Year: 1871

Joke. desperate gamester IL salu 10 ha'e
sold his head to an anatOmlst for money
enough to play final stake, and, after losing,
WAS iudged by a jury of honor among his friends
IN have committed gross violation of all the
conrenonces by blowing hole through piece
Of property to which he had no longer any
claim. The suicides of the present day exhibit
eoual deliberation and an equally coniused
perception of legal and moral obligation Sew
oral men of Late have taken the last relics OF
their scanty fortunes and effected an insurance
upon their lives, and then have killed them
selves for the benefit of their families.
In all cases so far the Courts have held the
Comnanies liable for the amount of the insur-
ance. regarding suicide as an incident Oh
insanity and one among the accidents against
which this provident measure Is designed 10
guard. If, however, these affairs exhibit
tendency to reproduce themselves TOO ire
ouently, it may well be seriously considered
whether some legislation is not necessary 10
restrict the responsibility of the Companies, 80
that an institution SO useful and so beneficial
shall not become an encouragement to self
slaughter.


One of the most singular cases of this KIND
has recently occurred in Memphis. Hebrew
named Spears, a small shopkeeper, who had,
by the close and sagacious application Tor
which his race is remarkable, accumulated
little property worth some $4,000, in an untor-
tunate hour was induced to gamble for
small amount, which he lost. Not being able
to endure the thought of losing money without
an equivalent, he went on for some months
with the fatal idea that luck would turn, and
of course lost all he was worth. He took the
precautiOn to insure his life for $4,000 for the
benefit of his wife, and then went through to
the end of his means. On the last day of his life
he asked his wife for some money. After re-
monstrating with him for his course OF life
she gave him five dollars, with which he
trudged away to- the den where his happiness
had been squandered, and played for some
time with unusual success; but at last the coil
was frightened upon him and he was penniless.
On his way homo at night he stopped at
tavern and wrote heart-broken letter to his
wife, in which the sOrdid little cares of busi-
ness are curously mingled with bursts of
passionate grief. He sends tender farewell
to his "good and true wife, and his brave
"boy Bennie," and takes care to say that
he "owes Mr.. Baldwin five dollars"





"b bed-lnen ard the large dolls" Now |
"see," he cries, "what a loving and good
"wife is. / was the villain; can | answer
"before God But, dear wife, it is better for
you" Here he reverts to the monetary
standard of valuation. I" If | die, then you
receive $1,000; but should | have lived, our
whole capital would have been but $500"
This is an alternative in the face of which
there is no possibility of hesitation. Although
his heart is bleeding at the separation, it
would not be possible to resist such bar
gain. "Zum letzten Male, lebt wohl lebt
wohl / have paid the rent up to the 14th
"of July" With this strange letter in his
pocket he went home; and in the morning
was so unusually gay as to excite the surprise
of his family He had swallowed poison, and
was as excited as a child at the prospect of
his journey he died apparently without regret.


There is a widespread confusion of moral
perception in regard to such performances,
which is not only the predisposing cause to
most of these suicides, but also influences the
general feeling of sympathy for the survivors
as against the defrauded corporations. 1t goes
beyond that natural and whimsical fancy of
the boatman who thought himself drowning,





was that it was a good joke on the insurance
companies. 1t tends to place the insurer and
the insured on the footing of hostility, instead
of cooperation, where they really stand An
Arkansas gentleman tersely expressed this
distorted view of the case when, declining
the 0veTtures of an agent, he said he " had
played about every game there was on the
" cards, but would MT go into a thing where
"he had got to die to VIM There is 10
other idea in the wretched mind of poor
Spears, as he prepares to perfect his title to
that five thousand dollars, which he considers
his own. His death is only a necessary for
mula to enable him to draw the money.


The disregard for life which, in Oriental
countries, finds its highest expression in duels
by hari-kari and in vicarious executions has
long been regarded as marking the most radi-
cad point of difference between the Eastern
and the Western mind. But if we are to go
on in the way which has been indicated in the
last twelvemOnth-yOun metaphyscians taking
poison for purposes of discovery, lovers who
fear separation killing themselves with no set
tied arrangements for housekeeping anywhere
else and steady fathers of family committing
suicide in the interests of their bank account
how long will it be that we can look with
wonder or disgust upon our antipOdes, where,
as a recent traveller requests us to believe, the
hight of practical jesting consists in suicide
Oh a neighbours property, so as to give him the
amusement of a trial for murder?