Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
TRIED FIVE TIMES
To KILL HIMSELF
PRINTER PROVES TO HAVE A
CHARMED LIFE
STRANGE CASE AT RIVERSIDE
Like the Wandering Jew, He Planned
His Death Weeks in Advance,
Writing a Letter and Poem
to the Coroner

Like the proverbial cat with nine
lives, d. G. Andrade, a printer who
went to Riverside recently, tried fve
times Friday night to kill himself and
failed.
Within an hour and half he took
four doses of morphine, and finding
that the drug affected him not, put
tube from a gas jet in his mouth,
covered his face with a pillow and lay
down to die.
Yesterday morning the landlady in
the rooming house where Andrade was
staying discovered his unconscious
body, with the gas jet tube in his
mouth and the pillow over his face.
She notified the coroner and Andrade
was taken to the county hospital of
Riverside, where he soon regained con-
seriousness again.
Andrade had evidently contemplated
suicide for several weeks. as he had
written poem which draws a dra-
verse was entitled The Dying Stoics
Plea"
Wrote Letter to Coroner
After retiring to his room Friday
night and just before he took the first
dose of morphine Andrade wrote let
I. 90 ell ,ie
was as follows:
Dear Sir--It is my desire that my
body be disposed of in the cheapest and
simplest way possible and without re-
ligious ceremonies.
II request that no effort be made to
find or notify my relatives. L leave
herewith $10O. Such amoun. as may
be left over from my funeral expenses,
together with other effects, may be
used for any good purpose to which
you see fit to apply it, 81.
on the back of the letter was writ
ten: II am neither drunk nor crazy,
simply weary of life"
Andrade's case is one of the most
remarkable of its kind on record. He
tried to kill himself several months ago
in Denver in similar '-'anner as in
Riverside. 1t appears, say the ply.
sicians who have been attending him,
that he bears charmed life.
Record of Doses Taken
With the letter written by Andrade
to the coroner was the following mem-
oranda, to which he signed his name:
'Record left to assist medical science
--10:36 D. m. took one-half grain of
sulphate of morphine to induce sleep;
10:45 p. M, not sleep, so repeat the
dose; II p. m.. no sign of sleep, hence
took another half grain; 11:15 p. M,
begin to feel dozy and have a numb
ness in my arms-hand rather un-
steady-repeated the dose; 11:SO p. m,
too slow by far, so will now take two
grains and turn on the gas. l am not
afraid, nor would 1 recall the act If
could"
It was II o'clock the following morn
ing that the landlady discovered An
drade had attempted to end his life.
Physicians were summoned and worked
OH MIN lHc luoplldis nv iiiSt IL was
thought he would not recover, but after
an hour or two he opened his eyes and
gradually came back to life. 1t is now
believed he will recover.
Besides the $1O0 left for the coroner,
1t was discovered that Andrade had
$169 in bank. In his trousers pockets
were found lattering letters of recon-
do I'M
manufacturing concerns in Toronto and
New York.
Married Four Times
Andrade was married four times.
Three of his wives died, but the fourth
is still living in New York. For sew
eral years, it is said, he has been
wandering about the country. He is
90 years old.
The poem composed by Andrade a
few weeks ago, entitled "The Dying
Stoic's Plea" reads as follows:
when firmly clasped in deaths embrace,
This weary body seeks repose.
Through customs eulogistc grace
Seek not my failings to efface
Nor palliate my woes.
Death woos me to such peaceful rest
con- welcome friend IN time OF need!)
To dwell upon oblivion's breast,
The solace of the DER distressed
From lifes dissensions freed
Seek not by praise my faults to hide:
MY virtues since death have not grown.
Sound reason would such course deride;
In life encomlums denied;
No need OF merit shown.
Waste not flower upon my bier.
Nor deign TO mark my resting spot.
In life stole void OF fear.
In death wish no human tear
Shed DER my earthly lot.
No sorrowlng garb would thee don
Simply by fashions edict worn.
The sympathy l would have won
Was ere the strife OF life was done
When heart was racked and torn
No cortege let there be for me,
Through common usage 10 adhere;
Parading that the world may see
The honor paid--what mockery
To one unoved while here!
Pay me tribute nor extol
This errlng clay. self-OStracized