Year: 1872

Death Preferable 20 Being Cast for
| graqaq Minor Parts. qtu efF
From the Nashville Banner. March III "a
W.R. Roberts, the actor who attempt
ed to kill himself by thrusting the blade
Of a pocket knife into his breast and
abdomen thirty-one times, at Bowling
Green, Tuesday afternoon, lies in 80
critical a condition that but little hope
OF his recovery is entertained.


Roberts was subject to fits of melan-
choly and frenzy--a state Of mind which
is believed TO have been occasioned by
the partial loss of his voice year OF Sc
since, in consequence of which he had
TO be cast for minor parts. This de
pressed his spirit to such a degree that
he came to the conclusion that he was
untitled for the world and the world for
him, and that the sooner he was out Of
1.-THE better. While suffering from the
sings and arrows of outrageous for
tune" he would often remark that the
burden of life was too heavy for him
and admitted that his thoughts ever
tended toward that mysterious bourne
from which NO traveller ever returns.
About four weeks ago he tried to kill
himself at Winchester, Virginia, by cut.
ting an ugly cash in his throat, but was
savod by skillful doctor and careful
nursing. .@


Early Tuesday afternoon, Roberts
went to bed in one Of the hotels at Bowl
ing Green. The opposite bed was oecu.
pied by Mr.. s. W. Ashley, who had been
suffering from a bilious attack. Al
half past three o'clock Mr.. Ashley
got up and dressed himself for the pur
pose Of going after some medicine
Roberts asked him to close the door
after him, as he wanted to take an unin
terrdptedlsRhp. As Mr. Ashley went
through the passage way, he heard Rob
erts get up and lock the door, but thought
nothing Of the circumstance. HMr. Ash
ley did not return to the room until ne
went with William Vestell, the latter
having been requested to do so by Miss
Kate Estelle, Roberts sister, who said
she believed her brother intended to kill
himself She had previously golie to
his room and asked admittance. I! DE
opened the door for her and she tho, lght
she observed blood lnpon him, but the
room was SO dark that she was not c,sr'
tain as to this fact. He remarked l'o
her, as she left the room, that she wouh
be sorry il she didn't stop there and not
go to the hall that night. As the hour
at which she was to appear upon the
stage had almost arrived, she hastened
to the hall, hoping to tiRd and send some
one to prevent Roberts from doing any
harm to himself. Hb


When Vestell, Ashley and the land
lord attempted to enter Roberts room,
they found the door locked and had to
force it open, Roberts having become so
weakened from the loss Of blood that he
was unable to rise from his bed. 1t was
discovered that he had lost nearly gal
lon and a half Of blood, that his cloth
ing, the sheets, quilts and the bed were
completely saturated. The inside door
knob which be had turned, upon the ap-
pearanee of his sister, was covered with
blood, and the floor, from his bed to the
door, was red with the life-stream which
he had so desperately poured out. His
most serious wounds were below and
above the heart aud through the lungs,
though none Of the cuts we're much wider
than the knife-blade with which he had
stabbedhimself. The blade was as sharp
as any razor, and If it had been pushed
from side to side would doubtless have
produced almost instant death.


The unhappy man insisted that his
wounds would prove mortal, and shook
his head despairingly when any chance
for his recovery was suggested. On the
last page of his diary the following entry
had been made: ,0. .


Mr.. Ashley has just left the room. i
am going to take a good long sleep.
Good-by, Life, forever.


Very little Of Roberts history is known
here. w. r. Roberts is said to be his
professional name. He was from New
York, and had been connected with the
Jenny Willmore troupe only since she
became the lessee Of the Masonic Thea
ter. He will be cared for by the hospit-
able people of Bowling Green.