The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-28
TIRED OF LIVING
eide BY TAKING MORPHINE
IN SALTWATER HOTEL
HOME IS IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Letter Addressed to His Father
Gives Fact That He Had Con-
tracted Consumption
as the COuse.

SALTWATER, Mimi, Aug. 27.-(Spe-
ciaI l-John H Buchanan, of Minneapolis,
known here and in Minneapolis as James
Preston. committed suicide at the Pit
man hotel in this city today by taking
a. large quantity of quarter-grain NOR
phine mills.
Buchanan who has previously visited
Saltwater and stopped at the PItman
house came there last evening and ask
ed Mrs Albert Lee, the landlady, if lie
could have room, and if he was too late
for supper She replied that she would
get supper for him, and that she had
only two rooms, one of them the parlor
and the other a small room on the third
floor. She suggested that he take the
parlor, but he said he guessed he Wouldn t,
as he was tired and wanted to sleep un-
til noon today. He spent last evening Writ
ing letters and retired early in the even
ing At II o'clock this forenoon one OF
the chambermaids heard him snoring
deeply as she passed the room, but when
he failed to put in an appearance at 4
o'clock an investigation was made, and
his lifeless body was found on the bed.
On the dresser were found number of
letters. one of them addressed to his IA
ther John H. Buchanan, Chester, S. c., In
which he said that he had contracted
consumption and realized that he would
soon become a burden to others, and for
that reason he had decided to commit sui
eide. He begged forgiveness for the trou-
BILE and worry he had caused his father
and family, and said the reason he had
remained silent for these many years was
not from Indifference, but from sense Of
pride and shame He said that he had
considered the question Of suicide for
some time and thought there was MOTH
ing better for him to do.
Another letter was addressed to Will
lam H. Burford, 1910 Second avenue
south, MINNEAPOLIS, and in this letter he
said: Il am the man that I told you
took ten grains of morphine and only
slept five hours. This time I will take
forty grains, and I will feel deeply dis
appointed if my attempt at suicide fails
l do this because ! have contracted con-
sumption. and cannot recover. am sat
isfied that it is for the best, so don't wor-
ry about me-" He told Burford to keep
his watch, as he would have no further
use for it. The letter was written in a
clear hand indicating that the writer
was not nervous in the least
A third letter was addressed to Mrs
Lee, the landlady, and asked her to mail
the letters he had written, in case his
attempt at suicide did not fail He also
begged her to excuse him for the trouble
he had caused her by committing suicide
at her hotel
Coroner Freligh searched the dead
mans pockets for other letters and pa
pers, but found nothing of Importance
He had $3.50 in his trousers pocket but
no other valuables
Buchanan was canvasser and stopped
at the Pitman house last summer. He
was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight
years of age, was well dressed and an
parently man of good family connec-
tions and refinement In the letter writ
ten to his father he stated that he had
assumed the nam" of James Preston to
prevent his father from tracing him, and
had gone under that name ever since he
had left home
Boarders at the hotel who saw Buch
anan in the office last evening said he
was little more quiet than usual and
sat in deep thought and meditation fc-
some little time.
The body was taken to Wing & divers
undertaking rooms and a telegram was
forwarded to the young mans father an
nouncing his untimely end.