The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-07
AMONG THE BOOKS
Literary Sensation Of the Sea-
son Published Yesterday.
Its Author Broken Hearted,
Killed Himself.
HIS STORY is PATHETIC
Manuscript Repeatedly Refused
by the Publishers.
Gossip Which viii Interest
Book Lovers.
HIS STORY is PATHETIC


Dleton e. Co The author was Richard
Stirling. a young man - years old, who
drowned himself in the Hudson river
after ain uphill struggle with poverty
Wrapped up In his ideas. Stirling lived
for weeks at a time without speaking to
ANYBODY. He ate only that the consum-
ing FIRE I'm his brain might burn undi-
ninished When he had written himself
down. and the editors had refused to
accept him. he killed himself. Starved,
unknown, neglected, Stirling lived alone
and died alone
Yet fn his most dismal moments he
had a gift that has saved many men
from their own failings and made them
practical Oprimists. A woman loved
him. and i'm the introduction TO the book
AZ is said she "wOrshipped him with
strange and terrible passiOn-Who would
have been his wife, or his slave If ne
had not been iron in such things ne
identity of the friend to whom Surfing
sent his book is hidden behind the initial
IS and the woman is spoken of simply
rs Ellen" s" had literary ambitions
OF his own. and it was mainly on this
account that Stirling COnfided in him.
ELLEN" had typewriter several OF ms
stories on the condition that he would
pay for the work when he won success
Stirling was absolutely Indifferent to the
girls affection. and he died without one
EXPRESSIONS Of love. He had no use for
anything but his art He was in the
world yet as he said. "out of it,
The publishers have given permission
to print only extracts from the intro
ductfon to the book. written by stir
ling's friend S. and a brief para
graph by the author Stirling had Few
friends. To s. however he always
turned when the burden Of existence
became almost unbearable, and just
before the weight finally drove him to
suicide 1t was 8" he chose as the one
who would appreciate his work, if the
great, careless world did not The
spirit of Stirling may be seen family
in the letter he wrote to s. on June
g. 1t ran.
"lIy Dear -. You have no doubt
been wondering what has become Of
me. I have been having a hard time of
it, I wish 7 could ind some way to
make this thing a little easier. but ]
cannot When you read this letter I
shall be dead There is nothing that
i can tell you about it that you viii
not read in the papers / send you. It
Us simply that 1 was born to be an ar
list. and that as anything else I can
not live. The burden that has been laid
upon me I cannot bear another day- ]
have told the whole story OF it i'm this
book have kept myself alive foE
months. sick and weeping with agony.
in order that I might tear it out of my
heart and get it written. 1t has been
my last prayer that the struggle my
life has been may somehow not be use
less There Will come others after me-
others perhaps keener than land oh.
the world must not kill them all
you will take This r,,an,,so,-;,,+
please. and go over it, and cut out
what YOU like to make it printable. and
write a few words to make people un-
derstand about it. And then see II any
one VIII publish it, If TT should sell
keep part of the money for your own
work and ci,-a the rss- 10 - r-,,
AS to- The rsptfve'-T al bff b11-,s5
It, as Won win read 14.+ 49,. - -
Ell ms + have saa1s7 Il -, - 49,
and then offer # ~ s9,,s -.-,t-7s-i ~ - D.
10 others than trs mo ~, -
ready rejected IT, If Won ca~-o+ g.
any one ia take r. tr,e,, - - ~
ff fo~ 1o,-5 T Il. - -, L ~ hSep
when 4o,7 al +5,5g f+t =
over ana 7,55 liz i7ll1L II VIII oe
Gods sake NOT to ,7,ai-e - So ~
one viii fnd ND 1,olr- - -, 80 ~
care about r. W, 49, 60 W 2 t wiz
re--s Ia ,...l-i "a ~ - new Spapers-
these Mss r1on 0lI bie e,, 'e55 I'M, eTieept
IN ms ~. IA ---~t you VIII nave
"a 1sr't -
cod gs~,+ " sDu 1ohls before
steeI min s,5 lao IS gong like a
get over this eo4,,el,.,re. slsls 80 Aou VIII
do vo57r fael5 80 anu 20 On and
77,ar7,o.~.- ~ - WEI. ana II the
thai ain IL t.l 50 e1h help You
of both IF ms r 1-',-. y, D9 me work
q. pun lhfou ugh remember my last cry
M o+bar f.-,e ,.i= ouhg artist There is
ff ,1nc,, Ia woAtA hshting- axe
at ther, -. 80 y lay and night
their vo,,ror sr+is.-, '"7y 40 with
1od pisss You, dear friend Yours.
"ARTFfF-Y3 .
90 me 2 parallel for this outpourine
Cl tile mind one must go back to Thomas
2hatterton starving in a London ers,--.s+
~ 49, ana now recognized as one of thu