The Washington herald., 1920-08-15
Suicide and Murder Statistics in NetD
York ShoU Doctors Lead; Gas Fauorite
Means; Shattered LoOe Leading Cause

/ ing Of a South American dentist shot
dead in his apartment only a block
distant from the EIwen residence
with a bullet SCARED man and wom-
an in the hospital saying they were
/ the victims OF the dead mans heart
aches.
There is an organization actively
working fer prevention Of murder
and self-murder. 1t is the "Save-a-
Tile League" with headquarters at
los West Seventy-seventh street.
which gives practical sympathy and
advice, personally or by correspon-
dence, to those laboring under Sc
we're mental strain. 1t aims to pre-
vent the spread of tragedy by eN-
tending consolation into homes that
through suicide or murder have been
grief stricken and Inundated.
Nv G are going to make our work
. national, and shortly will establish
! four new branches" said DR.. Henry
Marsh Warren, president Of the
league, today
Suicides studied.
"One of these branches will be in
Chicago and others in Atlanta. Ros-
ton and Los Angeles. Southern Cali
fornia, where many people 60.
broken in health. offers a fertile
field for our work. A study or The
suicide cases for the last four wears
in New York City reveals that many
of the principals have come here in
the anguish of deep misery. with
w"lI-matured plans to end their
lives. They get into the big ho-
tells and in the awful loneliness
of a great city brood for day. over
their troubles. DR.. Salmon claims,
! you may know, that the suicide
impulse is often as natural a the
impulse to safeguard life.
IF ministers who officiate at mar
I riages only took upon Themselves
the responsibility of following up
the people they have Joined in we'd
lock. much good. 1 am sure. could
be accomplished in life salvage and
life lengthening. Say for them to
write the welded ones an unfit
ing, refreshing letter at the end
OF each hVe years. I myself have
married upwards of 5000 couples
and feel an accountability. The
league for the present will con-
tent itself by sending an appeal
to ministers throughout the coun-
try to set aside at least one sun
day out of the fifty-two to preach
upon the sanctity of human life and
the evils of destroying it,"
Expressed curiosity as to lust
how the league managed to soothe
the suicide mania and the method
of getting into touch with the af-
fliCted brought this response from
DR.. Warren:
Personal Letters sent,
The publication of just such AR
ticles as yours helps let the public
know we exist and where we can
be reached. Once they know there
is a fount where their confdenceA
are held sacred. they come or vrrita
to us for the relief that the telling
creates. on receipt of an ahnaaI
one of our board writes a per-
sonal letter in response, Not a
typed letter, but one written nv
hand and dealing directly with the
inquiry made. We have some er-
cellent pamphlets for Enclosure
One is the suicides prayer An
other is twelve reasons why II ia
wrong to take life.' We have sew
eral stimulating poems, each an
plicable TO a particular case.
we also emphasize the religious
aspects, but from a nonsectarran
standpoint. We have achieved ex-
Gallant res,iltg for most rzau,. 80,
the life. destroying desire are NOT
insane; simply Curable neuroticsy
perhaps become little unnatural
in the processes by which they
measure their woes"