Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-07-23
CHOPPED OFF HIS OWN HEAD.
Devlish Tn9ennity Put to Practice In
 the Suicide of James Moon.


 any man prepared for death and star ed the grim reaper in the face With more fiendish eomposure than did 1 James Moon in planning and Worklng | month after month, on the most re- markable method of ending his life which he adopted in the old Lahr ho- tel in Lafayette some 30 years ago, says the Indianapolis Star.
 After strapping his body securely ] to the floor, he then chloroformed himself so that he would remain per fectly motionless until candle burn ing through cord. would release the blade of a guillotine of his own in- vention to sever his head from his body.
 T will make for myself a name that will live for years and years al ter my death" boasted Moon, when first he began to work on his plan, months before he actually carried It out. It was not an idle boast. Ills name is still remembered beyond the confines of Tippecanoe county. for 1 for the diabolical cunning employed in his gruesome deed insures the per petuation of the story for years to come.
 The crude but effective guillotine by which Moon chopped of his head is now one of the most interesting relics in the museum of Purdue unl- versity.
 Bidding his family happy fare well, Moon left his home in the sec tion of Tippecanoe county known as the "Wea Plains" and went to the old hotel Lehr, in Lafayette, on Sat urday afternoon in June 1876. His only baggage was trunk, in which the pieces of his guillotine, the straps bottle of chloriform, and other ma terials necessary in the preparation for his suicide were stored.
 The afternoon and evening Moon spent chatting with friends about the hotel, and he was the gayest of all Of them. He gave no indication that the hour was near when he would carry into execution the plans he had made to make his name famous. The hour must have been late be- fore Moon began his work of setting up the guillotine, for the men in the adjoining room told that the light in his room was burning when they re- tired. but no sounds came from the silent chamber. Ii is presumed how ever. that he employed the early part of the evening in putting the differ ent parts of the guillotine together. The arm proper was six feet three inches long and was in three separate pieces, and was constructed out or hard oak Each part was put to- gether with screws, so that there would be no noise necessary in erect ing it.
 The work of putting this arm to- gether must have taken considerable time, as each piece was thoroughly braced to prevent play in any direc- tion. The arm connected with broad hinge that fastened on one side of the floor of the room, and on the other to the base boarding to make it secure. The broadaXe, which, no doubt, was the last to be attached to the guillotine, weighed 4 pounds, and was made secure with five heavy screws, 1en made the broadaxe at one of rincipal foun- dries of the city, to throw on suspicion, said that he was making special kind of chopper for the chef of the Lahr hotel" ..-=
 All the parts of the guillotine in place, Moon began his painstaking ar tr fnr ha Al n mo e.. ured distance from the hinge he fast ened two straps to the floor with screws, and at the side of the window he placed bracelet, on which he put an ordinary kitchen candle. From the wall just above the candle to a point near the broadaxe ran two slender cords that he had sawed through the side of the candle in order that at the center they would practically be- come part of the wick Thus the flame had some time to burn before it would release the instrument of death.
 Moon even took the trouble to pre- pare a small box filled with cotton to receive his head when 1t rolled from his body. Through a hole in each side of the box and beneath his chin he passed stick, the object of this being to prevent his head from fall ing forward when he became uneon- scinu. The stick held his head so that there was no chance for the broadaxe to miss his neck in the ex- act spot that he had calculated.
 Shorter and shorter grew the yell low flame on the side of the wall, but the man calculated coldly and de- liberately, and he had time for every thing. When the candle had burned a certain distance he reached for a bot tie of ehloroform that he had placed at his side. and, dashing its contents on a heavy cloth, placed it across his nose and the lower part of his face. Then. thrusting his hands be- meath the strap across his chest. the man had completed every detail. and all that remained was for the flame Of the candle to release the guillo- tines blade.
 The night had passed and the day came. with no one aware of the tragedy that had been enacted. Sup posing that Moon was sleeping late, he was left undisturbed until late in the afternoon. Then a eolored porter was sent to investigate. Getting no response Co his knock. he siooi on a chair and looked through the tran snm of the door. With a yell he fed from the building.
 Then the door vas forced open and the manner in which Jim Moon had .-.-.-ha .n ...--.....-.t. ha- - ..-.