Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-27
STRUGGLES TO RECORD
HIS DYING SENSATIONS
IL. NJ. Merithew, Wealthy Retired
Merchant, of Wilkes Barre, Is
Found Suicide by Gas.
NOTES SCATTERED ABOUT ROOM
Messages Hint He Was About to Be
Separated From His Wife and
Sent to an Insane Asylum-Dealt
In Real Estate Speculations.
Especial to The Tlmes-D,spatcb ,

| H.
| PHILADELPHIA. PA. June 28.-H.
M. Merithew. a wealthy retired mer-
| chant OF Wilkes Barre. was found a
suicide by gas in an uptown boarding
! house to-day. Several notes scattered
about the room indicated that he had
| struggled to record his dying sensa-
| lions to the last minutes Of conscious
ness The messages hint that he was
about to be separated from his wife
and sent to an insane asylum.
The last note, written in a scrawl
ing and labored hand. contrasting
SHARPLY with the fine penmanship of
the earlier ones. describes the mans
sorrow ut having to leave the world
gives MS Impressions as the end nears.
anu leaves word of advice for one
Lyle, who the police believe to be his
son. 1t read:
Remember, Lyle, 1 am not drunk"-
an empty whisky bottle was found
lying near him--"but have just taken
whisky to make me sleep"
Then followed several lines of IL
iesible writing, and this my muscles
are growing numb" Then comes nm
other line not decipherable. and this OBJ
serVaion, written apparently with
great effort:
The light is growing dim" An
other blank space. and the writer, his
strength apparently almost gone, adds:
My last message Is that I love YOU"
The man had made careful prepara-
ton for death. He placed pillows at
the bottom of the door to prevent the
escape of gas, and had moved a large
bureau against the door. He wrote
the notes seated on a chair in front Of
this bureau.
FIRST NOTE FOUND
IN BIBLE IN ROOM
The first note, which was found in
n Bible in his room. reads:
Dearest Jennic.-I had not planned
this when I pleaded with you to let
ME stay with the Rev. Laning last
night. But l saw my life was to be
spent in great agony. and before
knew it. I was on the go to end all.
did not dare to return. because knew
that awful asylum would be my destiny
do hope you can put up the fight and
go back with Lyle. / have not this
whisky because like 1t. but to put me
TO sleep. could not shoot myself
Awful will be my HI"
Another note was written after the
gas had been flowing from the jet for
some time:
II now begin to leave this world.
All, how ] hate TO go! | loved this
world and its beauty. How beautiful
is everything. But the agony of the
cell. I love my dear Helen. and Oh,
Lyle, he true to her! Could ! have
lived TO see you both in a home! But
not SO. 1 must go Oh. why could
not have kept my business? No one
knows how hate to leave this world
and my loved ones"
On the opposite page is additional
advice to Lyle:
Take good care of your mother.
| did not intend to come to this. Oh,
how l would like to stay TO see you,
but nothing but asylum before me-"
After a blank space, this follows:
Never retire from business, Lyle:
that is what ruined the man you call
father"
Mchithew had dealt until recently in
real estate speculations in Long
Beach, Cal. Two months ago he re-
turned from California after an alb
sence OF eight years