The San Francisco call., 1905-03-20
PROUD RUSSIAN
ENDS HIS LIFE
Troubled 10y Mlsfortunes.
SergiuS Lusky Sends a
Bullet Into His Brain

Believing that he had passed the age
of usefulness and being despondent
over misfortunes, Sergius Lusky, a
former officer in the Russian army, and
later director of the national college of
Salvador, killed himself Saturday even
ing by sending a bullet into his brain.
The scene of Luskys death was his
home at 327 O'Farrell street, where the
members of his family were gathered
about the dining table, partaking of
their evening meal, when the shot was
fired. Mrs. Lusky, hearing the report
Of the pistol, but supposing that the
explosion occurred elsewhere, immedi-
ately went to her bedroom, where her
husband had been lying an invalid for
several days, to see whether the noise
had aroused him.
The sickroom was dark. and going
quietly to the bed the saffectionate wife
gently placed her hand upon her hus-
bands forehead. He did not move, and
feeling moisture upon his face, she
left his side, believing that he had
dropped off into a peaceful slumber.
When she reached the dining room,
however, she was startled by the dis
covery that the supposed perspiration
she had wiped from the sick mans face
was blood. Hurrying back into the sick
room, the distracted woman turned up
the light, which shed its rays upon a
horrifying sight. With a revolver
tightly clutched in his right hand,
which lay upon his breast, the invalid
was silent in death. He had placed
the end of the weapon in his mouth
and pulled the trigger, dying instantly.
Lusky had been sick for some time,
and had apparently made his plans for
death day before he carried them out.
Under the pretense of going to mail a
letter to a daughter in Guatemala. he
left his rooms tor half an hour on Fri
day, and while absent he doubtless
bought the pistol Returning to his
room he placed the weapon under his
pillow. When his wife proceeded TO
rearrange the bedclothes her husband
protested, on the ground that it an
noyed him. 1t is probable that this ex-
cuse was made to prevent Mrs. Iusly
from discovering the presence of the
weapon.
Lusky was a native Of Russia, where
he formerly served in the army, and
was a lawyer by profession. Coming to
this continent eight years ago he went
to Salvador, where he became the di-
rector of the national college. Later he
journeyed to Honduras, where he en-
tered the customs service and was
finally deputlzed 20 represent the re-
public at the Buffalo exposition. Ar
irving here some time ago with his
family, Luslzy became despondent over
the fact that he was unable to follow
his profession successfully or obtain
remunerative employment, fact
which he attributed to his advance in
years.
Two months ago scratch on his
right hand resulted in blood poisoning
and he was finally sent to local hos
pital by DR.. Calderon. where he was
successfully treated. Recently he re-
turned to his home on O'Farrell street.
Several nights ago DR.. Calderon re-
ceived a summons from his patient and
going to his home was surprised TO find
that Lusl1y's leg was badly swollen.
The patient finally confessed that pains
in his arm had prompted him to use
morphine, which he had injected into
his leg with a rusty needle, blood
poisoning following.
Realizing that he would again have
to go to the hospital, and brooding
over the fact that he had no funds no
doubt caused him to end his life. He
was 90 years Of age and is survived by
a widow and six children. He was a
schoolmate of the local Russian Consul
Just before the outbreak of the Japan
ese- Russian war Lusky, with the as
sistance of the Consul, was planning to
obtain the local management of a Rus
sian bank, which his government was
about TO establish here, but the project
was abandoned when the hostilities
began.