The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-06-30


such accounts than there is for pub
Fishing other private matters" This
is the assertion of committee of the
american Academy of Medicine which
investigated the question of suicide,
and in making, it's report here today
requested the press Of America to re-
frain from further publication of such
affairs. "If, however" the report de-
clares, "the members of the press are
still skeptical as to the fact that they
are now accessories to crime, we sug-
gest that they assist in the study of
the conditions" A number of sugges-
tions in this respect are made, and it
is also proposed that if the papers in
sist upon printing scandals and news
of suicides it be limited to a separate
sheet of distinct yellow color so "clean
minds may avoid the corruption. If
such a method is desirable for athletic
news, why not extend it's use?"
"The rapid increase in the deatn
rate from suicide in the United States.
with the conviction that a prominent
cause of this deplorable act was to be
found in the suggestive effect of new s.
lpaper publication of Details" IS given
las the reason for the investigation
The report further says: "The aver
age value of a human life has been
reckoned at $4,000. On that basis the
loss from suicide in this country in
1905 was $24,996,0 ,000 Is it worth try
ling to save, even if one is not actual.
ed by any higher motive of humanity
The publication of suicide news on
the plea of news is declared to be a
mskeshift. The report says in part:
'Cour committee finds that alien
lists are practically unanimous in the
opinion that the suggestive effect Of
lthe reading of details of suicides is a
powerful factor in the causatioa of
suicides among susceptible individ.
uals.
| Newspaper men, while admitting
that the alienists are of the opinion
;bat such publications ire cause CT
tie crime, and even admitting that
there may be some truth in the opin-
ion reply that it is the province Of
tie papers to publish the news. At
Itempts to prevent such publications
arc invasions of the liberty Of the
Epless. They say that the people de-
IIland the news, AMI 7! must be given
lthem.
Attempts at legislation are practi-
Ically useless unless preceded by sucn
popular education as will cause a gen
eral demand for the legislation, and
will assist in the enforcement of laws
when enacted.
Believing that the newspaper fra
Iternity will be the first to aid when
convinced of the Importance of the
subject, we have begun general
lstudy of the facts, which is made a
part of this report.
after the publication of a spec
tacular suicide by jumping from a
thigh place in Chicago, displayed upon
the front page of Chicago papers, sew
eral similar attempts were made with
ling few days The report men
tions several other instances of at
tempted suicide following publication
of stories of suicide. The report says
that while the death rate from homi-
eide and suicide has been increasing,
the general death rate has been de-
creasing.
The question is asked, "How much
is the press to be blamed for homi-
cides as well as for suicides, are they
not accomplices in the crimes?"
Considering the occupations we find
that for males the general laborers,
and those engaged in agriculture are
least prone to suicide. Soldiers and
sailors are most prone to die by sui
eide 1t is a prominent cause of death
for saloon keepers, brewers, cigar
/ lldht1ss Servants, dICulleClSs pduh6is,
collectors, commercial travellers, and
druggists, tailors, journalists and law
yers. Among employed women we
find that it is a prominent cause of
death for telegraph and telephone op-
orators, cigar makers and stenograph-
ers, in the order mentioned. The ac-
tivly insane or those hopelessly di-
seased mentally are not prone to sui
eide.
Then discussing in detail the ques-
tion of publishing news of suicides the
report says:
''If shocking accident occurs, there
is at once congregated a mob who
gloat over the sight. 1t is the same
class, and those only, to whom the
press caters when it publishes ae-
counts of suicides. There is no pos
sible excuse. The plea of news" is