The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-24
He Was hut Fourteen Years Old, and
Killed Himself While Visiting
at His UncIe's House.
WAS GAME TILL THE LAST
SAID HE HAD PLANNED SELF-DE-
sTRUCTION FOR TWO YEARS.
One of the Most Unusual Cases That
Ever Occurred in This city
Died at - O'Clock.

One of the most unusual cases of suicide
in the history of the city occurred last
night about I o'clock. 1t was the case of
a fourteen-year-old boy who deliberately
SHOT himself, afterward saying he had no
regret; no word to send to his mother, and
that he wished to die.
Glenn Harris, fourteen. lived with his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Otto E.. Harris, at
22O4 Martindale avenue. Yesterday he went
TO visit his uncle. j. F.. Meyer, at S11
Eugene street, North indianapolis. During
the day he played about the house and yard
and appeared to be in a happy mood. He
went with Mr.. Meyers children to a neigh
boris, where the children ate a lot of ber-
ries. Some of them became i'll, and it was
thought they had been poisoned.
Young Harris returned to his uncle's
home. After eating supper the children
began washing the dishes in the kitchen,
and young Harris helped them. Before the
work had been completed he asked. the
others to hurry, and said he would cause
a sensation greater than that which had
been caused by the announcement of the
supposed poisoning by the berries. He left
the other children and went 10 an upper
bedroom. A moment later a shot was
heard, and Mrs. Meyer rushed upstairs to
find her nephew lying upon the floor with
blood flowing from a hole through his body.
He had shot himself with a 45-caIiber
Colt revolver which was kept in the house.
DIR. Ira E. Cox was called, and upon ar
rival directed his attention to relieving
the lads suffering. After a short time he
began questioning the boy as to how he
happened to shoot himself. No one at that
time had the slightest f6aa that he ha1 in
tentionally shot himself. Harris was per-
fectly conscious and seemed to resent the
questioning. He finally said that he had
loaded the weapon. put it to his body and
pulled the trigger. The statement com
pletely dumfounded the doctor and his
aunt. and the knowledge of the wound be-
ing self-infiicted threw her and the children
into a frenzy. Mr.. Meyer arrived home
about that time, and could hardly believe
the story so excitedly told him. DR.. Cox.
short time. made an effort to learn the
motive for his act.
BOY BECAME ANGRY.
Young Harris became quite angry when
pressed for an explanation and as much
as told DIR. Cox that it was no concern of
his. The doctor asked if he wished to leave
any word for his mother. whom he would
probably never see again, and the boy said
he did not care to send her any word.
After that he became more communicative
but refused to give any reason for his act.
He said he had planned to commit suicide
Tor nearly two years and that only last
week he had gone TO his uncle's house with
the intention of killing himself then, but
did not. after loading the revolver and all
but dlscharging il, as he did yesterday. He
said he had always associated with older
persons than himself and had no young
lie did not make this state
ment i'm the nature of an explanation of his
act. He said he did not regret what he
had done and did not want TO get well. He
said ne did not care much whether or not
he saw his parents. DR.. Cox said he never
saw an old person exhibit such ''gameness"
under even less serious circumstances
The boy was hurried TO the City HOSPITAL
with "A view of performing an operation if
II was found. upon closer examination.
there was a possibility of saving his life
The bullet entered his body just below the
heart, passed through the stomach and left
the body just under the short ribs. He be
came weaker each minute at the hospital
and II was soon evident that he could live
only a short time. Efforts TO get him to
Ruthless. and the only words that could be
got from him were that he felt sad" He
0led about \ o'clock.
His parents and his uncle and aunt were
at the hospital at the time. All were so
CraZed with grief that they We're unable To
talk. MIR Harris said his son had been of
a rather melancholy disposition on account
OF his eyes. lie had been doctOring them
for several years. with but little improve
ment and the boy feared he would be per
manently blind. He leaves besides his par
ents two brothers and a sister. The body
was taken in charge by the Ragsdale Com
pany and will be viewed by the coroner
this morning.
Mrs. Meyer said she had no idea what led
the boy 10 kill himself and that she had no
idea that he had any knowledge of the re-
volver being In the house.