River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-05-17
FOUR VICTIMS OF AN SUICIDE

share the sense of reproach with. per-
haps. a chance to redeem himself,
than if they are left to bear the trou-
BILE alone.
In fact. there is no case where sui
eide is not cowardly Sinking of re-
sponsibility, except where he who
commits it is insane. There are plen-
ty who will say that no one ever
voluntarily departed this life while
not unhinged mentally, but there is
no good reason for making any such
assertion.
There are morbid. selfish people
whom we meet every day, and never
consider in other than a rational con-
dition, who constantly contemplate
taking this step. BY few minutes
skillfully turned conversation one may
be easily convinced of this fact a
well-known civil engineer in Chicago
went cheerfully home from theater
a few nights since and shot himself
No motive could be discovered. Two
other suicides were reported in the
same column of the paper which an
nounced his death. The daily journals
contain constantly increasing record
of such casualties to which we are be-
coming too well accustomed Reports
of suicide clubs are springing up all
over the country. Cannot something
be done to awaken public sentiment
against such crimes, the example of
which is so demoralizing?
Perhaps the most extraordinary of
all the local disorders of this kind is
the series of self-murders which the
press reports from the eminently re-
spectacle town of Newton. Mass, one
of Boston's most aristocratic suburbs.
How could anyone so favored as to To-
cality forget his privileges so far as to
shorten by one hour the period of his
stay SO near the center of the univ erse?
Within a few years. nine young people,
nearly all graduates of the Newton
high school. have committed suicide.
All were intimately acquainted, and
nearly all sought death by the same
method shooting themselves through
the head. OF course. all this has sug-
gested a suicide club. and the question
as to how many existing members are
to pass from this life self-ushered vic
Tins of some terrible VOW. 1t seems in
.redible that so many, each of his own
volition, and for no apparent reason,
should seek such an untidy death. 1t
is possible that the power of suggestion
may have been very strong, and the
first break in the tie of close compan-
ionship so distressing that constant re-
lection and conversation over the Incl
dent may have induced a state upon
the others from which they were I'M
able to escape. 1t is to be hoped that
the spell, whatever IT may be. is now
broken.
There are those who blame Robert
Louis Stevenson for all this disturb
ance, but this seems certainly very
unjust. That Stevenson should have
a worse effect on Newton than on any
other good old town does not augur
well for Newton. Frank w Adams
who was the last of the victims. and
who few days ago at his parents
home blew the top of his head off
with a shotgun, is said to have been
great admirer of Stevenson, of
whose works his favorite was the
"Suicide Club" He was 20 wears old.
After graduating at the high school
he was student at the Massachu-
sets Institute of Technology. then
Joined his father in well-known
business. His life was irreproachable
and. so far as his family know, he had
no unhappy love affairs. He simply
shot himself when the time came
with no apparent reason, and his
mother found the body in the morn
ing. His chum. "Billy" Mendell, shot
hinseif about two years ago after
reading Steyenson's works all the day
before He had business troubles
Not so. however was the case of
friend of these two. George Trofitter
VIII, two months before had shot him
self through the head He was we'll
known society man in Newton. Of eN-
ccllent reputation. The reason as
signed to his act was quarrel with
his fiancee, who subsequently, married
a wealthy sugar planter. and now re-
sides in the Hawaiian islands, An
other Of this singular circle Of friends
was Fred Maorhonse. the handsomest
nan in Newton. He filed an excellent
business position, his father is very
wealthy. and the lady to whom he
was engaged. beautiful girl. had her