Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-01
Freak Ways of Self Destruction


world over. 1t is not recorded that any
man prepared for death and stared
the grim reaper In the face with more
6endlsh composurc than did James
Moon In planning ana working. month
after month. on the most remarkable
method of ending HIS life which he
adopted.
After sirapping his body securely To
the floor he then chloroforlned him
self so that he would remain perfect
" motionless until II candle. burning
through II cord, would release tho
blade OF u Guillotine OF his own In
vention To sever his head from his
body.
81 will make for myself name
that will live fer years and years af-
Ter my DEATH" boosted Moon when
i'rst he began 10 work on his plan
months before he actually carried II
out 1t was not an Idle boast. His
name Is still remembered beyond the
conllnes OF rlprccanoe County, for
the diuholical cunning employed In
his erowsonc deed insures the per-
pc untion OF tho story for years TO
come.
An interesting Relic.
Tho crude, but effective. gnlllotlnc
hy which Moon chopped Off his hend
Ia now ono OF the most interesting
relics In the museum of Purdue Uni
veiLty
Tho sanity OF Moon had been Qmes-
toned l"forc his startling net or self
Destruction for he was continuously
taking OF revolutioni2lng the world
ny various remarkable inventions up
ON which he was working. Ono OF
his hobbies WA sewing machine
that he promised would far excel
anything yot invented in TINT line.
ana he would spend dnvs working on
II in II little shed In the rear of his
homo, Moon was known throughout
tfe county, and there were some who
believed that he was really genius
and some day would succeed In tho
ono great Invention on which his
heart and mind were set Though
none of his machines was ever sue
cessful. there Is no denying that hla
guillotine was n masterpiece of anna
, II was learned that he had spcnt
months in perfeciing tho instrument
! which was once the terror of France.
| Ae EEGty OctaI f-cTICNk.
Every detail In the construction OF
! tho denth dealing device was perfect
Could one have watched tho man ut
work in hls little shop in the lone
some hours of tho night he would
have seen remarkable spectacle.
Moon must have stretched his body
on the floor again and again, marking
tho distance with perfect accuracy,
and then sprInglng the huge blade
to see II 1t would descend just nj the
spot where his neck had been. Every
calculation had to he perfect, every
Joint In the Instrument had to work
perfectly TO insure such q perfect suc-
cess rs was attained In the final test
TO which II was put.
The big blade was sharpcncd 10
the keencss OF n ra2ors edge. Those
who saw Moons body afterwnrd say
that the neck was cut through so
smoothly that not even bone WAS
spliniered.
Bidding HIS family happy faro
we'll, Moon left his home In the sec
tion OF TipnRcanoo County. known as
the "Wea Plains" and went to the old
Hotel Lair IN Lafayette. one Sntur-
day afternoon In Juno. 1876. His on
ly baggage was n trunk. In which the
pieces OF hls gulllotine. the straps
bottle of chloroform and other mate
rials necessary In the preparation for
his suicide were stored.
The afternoon and evening Moon
spent chatting with friends about tho
hotel. ana he was the gayest OF all OF
them. He gave Ito indication that the
honr was nenr when he would carry
Into execution tho plans he had made
to make his name famous.
Operaslon of GuiIotne.
The hour must have been tate lo-
fore Moon heran his work of setting
up tho guillotine. for the men In the
adjoining room tod that tho light In
his room was burning when they re-
tired hut no sounds came from the
silent chamber. II Is presumed. how
ever, that lie employed the early part
OF tho evening In putting the different
parts of the guliotire together. The
arm proper was six feet three Inches
long, and was IN three separate
pieces. and WAS constructed out OF
hard oak, Each part was put togeth-
or with screws, so that there would
be 10 noise necessary In erecting It..
The work of putting this arm to-
gether must have taken considerable
time. "a each piece was Thoroughly
braced to prevent play in any dlrec.