The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-08-08
SEEKS DEATH IN RIVER.
WefI-Known New Orleans Merchant
Commits Suicide Near Donald
sonyiIIe-One Attempt Unsuccess-
full, but Tragedy Finally Enacted.


full, but Tragedy Finally Enacted
Carrying out a determination
which he had evidently formed afte
worrying about the financial con
dition of his firm, Joseph Block
vice president of the Henry Blocl
Company, Limited, large wholesale
liquor house Of New Orleans, com
mitted suicide by drowning himsel,
in the Mississippi river early Wed
nesday morning at a point Opposite
the old Picayune sawmill, about nal
mile below DonaldsonVille. An in
dication that MI Block had takeI
his life in this manner was furnished
by the finding of his hat on the
levee Wednesday forenoon, with the
message, .:Notify S. J. BLOCK, 4lot
| Prytania street, scrubbed in lead
t pencil err the-inside of the crown.
Dragging was Immediately resorted
to in an effort to locate the body,
and while the searching parties were
thus engaged shortly after 8 O'Clock
Thursday morning the corpse rose to
the surface.
The story of the tragedy as pieced
out from facts which have been
brought to light begins Tuesday af-
ternoon, when Mr. Block arrived
here from New Orleans. He evident
ly came to Dona1dsonVille for the
sole purpose of ending his life, since
he carried no luggage and did not
register at any Of the local hotels.
Reaching here on the Texas & Paci-
fic fast train at 3 p. NJ, he pro-
ceeded to the Hotel Donaldson,
| VIII re he sat around a while and
| then wrote a letter, since found to
| have been addressed to his family in
| New orleans. From the hotel he
| walked to the postoffice to post this
letter, and there engaged an auto
! mobile and took a ride Of an hour
or SO, after which he paid the chauf-
| feur and dismissed the machine.
The next seen of him was at about
6 o'clock, when a crowd of boys who
| were playing on the leVee below the
| Picayune sawmill observed man,
fully dressed, wade oat into the riv-
err up to his waist and deliberately
plunge his face into the water. One
Of the boys ran to his home nearby
and told Of what had occurred, and
his father Immediately proceeded to
the scene and asked the stranger
what he was doing. The man re-
Piled that he was only trying to
cool off, and as his manner was
calm and rational, and he appeared
to be of good breeding and intelli-
gence, his statement was believed
IN
his peculiar "bath.'
Residents Of the neighborhood
kept an eye on, him, however. and
at about 8 O'Clock p. m. he was seen
to walk further out into the river I'M
til the water was nearly up to his
neck, when he commenced to pray
to be forgiven for what he Planned
doing, and for protection in the flu
ture for his wife and son and daugh
ter. Continually he reiterated the
fervent plea that his son might new
er become a gambler. Occasional
ly he would let himself sink under
the water, but would re-appear after
a, brief interval and resume his
prayers. Finally he walked to the
shore and assembled the IeVea, when
he was heard to exclaim, My God,
/ have been here an hour and haven't
succeeded yet.
In the meantime Sheriff E. C. Han
son had been notified of the mans
peculiar conduct, and he arrived at
this juncture and encountered the
stranger on the levee. Replying to
questions from the sheriff, the
Would-be suicide stated that his
name was Levy, that he had come
here from Memphis, and that hav-
ing imbibed several drinks and not
being accustomed to alcoholic slim
ulants, he had become intoxicated
and did not know what he was do
ing when he walked into the river.
the cool water had completely So
bered him, and assured the sheriff
that he was all right again and in
a. condition to take care of him
self. The sheriff insisted that the
man return with him to Donaldson
VILE, and when he expressed a dis
lcHnatJon toy go to either of the
local hotels, for the reason that he
was acquainted with many travelling
men and would not like any Of
them to see him in his then condi-
tIon, the sheriff escorted him to
Mrs. Gauthreallx's private boarding
house in st. Patrick street, where
he at once proceeded to disrobe and
retire, stating that all he wanted
was a good nights rest.
His determination to end his life
was apparently irrevocable, how
ever, and some time during the
III ght he quietly slipped out of the
house, leaving behind his undercloth-
ing and a dollar bill It is said that
at about O'Clock Wednesday morn
ing a man answering his description
was seen on the front street of the
CITY by hack driver and the night
Waterman of a local bank.
Having received the letter which
was written by Mr.. Block Tuesday
afternoon, his son, S. J. BLOCK. and
his brother-ln-law, J. Lazard, accom-
panied by E. L. Snyder, OF New Or
leans, arrived here at 3 O'Clock We'd
nesday afternoon to search for the
missing man. A close examination
Of the, river bank in the vicinity of
the Picayune saWmill resulted in the
finding of his hat with the pencilled
message therein, and a search for
the body was at once instituted,
terminating with the recovery of the
corpse Thursday morning.
The remains We're clothed in an
unQerSlirt trousers and 1ou.r,,artor