The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-04
DESPERATE EFFORT
TO END HIS LIFE
SLAsHED AT THROAT WITH LONG
SHARP BUTCHER KNIFE-WILL
PROBABLY RECOVER.

Bismarck, n. D., July 4-Ray Hickok
cook at Jack Lyons restaurant, cut
his throat from ear to ear in a des-
perate attempt to end his life. He
used a long sharp butcher knife for
the bloody deed.
Hickok was discharged from the
Sixth infantry two months ago. He
! did not go to the Philippines with
| the battalion, as his time was nearly
| up. Since his discharge he has been
working at odd jobs in the city, and
for the past few weeks has been en-
ployed as cook by Jack Lyons In his
eating house on Fifth street.
He has been on the verge of a
mental collapse for the past three
days, and Friday he suffered from
several wild Authorizations. He la
bored under the delusion that some
one was after him and was seeking
his life. At first his friends treated
his sayings as a joke, and laughed at
him, but later on they began to realize
that he was to all intents serious. He
borrowed a quarter from Lyons to
go out and get a shave in the after
noon, but returned in a few moments
and threw the money down on the
counter. He said that he was afraid
to get in the barber chair as he might
have his throat cut.
The restaurant closes at 7:3O in the
evening. Hickok refused to leave the
building, aSd became so morose and
incoherent that Lyons went out to
hunt up policeman to look after him.
George Mcdonald was there, and he
went outside and sat down on the win
dow sill. He called to Hickok to come
out of doors and get some Of the fresh
air.
Hlckok said, I'LL stay here until
they come after me-" Then he add
ed, Wont it be a nice thing to write
my folks that I've been hung?" 1t
has been part of his illusion that he
was being sought and would be hung
if his imaginary pursuers would catch
him.
A few minutes later Lyons return
ed and Parolman Martineson was
with him. They asked Mcdonald
where Hickok was and were told that
he was inside. They opened the door
but could see no sign of him. Hur-
riedly pushing their way into the
kitchen they found him in the ex-
IRENE end Of the room huddled on
his hands and knees on the floor, q
bloody knife by his side, and a ter
rible cash in his throat He was wal
lowing in a pool of blood and the
wound.
Martineson picked the man up and
carried him to the front part of the
building, where a towel was bound
tightly around his neck to staunch the
flow Of blood. Hickok was still con-
scious and fought desperately with
the officer, endeavoring to tecr his
throat wide open with his hands. A
hack was summoned and the injured
man rushed to st. Alexius hospital.
In the hack he renewed his efforts
to open the cut, clutching desperately
at the temporary bandage. Once
more while being taken up the steps
at the hospital he grabbed his throat
and but for Martineson's watchful-
ness would have torn the wound open
further.
One Of the doctors was just on the
point of leaving the building when the
hack arrived at the hospital, and hasti-
ly telephoning for another surgeon,
dressed the wound at once.
At a late hour last evening Hickok
was alive, and it was stated that he
will live unless the wound on his
neck swells up to such proportions as
to choke him to death.
This is not the first attempt of the
man to kill himself, as he tried to
cut his throat with piece of a beer
bottle at Washburn two years ago.
Prompt actions at that time were the
means of saving him, as was the case
last night.
Mickok comes from a little town
near Detroit Mich. More than that
could not be learned about him last
evening. 1t is known that he had
been drinking heavily a few days
ago, and as the attempt at suicide
two years ago was the elimination
of protracted debauch and at a
time when he was on the verge of
delirium tremens, it is surmised that
he was drinking heavily the past few
days, in spite of the statements of
some Of his associates to the contrary.