The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-29
DR.. GR|SSOM SUICIDE
A Bullet in His Brain Ends
EventfuI Life.
In Washington the Famous Superintendent Of
North Carolina Insane AYsIum Put an
End to His Existence

| DR.. Eugene Grissom, for twenty-one
years the superintendent of the North
Carolina Insane Asylum in Raleigh and
known widely as an alienist and new
rologist, committed suicide Sunday morn
ing in Washington City.
The tragic end to his life came at 8
o'clock Sunday morning. DR.. Grissom
was standing on the front porch of his
sons home in Washington and suddenly
drew pistol from his pocket, pressed
| it to his head and a bullet went crashing
| through his brain He staggered for a
! moment, and then sank into a chair. A
neighbor ran across the street and
wrenched the pistol from his hand
His son came and the dying man was
taken into the house. Medical aid was
| summoned and DR.. Grissom was taken
to the Casualty Hospital, but the gaping
wound with the brain oozing from it told
| that there was no hope and in half an
| hour the end had come.
The weapon which brought death was a
| Colts revolver of the large army pattern.
| and it is not known where DR.. Grissom
obtained it. His daughter r-in-law says
he had none that she knew about, and
was obtained.
DR.. Gr;ssom had been in a morose and
detected condition for some time, and
was physically and mentally weakened
by the use of morphine and strong mar
cotics habit which had fixed itself upon
him. Several times within the past year
he bad threatened to end his life.
DIR. Grissom is best known in North
| 20 fro :, ,iC
| intendent of the State Insane Asylum in
Raleigh. Noted as an alienist he was
elected to the position in 1868 and his
reputation as an expert on cases of in
sanity grew with the years.
Or. Grissom left North Carolina in 1890
and went to Denver, at which place and
at Colorado Springs he practiced his pro-
fession and won much renown as an emf
uent physician, but his health failed. as
well as his mind. and on the streets of
Denver he one day attempted suicide
with chloroform. He was in the in
sane asylum at different periods, but
getting better went TO Washington to
live with his son, Eugene Crissom, Jr.,
last June.
He was born in Granville county in
1881, and was II years old when death
came. He was a son of Wylie Mangum
Grssom, his mother having been a Miss
Polly Bobbitt. DIR. Grissom was educa-
ted in this State but graduated in Medi-
cine in the University of Pennsylvania
and then began to practice in Granville
county, making speciality of nervous
diseases and insanity. In the Civil War
lie was the captain of Confederate COM
pany and was wounded in the Seven
Days Fight around Richmond While in
the hospital he was elected to the Legis-
lature in this State. In after years he
was Republican and while superin-
tendent at Raleigh the Republicans de-
sired him to become candidate for Con-
gress and for Governor, but he declined
both nominations.
He was celebrated as q lecturer, and
one of his greatest was "The Border
land Of Insanity" delivered before the
American Medical Society. AS an author
his book on True and False Experts
is a most valuable work on insanity. He
occupied high positions in various mcdi-
cal associations in the United States He
was emeritus inspector general, thirty
third degree, of the Ancient and Accepted
Order of the Scottish Rite, and was an
active member until he removed from
North Carolina. He was au Odd Fellow
a Knight Templar, a Knight of Pytbias.
and a Fellow of the Royal Order of
Scotland DR.. Grissom was a member of
the Methodist church.
There survive him five children. his
wife having died while they resided in
Raleigh These are Eugene, Jr., with
whom he lived and who is connected with
the Pension Bureau in Washington, Rob-
ert Grissom, a druggist in Cripple Creek
Colo, Mrs. Harry Ruffner, of Denver;
Mrs. Dr. Rucker, of Basalt, Colo, and
Miss Lillian A. Grissom trained nurse
living in Washington
Washington, July 27.-Dr Eugene
Grssom, once well known as an alienist
and neurologist, committed suicide here
today at his sons home by sending
bullet through his brain. DR.. Grissom
had been detected and morose for several
weeks and had become physically and
mentally weakened from the use of
strong narcotics. He was a native o:
Granville county, N. c., served on the
Confederate side until wounded during
the Civil War and afterwards was
member of the State Legislature. For
twenty-one years he was superintendent
of the North Carolina Insane Asylum at
ItalelSh, and gained a wac reputation
as an alienist and lecturer. Before the
American Medical Society he delivered
a lecture entitled "The Borderland OF
Insanity" that attracted great atten-
tion. He was the author of True and
False Experts" work devoted to
showing the alleged inaccuracies of the
expert testimony in insanity cases. DR..
Grissom was one time first vice presi-
dent of the American Medical Society
and several times presiding officer of
the Association of American Asylums. |
He was the president of the convention
of 1886. He was a Mason of high de-
gree. He was II years old