Lampson, Chipman died 1858

LAMPSON

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 1/6/2022 at 18:04:33

Suicide - A most painful report has just reached us. Chipman Lampson, as he was best known in this vicinity, an estimable young man and brother to Messers. Lampson, the confectioners, committed suicide at Eldorado, Fayette County, Iowa, on the night of Sunday, Nov. 7th.

We are in possession of no particulars except a report that he was waiting on a young lady on the evening that he committed the dreadful act; some disagreement occurred which the world has no business to known; anticipating an unhappy meeting he had taken laudanum with him, and when his thoughts reached the point of Desperation he deliberately drank the poison, informed her of it and died in three hours after!

~Weekly North Iowa Times, (McGregor, IA) November 10, 1858; pg 2

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Suicide of Lampson - Correction.
The following letter from D. Lacy, Esq., P.M. at West Union, will be read with interest by the numerous friends of the Lampson family. In our statements last week we had the authority of a reliable citizen of West Union who left that place on the morning of Mr. Lampson's death. The deceased was a resident of Eldorado - hence the error as to location.

It is now believed that our informant was imposed upon, in the attribution of a cause for the suicide, by the malicious report of an unfeeling and unsuccessful rival of the deceased. We have no comment to make on such conduct - it is too hyena-like to call for more than a mere reference to it. Publishers in getting at facts are liable to gross imposition, and the only remedy which this case admits of, is the publication of the fetter found below, we very much regret that our paragraph of last week has given pain to many of the friends of the deceased:

West Union, Nov. 11th, 1858
Dear Col: The report that you received in regard to the Suicide of A.C. Lampson, is not true in any particular except that he was keeping company with a young lady and that he took Laudanum and died. As to his having any disagreement with the young lady, it is not so. The young lady is living at my house and the act was committed there, instead of at Eldorado. It think it was caused by trouble of a very different kind.

When he was quite young, he had what is called the "St. Vitus Dance" and came near dying, it left his nerves in a very bad condition. Some time this Spring he was engaged with another man, in trying to secure some timber that was swept off from the dam at Eldorado, and after working in the water over half a day, they gave it up and started for home.

On the way they had to swim the river, and when about half across, this man cried to Lampson that he was drowning. Lampson, being a little ahead, turned round and caught him and swam for the shore with him, and would have succeeded in getting him there had not the man got frightened and clinched Lampson and drew him under the water, and it was with great difficulty that he released himself from the grasp of the drowning man and got ashore himself, after having done all he could to save the man. Some of the people living in that vicinity (and I am glad to say they were but few) blamed Lampson for not saving the man. This has troubled him very much; his friends and most intimate acquaintances have remarked that he is not the same person that he was before the occurrence.

I think that this one circumstance had more to do with the taking his own life, than anything else. It is a very sad affair, and I hope I may never witness another like one. You will recollect that I left McGregor about 10 o'clock that morning, I arrived home about 11 P.M. and had been in bed half an hour, when he was taken the worst, and when I got out of my room he was perfectly insensible, but he continued to breath till about 4 o'clock in the morning.

It is in justice to the feelings of his friends that I make these statements so that you may in your next paper correct the impression that has gone abroad in regard to the matter.
D. Lacy

~Weekly North Iowa Times, (McGregor IA), November 17, 1858; pg 2