The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-01-04

TO This Body Any Persons COntem-
plating Death Are Invited to Tell
Their TroubIes-Work to Be Sought
For Unemployed and Advice Given
to observation-disclosures OF Wo-
men Begging For Aid.
To stay the hands of the self de
Etroyers and to render all possible aid
to the respondent is the object Of the
antisuicide commission recently ap,
pointed by Mayor Tom L. Johnson of
Cleveland, O. Frederick G.. Howe, state
senator elect; William A. Greenlund.
former probation officer of the juvenile
court, and the Rev. Harris r. Cooley,
member Of the board of public service,
comprise the commission, says a Cleve
land special dispatch to the New York
World.
Every person in Cleveland who Is
contemplating suicide is invited to
write a letter to the antisuicide com.
mission and tell his troubles. For peO
pie Respondent from unemployment
the commission will endeavOr to OBJ
tain employment, while the needs and
wants of others seeking aid will be
looked after.
cit is the grandeSt work ever at
tempted here" said Mayor Johnson.
81 think it is safe to say that 60 per
cent of the suicides here belong to the
foreign element. Alcoholism is certain
" the basis of a large percentage of
insanity, but / should not connect it to
that extent with suicide. Worry from
any cause whatever and low nervous
condition are chiefly responsible.
''This commission will investigate
these conditions and wherever possible
will render such assistance as will
make the victim of melanchOlia see the
brighter side of life. Each of these
men has had much experience in socio-
logical work and is we'll fitted for this
particular task.
at is psychological and sociological
question we'll worth going into. The
subject is interesting from every point
Of view," said Commissioner Green
lund the other night Most suicides
are caused by dependency, but til
primary cause Of the dependency is
what we should look into If we can
help only one unfortunate l consider ii
work we'll DONE" is the way Commits
sioner Cooley looks at his new duty,
and Commissioner Howe said, In my
opinion present social conditions and
lack of employment cause much of the
dependency and dissatisfaction with
ones lot in life, which so often ends in
suiciGe."
In the first nine months of this year
eighty-six persons killed themselves in
Cuyahoga county, almost ten for each
month. Alienists Of Cleveland say sui.
eide is increasing. The need Of some
means to counterfeit this condition
caused Mayor johnson to act.
OF the objects of the commission Mr..
Greenlund said: I'VE are willing and
anxious to aid any one who is in the
depths of despair. If any unfortunate
man, woman, girl or boy who is so dis.
couraged that life seems not worth lv-
Ing will communicate with us the case
will be taken up, and we will see what
can be done. How many suicides
would be prevented if the sick, poor
and respondent had friends to go to,
place to get relief! l dare say many"
The commission has received numer.
GUS letters appealing for aid. One,
from society woman, reads as fol.
lows:
IT wish you would tell me what ]
might do to arrest an impulse toward
suicide which comes upon me every
once in awhile, more frequently now
than in former years. When l was six.
teen a foolish love affair and the in.
fuence of novel wherein the heroine
had died from a self inflicted wound
inspired me to stab myself in the
throat. / must tell you that the wound
hurt me little, so little indeed that
death seems no more serious a matter
than making call across the street.
The attempt at suicide in my youth
was hushed up. | have been married
happily, move in what is good society
here and should be free from any NOR.
bidness, but reading affects all nv
emotions, and reading is about all that
I can find pleasure in, so you see in
what difficulty | am. Is there some
thing in your philosophy which can
break the impulse, the desire, the long.
ing for death? So far as I am myself
concerned | care not at all, but nv
family is one which takes a pride in
itself and would look upon suicide as
blemish, disgrace it would never for
give
Still another woman wrote telling of
her experience in saving her husbands
life. She said: II awakened about 2
o'clock to find my husband gone from
my side. With terror at my heart I
arose and searched one room after an
other At last | went to the kitchen.
My husband was crouched in a corner.
great butcher knife in his hand. His
eyes glittered like a madman's: he
laughed and cried alternately. At first
I feared the deed was a1raadv dopo