The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-18
AGED WM. GRIFFITHS
ATTEMPTS SUICIDE

Broods over His Troubles and
Seeks to End Them by Cutting His
Throat He Was Found I'm.
mediately After the Deed and
Was Taken to Emergency Hospi-
tai
Desponiant and murosc, because of
trials that separated him from his
| family, William C;riftiths, a man who
| is III the fun evening of his years.
sought to destroy himself yesterday
| morning by cutting his throat by
| means of a razor.
The aged mans attempt to end his
troubles. over which he hrooded until
! the silver lining of his cloud of ad-
Nersity seemed lost. was made in
MaplcWood cemetery. close To the
grave of his granddaughter, which he
Was wont to visit almost daily 10 re-
lieve his troubled mind and spirit. He
| used n razor to carry out his purpose,
and though he nerved himself to in-
| tiict an awful wound, gashinc his
| windppC. tho chances of recovering
are in his favor. He was taken to
| Emergency hospital his removal there
being advised by Dr.. G.. i. Malaun,
who was called to attend him.
AS was his custom, Grtliths visited
| Maplewood cemetery yesterday morn
ing about $50 O'Clock, and greeted Sex
! ton Collins with a pleasant good
morning" ana also stopped to chat
! briefly with the keeper of the ccmc-
terry. lie then went in the direction
of his grandchld's grave and rcmaineo
there about half hour. for ScXtoi,
Collins observed him walking towards
| the southwestern end of the cemetery.
| This was about o'clock. Sexton COL
| Inns Went in an opposite direction. and
about an hour later he had occasion
to visit the vicinity in which lie sup
posed Grifliths was. GriffithS was sup
! porting himself on a tree and was
| fcebly heckoninG to Collins. The sen
| ton supposed that Griliiths had de-
| tcctcd som" mschievous lads. who
| have been committing nuisances about
| the cemetery for several days. and he
| haStcned to where the old man was
! standing. When a few feet from Grif-
hths. Collins observed blood upon the
! old mans clothing. 1t covered his
breast. and Collins was Mortified at
the sight. When he was able to speak.
he questioned tiriniths but the old
man didn't reply. His only answer
was motion towards his throat. col
Inns interpreting this to mean that
'irifiths' neck was injured slightly
pushed down "A handkerchief which
covered the mans throat. by doing so
he disclosed wound from which the
blood was gushing. Collins summoned
Reese Hughes. who WAS at work in
H., H.
sethcr they assisted Grin1ths to his
home on Belmont street between
Maple and Robinson avenues.
! The old man was unable to speak
but he had unusual strength after hav-
ing lost such Il quantity of blood.
When Grif'iths was settled in his
homo DR.. Maiaun was called and af-
ter coasng the flow Of blood he had
scncy hospital.
drcss.od and tho prcning made by
Grihiihs in his desperate attempt to
end his troubles was closed.
Tho wound was about two inches
long, Just across the windpipc. which
was almost severed. No large blood
vessels however. We're cut, and it
WAS this circumstance that preserved
Griniths from Il tragic death.
At til" hospital il was given out
last night that Grifiths had rallied
! Wonderfully and the chances We're
that he would recover. His rally in
dicatcd romarkable vitality for one Of
his years.
After the happening, Sexton Collins
made "A search for the spot where
Grfliths sought to end his life and he
found tho place under a small spread
ing tree. 1t was II spot Just suited
to obscure the oil. man in his attempt
at self obstruction. II" crawled in
under the small but numerous
branches of the tree, and in q corner
Of the shelter there was a large pool
Of blood, which was partly covered
with leaves and twigs. After iabbing
the razor into his throat, and the
blood began 10 crimson the ground as
it Gushod forth GrithtiiS. by using
tho razor scraped together the leaves
and tWics with which he sought to
hide the blood pool. He then closed
the razor and threw it aside where
ii was found by Sexton Collins.
The oll man waited for the death
that hc sought. and when his purpose
seemed to fail, " crawled to tha
sexton.
';rihiths has bean sornly tried by
family trials. After his son left him,
q few months ago he was Obliged to
$, rarato from his Wife, because Of
her failing health. which neccssitated
her removal 10 tho Hillside Home of
the Scranton poor district cirihiths
was now alone, hut he strovc 10 be
resigned 10 his trials About week
aG o, however, he was obliged ITO
abandon work, on account of his suf-
telines from "a corn on one of his feet,
which grew exceedingly painful and
affected his whole foot. This aggra-
vatcd his condition and his moody
spell grew until II reached the sad
climax in the cemetery,
Grifiths has lived in Carbondale for
many years, He came from Wayne
county, Up tn about Il week ago he
WAS onployed as hostl"r about the
Delaware and Hudson round house,
He was quiet, humble man and was
industrious and careful in his habits.
soCIETY's DoINGs.