Suicide-William A. Nutt-1850

NUTT, LAMARTINE

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 12/9/2018 at 17:18:50

The Miner’s Express, Du Buque Visitor, Wednesday, Mar 20, 1850, Dubuque, IA, Page: 3

Suicide

A most melancholy occurrence took place on board the steamer Lamartine, on her passage from Potosi to this City, on Monday night last.

Mr. William A. Nutt, a young man, who has been residing in this city for several months past, shot himself through the head with a revolver on the hurricane deck of the boat, about an hour before she reached the landing.

He went on board the boat Monday forenoon, for a mere pleasure trip to Potosi and back. While on the boat, he was observed to be unusually depressed and melancholy. He spent much time during the day in writing, and during the fore part of the night was observed to be walking much by himself, to and fro in the cabin. About 12 o’clock, the report of a pistol was heard upon the upper deck; which, however, attracted no attention until morning, when the body was found, in the place mentioned, cold and stiff in death.

The body was lying with the head near the aft guard, a vial which contained laudanum, was in his left hand, the cork lying near, a six revolver was lying about four feet on his right. His skull was perforated by a bullet at a point about three inches above and back of the right ear, the ball ranging towards the left ear.

He had written letters to several of his friends in this city and one to his father in Washington, D. C. In those to his friends here, he assigns for the cause of the act he was about to commit, that he would not survive the loss of reputation brought about his recent dissipations.

Mr. Nutt was, as we understand, a son of Major Nutt, a clerk in the Treasury Department in Washington; he was a young man of refined feelings and polished manners, with a mind exhibiting much native strength and no small share of cultivation. He was an occasional contributor to our columns during the winter and was the writer of the article on the Preservation of the Union, in our last paper, over the signature of “Andre”. His mind was filled with patriotic emotions delighted to dwell upon themes connected with the glorious destinies of the state and country. How sad and sickening is the reflection that the bright prospects which might have led him in triumph through the world, should have been dimmed and blackened by the demon of intemperance!

How audibly do the sounds come ringing to our ears, from everything in and around our city, from their dram shops and their haunts of vice, saying in thunder tomes to the companions of Nutt. YOUNG MA, BEWARE!!!