If he leaves that body about after, peo-
pie sit on it and say that he was tenn
porarily insane, and one of the jury is
rude to the coroner, and the coroner is
severe to one Of the jury, and the whole
thing gets into the papers and the fam
lily is disgraced, and everybody feels
that the death was grossly inartistic.
IT don't know, said Streuth, eff
you imagine that by telling me these
things you can deter me from the end
which have in view If so, pray do
not waste your time and mine any fur
Their =
~ had no such idea, said Mr..
Blake ''All wish to do is to give you
chance of committing suicide in the
best possible way. No pain, no scandal
no untidy body lying about afterward.
A simple mysterious disappearance,
your own self respect saved, and the
feelings of your family spared. .
"Well. said Streuth, ''what is it3'
"Fire, plain fire. that is ALL Near
Weybridge there is a certain furnace
which is kept going day and night Its
heat is enormous. There are no half
measures about that furnace. The very
moment you go into it you are dead.
Half an hour afterward nothing of you
is left that is recognizable as ever hay
ing been human | will give You direc-
tions and admission card in exchange
for your check for Go so soon as that
check has been cleared -
Streuth pulled five sovereigns from
his pocket and put them on the table.