The Cotton Factory Times. — 1894-04-27 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

BIIICIDISS.  A lad—Becartse out of work; was rescued from Thames with difficulty. A Croydon tailor—Because be had mislaid a pair of trousers given him to repair.  The last would be laughable were it not for the fact that the consequences might have been tragio. Fancy a man trying to kill himself because he couldn't find a pair of trousers.  Let us now analyse the list of suicides. We get this:7 committed suicide from no known cause. 4 „ „ because of poverty or bad trade. 2 „ from grief on account of others. 2 „ „ „ bad health. 1 „ „ „ reading trashy fiction. 1 ~ through punishment. •,' 1 ~ „ from depression.  I think we may assume that the seven who are classified as "from no known cause," committed suicide because of poverty, and add them to the  four already put under that head. That makes 11 suicides out of 18 due to destitution or fear of it; over 61 por cent.  Juqt a few particulars as to the mode of suicide. Six drowned themselves; three out their throats; three took poison; three shot themselves; one hanged himself; one threw himself under a cart; and one jumped out of a high window. Drowning is the most common method of suicide, because the handiest and easiest, I suppose; and also the cheapest. This latter fact strikes one pathetically, for it is noticeable that those who commit suicide through poverty generally drown themselves ; they have no money to purchase poison or weapon. Poverty, therefore, as well as debarring its victims from the choice of a life, carries its cruelty to the edge of the grave, and will not give them even choice of death.  In 15 out of the 18 suicides mentioned a verdict of "temporarily insane" was returned; in two a verdict of " suicide " only; and in one (the Manchester surgeon's case) "death by opium; selfadministered."  I think we will not probe into this subject much further. It lea gruesome topic; yet it opens out into many suggestions and thoughts that are well worth considering. For example, is there not something very wrong in the fact that 61 per cent of the suicides should be due to poverty and privation? All these people cannot be tired of life; they would gladly live if life were worth living. It is a most deplorable thing that in a Christian country any one man should be driven to suicide because of destitution; and you and I, dear reader, are somewhat responsible for it. It will not avail to say, "Oh, these people are weak; they should pluck up and fight, and not be so soon disheartened ;" no, that excuse won't do it aIL For, if we are strong, our strength was given us to help our weaker fellows; and it is our duty to assist them. It is a good thing to be strong; but it is a godly thing to use your strength for uplifting the fallen and downtrodden. The athlete who takes the first prize at the sports may be a fine fellow; but the man who helps the old woman to carry her heavy load across the road is nobler ten thousand times, and has won a greater prize.  It is estimated that there will be about 40,000 Volunteers in camp during Whit week. The week after, 20,000 wives will be busy with mustard plasters and mustard baths, doctoring those Volunteers out of their very bad colds.  We are a very advanced nation. Sixty per cent of our suicides are dins to poverty, forty thousand volunteers go into camp at Whit-week, the Queen graciously wept the other day at the wedding of her grandchildren, the colliers will have to come out again; and yet, with all these light amusements, we are not satisfied; but a girl named Conway must needs go and enjoy herself by throwing stones at " knobsticks," or " blacklags." It is very strange. There was a strike on at Bell's maton works, Lou. don; and this girl got excited, and sent a stone; for which the magistrate humorously sentenced her to a month's hard labour, although it was proved that she was a respectable young woman, and ordinarily well behaved. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to fourteen days. Two other girls, aged 22, have also been arrested for intimidation during the same strike. Truly, this is a noble country!  Yes, a very noble and wise ociuntry, with no fools in it at all, except the population. There has now been a law suit over a haunted house. Somebody named Wm. Edmunds Scott Hall negotiated with the Earl of Abingdon for the purchase of an antique pile called " Cumnor Place, which is supposed to be the ball where the famous Amy Robsart died, and about which, if I am not mistaken, poetry has been written, not to mention other crimes and misdemeanors. The plaintiff, Mr. Hall, contended that Amy Robaart never died at this "Connor Place" at all, and that it was not haunted by her ghost; wherefore he had been mPiled, and wanted the bargain to be declared off. He said that when he intended purchasing it he was solely influenced by the fact that Amy Robeart was said to have died there. However, he lost the case, and will now have to seek for haunted houses elsewhere. Why not apply to W. T. Stead, or to the nearest spiritulist congregation?  Here's a pitiful little tragedy from real life : " Last week Mr. Langham held an inquest at St. John's Vestry, Horsleydown, on the body of a man, name unknown, who ws.s found drowned in the Thames, under the Tower Bridge. Only a halfpenny was found in the pocket of deceased, who appeared to be a poor labouring man. A verdict of 'Found drowned' was returned."  Short, isn't it 9—but not sweet. "Only a halfpenny was found in the pooket of deceased." Alas and alas in all this wealthy land "He appeared to be a poor labouring man I" More alas! and alas! for the end of the poor labouring man. I will make rhyme on this sadness.  "ON!;! A