The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-08-24
377 SUICIDES In
NY. SINCE JANUARY
SOCIETY FORMED TO PREVENT
SUCH CRIMES. VERY DIFFER
ENT CONDITIONS YEARS AGO.

! NEW YORK.-Since he first of the
year 234 men and 103 women have
committed suicide in New York city.
Of these two-thirds were between the
ages of twenty-five and fifty. Twelve
were under twenty-one. The profess
sion leading in numbers was the med
ical Nearly half of these "own-llte
takers" chose illuminating gas for
exit purposes. Six jumped from up
per floors of tall buildings and the re-
mainder were about equally divided
between drownings and the use of re-
volvers. Only today three suicides
were reported, which is about the aver
age run for this city.
For the same period of six months
the number Of suicides in the United
States was put at 2771. Life insur-
ance officials tell me that this is a
low estimate. However, we shall ac-
cept the former figure, which is an ac-
tual counting of known suicides. On
that basis New York city, with ap-
proximately fewer than per cent of
the population of the entire country,
furnishes more than 8 per cent of its
suicides; good place, indeed, for psy-
biologists to research around in.
Another associated industry now
raging is the morbid epidemic of VIC
lent deaths in which women promi-
nently figure, both as avengers" and
victims. Chicago has been closely
pressing New York for first honors IN
these shootings and Standings of the
battered triangle. In Chicago in the
last few weeks bullets fired in jealousy
have cost the Lives of two men and
three women, placed an army lieuten-
ant in the death cell, soiled the good
name of a school girl, made widows of
two women, destroyed four homes,
killed an innocent bystander and sent
woman to jail.
GOtham's Bloody Record.
New York's star entry, of course,
was the still unsolved murder of JOS
eph Bovine Elwell, the bridge whist
expert. Since then this great sea-
board metropolis has supplied four
women who opened heavy fire upon the
objects of their affection, a love
agreement double finish, a trunk muir
der mystery, five jealousy killings in
the foreign population quarters, and
this morning every front page scream
ed the finding of a South American
dentist shot dead in his apartment on
~ a block distant from the Elwell res
idence with bullet-scarred man and
woman in the hospital saying they
were the victims of the dead man't
heart aches.
Extraordinary prevalence of murder
and self murder! 1t has no parallel
in recent years. They are kindred
crimes-murder and self -murder-foI
frequently a suicide is but the disap-
plished murder. One wonders to what
extent the movies with their thrilling
plots are responsible. 1t makes many
careless liver SILVER. 1t has caused
one man, who promenades Fifth ave-
nue. daily, humorously to remark: 81
am getting acquainted with my left
shoulder"
rev SulclueS 1UU Tears ASus
The old newspaper files in the pub
lie library are worth perusing. A
study of the death records a hundred
years ago in New York showed that
suicides were few and far between
AS for murders from jealousy, they
occurred but not frequently. Disap-
pointed lovers in the days of old Law
ender and lace had a habit of finding
new doorsteps to decorate with the
protestations of their affection. Fur
thermore, a century back the New
York bride came to her husband with
a chest of linen and spinning wheel
an ability to put up preserves and a
willingness. to do household work
She was satisfied with one silk dress
for Sunday and gala affairs. One new
hat a year was ample to accomplish
her complete happiness, and by refur-
nishing the old ones she always looked
chic and adorable. So they wrote in
the bygone times.
Today the average Gotham bride
comes just as beautiful, but according
to the current journals with an insati-
able craving for spending money, ex-
citing adventure and continuous pleas
ure. Nothing short of half a dozen
French gowns, dozens of boxes of
shoes, silk stockings and lingerie, and
rows and rows of hats in the closet
satisfies her taste. Homework she
will have none of it. If she enters
the kitchen to make salad one may
never hear the last of it and to do
with less than one maid-horrors! She
lunches out, has tea in a shop off
Fifth avenue, plays bridge, and only
attains the apex of joy when wrapped
in sables on the rear seat of a twin
six bound for Ben Riley's or some
other eatery where there is good
music for dancing.
Ell, what!