Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-09
SHADOWS OF INSANITY
DARKEN VISION OF LIFE;
OPTICIAN Is A SUICIDE
Manager of Crown Company
Tried Problems in Geometry
to Ward Off Mind
Weakness
ALSO TOOK UP DRINKING

Intricate algebraic and geometric .nrob.
lems were resorted to in an effort to
| urNe away the oncoming shadows OF in
| SANITY by Clarence w. Walsh general
! manager of the Crown Optical COMPANY,
| VINO Killed himself with gas early TODAY
| street.
Walsh's effort to restore his mental
balance is vividy described in an open
letter, written by him. All his life.
WaIsh wrote, he had fought the horrible
rear that some day he would lose his mind
In the last six months he set forth that
the contest between his lucid self and the
other element which sought to destroy his
mental faculties became a battle which
wrecked his nervous system and nt last
made him decide that the only way out
was to destroy himself.
PLUNGE INTO DISSIPATION
After his wrestling with difficult mathe-
matical problems had failed to clear up his
mentality, Walsh in his "open letter" sa VS.
that in his despair he plunged into dissi-
patton. such as drinking and gambling
and keeping late hours. Walsh confessed
In his letter that his mental disorder was
responsblefor losses to his business asso-
ciates, and he asked them to try to think
charitably of him.
Walsh also left n letter to his wife. in
which he begs her and their darling
babies to forgive him for causing them
so much pain.
HIS OPEN LETTER.
The "opcn letter." in which Walsh tells
of his fight against the inroads of in
sanity, follows:
All my life 1 had n horrible fear of
some day losing my mind. For the
last six months the dread has become
an obsession and grim reality.
Every day brought forth further and
more conclusive evidences of the grad
ual disintegraton of the mental fac
ulties, loss of powers to concentrate,
inability to construct, to overcome the
mental inertia. annunciaton ndistinct,
imperfect coordination and always the
same incessant triphammer pounding
headaches.
At first l wasted many hours in solv-
ing algrebraic ana geometic problems,
attempting to cultivate the power of
concentrating, but lately, realizing this
as futile, | have thrown myself head
long into eXcesses. in smoking, drink
ing, gambling and card playing, and
late hours-anything to drive away the
thought of the inevitable.
L realize that my mental condition
has been in n considerable degree re-
sponslble for losses to my associates
through the business, and | ask them
to think as kindly of me as possible
the clouded mind and vacant stare,
and an expense and useless incum-
brance, drive me to take the quickest
way out.
LETTER TO HIS WIFE.
Walsh's letter to his wife also touches
on his mental suffering. 1t follows:
Sweetest Girl of Mine;
| love you. l know that / am
quitter to leave you this way; but l
can't bear the thought of going crazy.
That's what | honestly think will
happen If l live.
God knows I'd rather give my life to
save you, sweetheart Rose. and my
two darling babies, one moments pain
than / would to cause you the misery
of my death. But you will be better
off in the long run. And my poor,
dear father and sweetheart; God bless
you all; kiss the babies for their poor
unfortunate daddy and bring them up
to be as fine and noble as their
mother and godparents. Good-by,
Rosebud Girl. God bless you and
guard you all CLARENCE.
Walsh's body was round by William
Carter, superintendent of the company
when he went to work at oclock. Carter
smelled gas as soon as he entered the
building, and he found Walsh on the
floor in his private office Several gas
cocks were wide open. Bits of torn paper
scattered about the floor gave mute evil
dence of work in fractions and equations.
Walsh Yas 20 years old, and came to
this city from Connecticut. His father
Is said to be a prosperous business man
in the Nutmeg State, and two of his
brothers are lawyers and two physicians.
Walsh is survived by widow and two
years old, and John,
months old