The Washington times., 1923-04-06
BARES MOTIVES
THAT LEAD To
SUICIDE
Head of Save-a-Life-League
Says Many End Lives Be-
cause of Hunger.
By VIOLA BROTHERS SHORE.
(copyright. 1923. by Cosmopolitan News
Service

BY VIOLA BROTHERS SHORE.
(Copyright, 1923, by Cosmopolitan News
Service.)
NEW YORK, April 6-"Girls com
NIT suicide because of love-men
because of money-millionaires kill
themselves because of i'll health,
drugs, or family troubles.
That sums up today the experience
of the Rev. DR.. Harry M. Warren,
who, in his position as head of the
Save.A-Life League, has come in
contact with perhaps more would-be
suicides than any other man in the
country.
Most suicides are not insane" he
explained. MANY are only in need
of q good doctor-some Of a good
lawyer-some need minister. The
league supplies them with, whatever
kind OF counsel they need. But the
pitiful thing is how many Of them
need only a few dollars. Sometimes
five or ten dollars will keep a Young
life from going out forever!
Driven by Starvation.
"A great many people ended their
lives last year because they were
literally starving to death. Here in
this big city. where there is so much
food daily thrown out of our fine
hotels and restaurants!
"One Of the most pitifuI cases ]
know was of an intelligent and
pretty girl who attempted suicide
at the Martinique hotel because her
money was all gone and she had
come down so far in life. She was
rushed to hospital where, after a
terrific battle, she recovered. But
her condition was still desperate
and the league notified her pal that
this friend. who, formerly in her
prosperity had helped her, was now
down and out.
Drops Dead at Work.
but the pal, now prosperous and
the wife Of a prominent judge, paid
no attention to letters, telephones
and personal calls. Finally the girl
succeeded In finding a job as teIe-
phone operator. But the day she
began work she dropped dead at the
switchboard. In her room were
found empty cans from which she
had scraped the food. That girl
had actually starved to death. The
Day Of her funeral her former friend
gave q luncheon to several ladies
at which the favors were punches
Of orchids. The price OF those
orchids alone would have saved her
life.
Many young girls come to us
because they are unfortunate. They
no longer can conceal their condi-
ton and they are afraid that when
it becomes known they VIII be
turned away from home. They see
nothing before them but the river.
We see that they reach a maternity
hospital where they can leave their
babies, afterward. In good hands
ana nobody win know anything
about It
Old Men Want to Die.
5. old men come to US because
they feel they are In the way. They
want to die 50 as not to be a
nuisance to q daughter-in-law or a
son.
"A young man employed In a
bank, married and the father of
two small children, owning q
charming little home In Jersey land
this Is only q variation OF many.
many similars cases) came to me.
One night he had stepped out
with some Of the boys-had spent
too much money-taken It from
the bank. This had gone on for
some time. An accounting was
due. He faced disgrace-ten years
In prison-and felt that suicide was
the only way out. We sent to the
young mans father, whom he had
been afraid to face. The father
mortgaged his own home-replaced
the money. The young man had
learned his lesson and became a
better man than he had ever been
before.
Millionaire Shoots Self.
Van Cortlandt, the millionaire,
before his death went to his min
lister and told him he intended to
XIII himself. The minister talked
him out Of 1t, at the time. Never
thetess: he went home and shot
"Seventy-nine millionaires ended
their lives last year. The reasons
seem to be largely i'll health, al.
though great many are addicted
to the use OF drugs and narcotics.
And some have had family troubles.
After all. a millionaire who is hav-
ing trouble with his wife is Just as
unhappy as any other man.
One man wrote and published a
work giving 400 reasons for com.
hitting suicide. The poor wretch
must have been convinced by his
own logic, for he subsequently
killed himself.
Children occasionally come to us.
There is a heavy suicide rate among
children. They kill themselves be-
cause they are unhappy at home
or in i'll health-but largely because
OF suggestion from reading about
suicide and death.
Loneliness Is Motive,
Loneliness causes a great rnanv
people to attempt to end their lives.
More physicians commit suicide
than any other class of people.
More wealthy people kill them.
selves than poor ones.
"One lovely young woman