The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-09-11
THE TRAGIC SUICIDE
OF DDgTuR
No Money No Work and . Starving
Family.
II Was ms SECOND ATTEMPT

ofPortland, Me-, Takes Poison in the
Mills Hotel Pathetic Letter From
His Wife Found in His Room Tried
to Kill Himself on Saturday.
New York Especially A man be-
lieved to be DR.. G. H. Brooks, cam
Ger specialist, of Portland, Me-, COM
mitted suicide in Mills Hotel No. 8
by taking some subtle drug, the ma
ture of which could not be determin-
ed. and 1t was learned that the sui
eide was the same man who last Sat
urday night tried to end his life In
the rectory of the Church of the
Holy Innocents in West Twenty
Sixth Street. Two priests at the
rectory saw the man trying to cut
his throat with razor and held him
until detective arrived.
In establishing the fact that the
suicide and the man who tried to
take his life in the church rectory
we're the same person a tragic story
was revealed. After being prevented
from taking his life on Saturday the.
man, who said his name was DR.. G.
H. Brooks, of Portland, Me-, con-
fessed to the priests the causes which
led him to attempt such rash
act. He said he had come here to
seek work, that he had left his fam
lily In Maine in penniless condition,
and that 1t was worry over their suf-
ferings that had made life unen-
durable.
Daniel Madden, hotel detective,
who had been called in by the
priests, accompanied Dr. Brooks to
the Mills Hotel and paid for room
for him for two days. The priests
gave Mr.. Brooks some money to pay
his living expenses, and believed they
had reasoned him out of his desire
to commit suicide.
Poison On His Lips.
When. the police learned that a
man who registered at the Mills
Hotel as DR.. G. H. Brooks, OF Port
land, Me-, had suddenly died, sup
posedly of hemorrhages of the lungs,
the coroner was called.
The investigation led to the And
ing of letters which were almost
convincing proof in themselves that
he had killed himself, and the cor
oner confirmed this conclusion that
he found traces of poison on the lips
Of the man..
There was one letter, apparently
from the mans wife, saying she
would kill herself unless his next let
ter brought something in the way
of encouragement" On the back OF
the envelope was written: II don't
feel as bad as / did when wrote
this letter. Read between the lines.
/ will write better one Sunday.
Cheer up-you will soon be dead"
The police fear that the remark,
"You will soon be dead, means that
the writer knew that DR.. Brooks.
intended to commit suicide, and per-
haps had entered into suicide pact
with him, and may now be dead
herself. The letter, which was dated
at Portland, Me-, September 8; reads:
A Pathetic Letter.
my Own Darling:
'.Your Meter and postcard written
Tuesday received this morning, and.
as you may well imagine, their con-
tents have made me very blue.
II shall simply go crazy If your
next letter doesn't bring something
in the way of encouragement. There
is enough morphine here to end it
all, and If / become much more des-
pondent shall take it and take the
children with me. Murderess and
suicide will be beautiful things to
say about me, but would rather
be dead than live like this. had
so hoped to hear something encour-
aging from you today. not having
anything yesterday, and this letter
before me is not calculated certain
ly to keep woman's heart and cour-
age up, but rather to sell her body
for a few clothes and stamps to
write to her dear husband. and only
see the dark side of everything. You
needn't comment on this letter when
you write, but just brace up and do
something so that we may see our
way to be together. know must
love you whether / want to or not.
Nothing but love would have made
me stick to you as | have. The
thoughts of you having to sleep out
doors almost drives me mad.
(Signed)
your LOVING ALICE
w. L. Ramage, in whose care the
letters were addressed, said that he
knew very little of Brooks. He said
that he believed that at one time
Brooks had been practicing physi-
clan, but had later become travel
ing salesman. 1t is the theory of
the coroner that the man, through
his knowledge of drugs, procured
and took some rare poison. An au-
topsy will be performed to determine
positively the cause of death.
au.r,co. co,d,., Of Fortune