Griffin -Jack - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Mr. Jack Griffin lives with his interesting family out on Beech Street. He recently came here from Danville, Ill and as a usual sort of thing is a man of great determination. He tackled a job Wednesday of last week, however, that completely stumped him and he is now in the dumps. Jack concluded that he would commit suicide, and a conclusion with Jack is final. He accordingly purchased a pint of whisky and a couple of ounces of laudanum and after taking the former proceeded, if we may be permitted to drop into his happy turn of phrase, "to irrigate his innards" with the latter. Then he went home to die. He told his wife what he had done and she, having a great aversion to death in the house, forced him to go out to the wood shed. She propped him up comfortable like on an empty soap box in one corner and then did her duty by the medical profession in telephoning from a neighboring store for Dr. Barcus, who is popularly supposed to simply revel in the delights attendant on the voluntary taking off of unhappy humans. Dr. Barcus came in the due course of time and found Mr. Griffin propped upon the soap box as his wife had left him. As in the case of the soldier of the legion, "there was a lack of woman's nursing, there was a lack of woman's tears," but Jack was doing tolerably well in spite of that fact. He was clearly under the influence of the drug to some considerable extent but was not so far gone as to prevent his informing the doctor that he feared he was pizen proof. When the doctor had fully satisfied himself on this score he went away marvelling greatly for three heavy hyperdermic injections of a powerful emetic failed to elicit form Mr. Griffin even so much as a hiccough. Friday Mr. Griffin was able to be out, but having failed in a pet undertaking is a changed and saddened man.  - typed by kbz