Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-05-28
SELDOM ATTEMPTED TWICE.
When WOuId-Be Suicides Fail in
Their Purpose They Generally
Experience Change of Mind

In the opinion of Sergt. Hastings, of
the Chicago detective bureau, the will
to commit suicide is q good deal like
the disposition to commit murder,
says the Tribune of that city. One man
may think he wants to die, may go just
to the sticking point, and then back
out; another in the same mood may
shoot himself or jump into the water,
and, escaping, decide that he has
enough of it; or the person of another
type, once making up his mind to die,
dies if three or four attempts are made
necessary.
Sergt. Hastings, who has been reg
istering for the police department the
suicides and the attempts at suicide
which take place in Chicago, is skep-
teal of certain attempts at self-de-
Struction.
Zone type OF person who tries to kill
himself" said the sergeant, has his
inspiration in the fact that he is full
of drink, has lost his money, perhaps,
is discouraged, and is afraid to go
home. Such fellow most frequently
hunts up the lake or the river and
jumps in. If he is pulled out and
drained, he's most likely to let it go at
that. Dying wasn't as easy as he
thought and the cold water has So
bered him.
Women frequently may be suspect
ed of making a show of suicide for the
effect it may have on husband who
isn't doing just to suit her. By at
tempting to kill herself she may scare
him into behaving himself; or if she
has lost hope of that, she knows that
she can create sympathy for herself
and make it uncomfortable for him.
Every little while, however, some
man or woman commits suicide, and
afterward it develops that the person
had tried it perhaps three or four
times before. In such cases the person
is off in general. person of this
kind usually has moods and when
ever one of these moods strikes him
his friends and relatives have learned
to look out for him.
There are so many causes for sui
eide, however. and so many persons of
dlnerent temperaments attempt it
that figures and speculation can prove
nothing. One can say only that when
a person of certain decision of char.
acter goes after his own life he's lust
as likely to get himself as he would be
if he started out to kill somebody
else"
Gas a general observation it may be
said that young men and women at
sentimental age are about as likely to
succeed at self-destruction as are per.
sons much older and more worldly
wise. Gas has been noted as unusually
common in attempts made by elderly
men and women, while the young and
sentimental seem to prefer the re.
volyer or carbolic acid.
without knowing" said physician
81 should guess that no person who
ever tried to kill himself with carbolic
acid and failed would ever resort
second time to that agent. 1t is hor.
rible death-a death in which the vic.
tim retains consciousness almost tic
the last and yet suffers indescribable
agonies.
1T is quite possible that the physical
pains of an attempt at suicide dis.
courage many respondent ones from
another trial at crossing the Styx. At
the same time 1 should say that re-
noval of the melting cause of the first
lttempt would be a much more logical
reason"