SUICIDE BY CREMATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7222, 10 January 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUICIDE BY CREMATION.

News of a horrible occurrence that took place at Brock Held, U.S., is published. Horace Delaud, a young man 18 years of age, the ton of a respectable farmer of the place, committed suicide by cremation. It is said that he met a young woman at Brook field at a dance in that village last winter and fell in lovo with her, paying her a grejit deal of attention and finally proposing marriage. Her name is Ella Dinsmore. She thought more of another.'nan than of him, and rejected him. For several weeks past ho has been seen lingering about her residence, but never succeeded in getting an interview. He refused to associate with his former companions, and fell into despondency The other day his feelings reached the climax of despair. He-went out into a clearing close by his father's house, chopped down a lot of dead tree*, and dragged them to the centre of the clearing, where he stacked them together, fastening them as firmly as if they were rooted in the ground. He stuffed a lot of dry grass and paper underneath, ready to ignite, and then went back to his room, win re he sat down and penned a pathetic note to his parents, telling them he felt his life already blighted and had not courage to face it, and that he had to face death. He told them where to find his body and left the note in hia room, knowing, when he was mused, the room would be searched. Securing to or three chains which bis father had used for fastening fox hounds to kennels, he returned to the pile of brush and succeeded in lashing himself tightly to the old trees and then set fire to the brush. The frightful agony which ho endured was shown by the fact that after being lashed to tho pile, he tried to cut his throat with an old razor. The note was of course found by his parents, and yesterday morning the body, which had been burned beyond recognition, was found also. He had been seen collecting brush by a farmer, but nothing was thought of the circumstance at the time. After that an inmate of the house saw him writing in his room. It is believed that the unfortunate lad had been demented for a long time.