The Washington times., 1904-06-01

couraged is declared to be absurd by his
close friends
No Financial Trouble.
Hao the mayor been in any financial
trouble or was there any impending
disgrace about to fall upon him, there
might it is claimed. be some grounds
to believe that he Intentionally shot
himself. but there is every evidence TO
convince that the reverse was the case,
and that his whole life was well or
dered and free from worries. except of
the usual sort, as it is possible TO
DIR. George J. Preston. secretary of
the Maryland State board Of lunacy,
who has had wide experience with sui
cides. and who is often called upon to
investigate just such cases. said:
The thing is so absolutely clear that
| do not see how there can be the least
doubt concerning the way in which the
mayor ended his life. When a man COM
mits suicide he does II from one or two
causes-either some strong, impelling
! reason why he desires to end his life or
| he is insane.
One of Two Reasons.
You cannot get away from this prop
osition. No man ever killed himself OK
cept for one or the other Of these two
| reasons.
".
There was absolutely no motive for sui
eide. His prospects were of the bright
est his life pleasant. and he was IN 10
trouble. Those who knew him best bear
testimony that at no time had he exhib-
/ tied the slightest sign Of depression or
given the least hint that there was any
/ trouble preying upon his mind. He had
/ everything to live for, and yet he I'M
| doubleday killed himself.
I L he vanr ra1
1 for a number Of years, and can imagine
no man with less reason for suicide. bis
/ devotion TO his wife, his interest in his
! work. his many warm friends. his youth.
/ his social position and his exemplary
habits all form good reasons why he
| should have loved life and wanted to live
a long time Yet, he killed himself.
Was 0verworked.
Now, what was the reason? For
weeks-ever since the fire in February
the mayor had been forced to shoulder
! tremendous and almost unprecedented
responsibilities. He worked. as his as
| sociates at the City Hall will testify.
night and day. and devoted himself, with
all his energies, 10 the enormous task oi
bringing order out Of chaos and further
| ing the work of rehabIitEting the city.
| New problems were constantly arising,
i differences Of opinion on important
| was considerable criticism
| What happened2
The mayor simply overworked his
| brain and put too severe a tax upon
| his whole nervous system. with the re-
! suit that there came a moment when
| the brain collapsed and he became in
sane. 1t was then that he shot himself
No Other Solution.
There is no other solution of MS
death. None other is plausible or viii
hold water for an instant.
There are plenty of cases on record
of a similar nature, where man, ap-
parently in good health and good spirits
with every reason to live. has suddenly
suffered a collapse Of the nervous sys-
TEN: his brain has given away and sui
eide has followed.
The mayor may have been In his
right mind up to the time he fired tbs
shot that killed him.
Such cases of sudden insanity. while
they are rare, have frequently happen
/ ed and there are enough on record e
make perfectly clear the way In which
1 the mayor came 10 die
Case of Brain Failure.
IF a man overtaxes his stomach BY
: eating or overdrinking there may east
! ~ come a time when he suddenly deVel
ops Bright's disease or some other seri
JUS fyuD4S HieA'Nie " UllSuoPS~ NM "
, which he had shown no previous symp
{ | tom The eyes may fail in the sami
way, and as suddenly.
THE brain is no different from am
other organ Of the human body. anC
| when overworked. as Mayor McLane'i
undoubtedly was. there is nothing verl
surprising in the fact that It gave way
? To my mind there is not the slightes
doubt that this IS what happened"
In fact, there does not exist In TIT
r minds OF any of the learned alienist
1 and physicians brought into the cas-
the shadow of a doubt that Mayor Nc
Lanes act was due 10 an insane iIu
pulse that was simply uncomfortable.