Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-09-01

against salvation. lie was Q
termined to die. He struggled
against withdrawal OF the blade,
even biting at Perez to compel his
desertion. But Perez persisted
and drew out the knife.
An internal hemorrage seized
Semands and his struggles re-
Taxed. Perez plunged down the
stairs and tried to summon a ply
stefan. He failed to reach one,
then called a neighbor who finally
located and summoned DR.. A. w.
Davidson, who was attending a
lodge meeting. The physician
fastened to the house, but long be-
fore he arrived Semands was
dead.
The screams of the dead mans
mother and sister, who, although
unseeing, knew their loved one
had taken his own life, brought
other neighbors. Mrs. Frank M.
Semands, the mother, who for a
week has been tenderly watching
her boy and trying endearingly to
restore him to a normal condition,
was frantic. The sister, Mrs. Perez,
an invalid who has been danger
ously ill for weeks, was terribly
shocked but bore up under it.
DR.. Davidson administered to
Mrs. Semands, who was unconsol-
able, and to Mrs. Perce and at
length they were Gained.
\ The dead man lay on the car
pet at the foot of his bed. He had
watched with cunning of an in
sane man for the moment when he
might be free to STAY himself.
That he was temporarily bereft
every member of his family is
certain. He had given evidences
for days that his mind was weak.
ening under a severe strain and he
was watched every moment of his
life.
Semands had intimated seversl
times that his life would be for
feited at his own hand. A habit,
accommodating strength with the
years, is said to have fastened
such a grip upon him that he
realized himself too weak to COM
bat it successfully. A tragedy en-
acted about one week ago at the
Southern hotel, in connection with
which he appeared as a witness
before the c%oroner's jury, made a
vivid impression on his mind.
The continued hallucination that
he was being hunted by officers
was driving him mad. His con-
dition reached such a stage that
he could not rest nor could his
family. The delusion that he was
being watched, that his home was
under surveillance, ate like a can
Ger into his mind and the pleading
efforts of his relatives had no ef-
feet.
His wife had gone several weeks
ago to visit her mother in De Soto
and the burden of Semands' care
devolved upon his mother and
sister. His father, a switchman
for the Iron Mountain railroad,
was solicitous concerning him but
could do naught to relieve the per.
plexity of his sons mind.
The resolution was made yester-
day to make an attempt to elimi-
nate the hallucination under which
he was laboring. Perez accom-
panied him down town. The two
remained closely together. They
visited a barber shop and Sc
mands' hair a trimmed. Perez
tried hard to wipe out the impress
sion of pursuit, yet Semands be-
lieved that even on the main
streets of the city he was being
hunted down.
Relief not forthcoming, Perez
took his brother-in-law homo and
went to DR.. Davidson's for medi-
cine. Semands was closely
watched. He admitted once when
followed to his room that he had
gone there for the sole purpose of
killing himself.
His mother went with him to his
room shortly after 500 o'clock. A
careful search for a revolver had
been made. No other weapons
were dreamed of. Mrs. Semands,
believing him safe for the moment,
returned downstairs. His sister,
Mrs. Perez, was in a front room
putting the small children to bed.
She heard a fall, ran into the hall
and glanced into Semands' room.
Then she screamed and rushed
downstairs just as Perez dashed
up them. She had seen her broth
or on the floor.
Semands, evidently, the instant
his mothers back was turned
opened a trunk in which lay the
surgeons knife, the property of
his brother, formerly a nurse in a
hospital. That had been over
looked. He stabbed himself, aim
ing for the heart, but the blade
penetrated only the skin and
struck a rib. Then he buried the
weapon to the hilt in the solar
plexus, the junction of the ribs
above the abdomen. The strug-
gle with his brother -in-law fol-
lowed and in ten minutes he was
dead.
Search for letters or communica-
tons of any kind from the suicide
was unavailing. Not a word
could be found addressed to his
family although report has it that
a certain friend in Poplar Bluff re-
ceived a letter from Semands.
Frank Semands, his father, i'm