The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-01-04
SeIf-DeStruction an Increasing
Hazard in Life Insurance
in This Country.
MOST NUMEROUS in THE WEST
Statistics Show Suicide Rate Has APP
parentIy Reached Stationary Level
Highest Rates in Years OF
Great Business Depression.


The sections in which the greatest
number of suicides occur, the ages at
which the greatest number of persons
end their lives, the relative number
of self-killings of the present day as
contrasted with other periods, are all
analysed by the writer, Frederick l..
Hoffman.
The chief conclusion reached is that
the suicide rate in this country, while
fairly high, has apparently reached
stationary level. That is, it has
increased but tiny fraction during
the last five years over the five years
preceding.
An uneXplainable, or unexplained,
fact about American suicides is that
they are far more numerous in the
western, Rocky mountain and central
regions than in the East. The further
West the Investigator looks, the more
suicides he finds.
The Statistics.
The following table is based on the
percentage of self-destructions per
100000 of population during the five
years ending with 1914:
Section. Cities. Suicides. Per CT.
Eastern .........55 10,119 1915
Central .........17 1898 $50
Rocky Mountain. 3 $40 2S.6
Pacific Coast. 80. 8 3,0S2 34.4
San Diego, Cal, has the record of
the highest suicide rate in the coun-
try, it being 63.3 per 100000 of popula-
ton. San Francisco is not far behind
having a rate of 55.7. Sacramento is
also a place conducive to suicide, APP
parently, for its rate is 51.2. These
figures are for the year 1915, consid-
cred separately, and in each Of those
cases show increases over the percent
age for the previous five years.
The figures for 100 American cities
show that the general suicide rate for
1915 was 20.7, as against 2O.3 for the
period between 191O-14 The trifiing
increase throughout the whole coun-
try is caused by the great increase
which the far Western cities had.
San Diego's increase was 2O.1, Sacra-
mento's 1876, San Francisco's SO.
Manhattan and the Bronx, which
are analysed together as city, had
suicide rate during 1915 of 1914 per
100000, as against 1876 during the five
years before, an increase of O.S. Back
in the years between 10000 the rate
was 21.7.
Augusta, Ga, had the lowest rate
of all American cities which were in
vestigated, the record in 1915 being
four persons per 100000 Mobile, Ala,
also was low, with 5.3. Auburn, N.
Y, had q record Of 81.
High suicide rates, the Spectator
points out, have to a certain extent
been connected with years Of bad
business and years when business
houses failed, as in 1894, following the
1893 panic, when the general rate was
1873, and 1908, following the last panic,
when the rate reached the highest
mark In the country's history, 21.6.
The smaller the city the fewer the
suicides. the investigator found. OF
the 100 cities considered, rs were IN
der 100000 population. These showed
q self-destructiOn rate Of 1872 per 1OO,-
900. The "a cities above the quarter
million mark showed an aggregate
rate of oil.
More Men Than Women.
Manv more men than women end
their lives. The tables show that the
highest rate for the male sex is BIB
per cent and that the period of life
at which this number Of men commit
suicide is between the ages Of forty
five and Gfty-four The highest rate
for women is 1870 per cent, and the
favorite age for self-destructiOn is be-
tween fifty-five and sixty-fOur.
Two boys between the ages of five
and nine are on record as having
killed themselves in the period be-
tween 1904. Ten was the most
Youthful age at which there is record
of girls having committed suicide, 60
having made away with themselves
between ten and fourteen years.
There were 4S,79S suicides in the
between 1910 ana 1914.
AS to seasons, the greatest number
Of suicides appear to have occurred
in May and June, the rate for those
months being 93, The smallest num-
Der occur in January-7.4.
Firearms were the favOrite method
during the period under analysis H.
432 persons having shot themselves.
Poisoning was next, with 1899. linen
came hanging, with 1907; asphyxia-
ton. 1884; cutting instruments 3,l42;
2,71G, and jumping from
high places,S34.
DESPITE the virtually stationary rate
If suicide. the writer regards self-de-
in his summing up, as an
hazard In life insurance"
~-~~~S~~~~~~
"But the next day he returned, said
no .iust couldn't behave himself around
me- kissed me on the cheek and left
the house quickly"
After the jurors had heard Mr.. Kuz-
nier deny the alleged act, they looked
again at Mrs. Nish and then agreed