A Lesson For The Times

On Tuesday morning last Williarn S. Wood, President of tho Grornfield (Indiana) Manufacturing Corapany, a leuding business man of Hancock county, registered at Üie Union Depot dining hall, requéstiñg that he iniglit be given a room immediately, as he was not feeling well. Yesterday morning he was discovered in Ms room siiffering froin opium poisouing, and soon after expired. It seems that he cMiberately took the poison, first indicting a letter which oxplaiDed the reason of nis taking off. Tbe letter is addressed to whoni it may concern, and reads as follows: Know you that wbile Ufe has had many pleasant "charms for me, yet I have so poorly applied my powers of intellect as tq suffer myself to beconie so deeply involved in financia! ruin a to leave me in a kelplexa eondition. So, flnding myself ruined financially. and in view of the fact that I, having heavy indebtedneee over me, had oominittod that awful crime of forging the name of Pratt & Baldwin, Marión Forgey, J. W. Eyan and Thomaa Ward to anote for 81,000, and had diflcounted the same at tho Citizeim' National Bank of Indiauapolis, a bank for vhom I die bearing the greatest love and regard. Also I forged my father's and father-m-law 3 name to a note for L4.000. payab'.o to the First National Bank of Cambridge City, and there got Marión Forgey to sign it, and placed it in Keu of one tbat I hal forged for the Bame amount, and gave as Becurity my fatlier, , Thomas Wood. and father-in-law, W. L. ; riatt. Fiirthermore. I had found for a long time pat that my father was bocoming uneasy about my auccess in burineas, and I, not i ing to di'sturb him on my account, have forged ; hiu name for the laat two years, and to-day, on I all the papers that his name appeare, it was I placed by my own accursed hand ; and while I ! determiñed "tq pass througU tho pauio of two yeare ago, and pay every creditor that I owed a ceut in the world, I little over thought that 1 interest and failures of different debtors would ! ao enibarrass me that I shonld come to this end, that I am uow about to launch my life iato ! a bouncüess eternity. Had Forgey, Pratt et Baldwin took my advice, j I could have held out and paid all my indebtedi mess and aaved injBelf from suicide and my f am; ily from disgrace. I nevar forged a name to a "paper with ihe expectation of the party ever t being called upon topay it, orthe party holding the paper to lose a cont in any way. Neitner would they. ooh11 1 only have been left alone for a year 'or moro, as I have boen for months past goiug to Bhore aa fast as I eould pull through the troubled financial waters. I pray forgiveness from all. I must aay that John B. Bhnmona, eashfer of the Citizens' Bank, was the prime mover in ruahing forward my threo suretiea. I have paid fiiteen per cent. to P. H. Boyd, Allison Boyd, W. K. Hougb, G. G. Tagne, and Meliasa Cooper, all wealthy, and to J. P. Paulson twelve aud a half per cent. ; to John B. and N. 1). Siminons, twelve per cent. discount in advance, and to other partjes large interests. Wül you nov. now that 1 am or very soon will be dead, contribute sometbing to a poor, honest, induftriouB, eonfiding wife, leít a widow, ivitli three little prattling babea, and no meaiiH, no father, no shelter of their own. I am too brave to run away and leave them oe of me, and to drag out a life of miiery and Ionging to eoe and behold what I dare not andoannot without suffering the pangs of an outraged law tliat would confine me for the reinainder of a long life in pr'Bon walls. Oh, God, may my sad fate warn any aud all who shall hoar of my terrible ending that the first debt made lays the road to ruin. that indebtedness begins to brinp; on crime, care and anxiety, aud corrupta the ! moral Bentiments of the best of minds. I earni eatly aak of all that I owe anything to to walt with patience anl not sue my sureties. ae m offects and iiismrauce, if properiy nanniea, wm n all my indebtedneas. I earnestly ask a gonerous jjublic to divide ita substanee by paying liberal pricea f or all my property. I have labored hard for the town of Greenfleld and its moral good. Will you not do something to make vrhat I havo" aecumulated bring such prices that none fshall suffer, but all, both those who hold forged Befturity, and those who have only my own name, may realize fiilly wliat w juntly Üieirs ? My good, trae wife ha alwaye been a pleaeure to me, and begired me not to ' speculate as I bave done. Oh, thatlhad taken j her counsel. She hus been my solace in affliction, my comfort in onr married lifc, and in no ■vay is ehe to be senteneed or scorned for my ! misdeeds and misfortunes. My dear children, [ Lord God, who doeBt all things well, bloss them ] and malie theii lives pleasant and reconcile j I them and their mother to my fate. I have taken two policies in the Masóme Benefit for my children. I have $2,500 for my dear wife in the Union Mutual or the North western, of Milwaukee. I also took $7.000 for my wife and ohildrcn in the Franklia Life Insarauoe Company, on the 28th, the ' same dav I took the Masonic. I dou't know ■whctlier the 7.000 one will be approved or not, but I hope it will. I have alwaya feit that it was my greatCHt duty to provide for my I family. ancf I have, at thia short notice, no i other"way to do so than to resort to the insur! anee conipauies and ask of them all their kindest charities, not to leave my little onea poor, Btarving and wretcheá. I cannot bear the thoucht that I die and leave so little. I got from Browning & Sloan'a dnig store, on tne evening of the 28tb, rnorpbia and chloroform enough to sleep me easily across the rolling river, and, believing my God knowe my honeet deeire. I go henee resigned. Father, mother, brothers, sisters. friendH, all, farewell. Charles Downing, be good to my wife and children, and never suffer them to' want. Eead Proverbs; they wil! teil you what kind of a lifo mine has"been- ciesiring riehes, yetdying poor. I hope the Coroner will not tronble himself or any of my friends to hold a lengthy inquest. Fnially, Father and Mother Garriatt, be kind to my chüdren. I know you will. I have written hantüy, and expect to havemade eiTors. 1 have uot time to read and correct. It is now 2 o'clock a. m. Oh ! Lord, receive my spint, and do not Iet me be distnrbed nntil dead. Seft. 29, 1875. William S. Wood. In addition to the above statement, anumber of pieces of paper- medicino wrappers, etc- were fonnd. all written npou. He expresses ! tho hope tuat bis estáte will pay the Cifeens Hank of Iudianapolis, wliich. holds no paper or securities that do not bear forged signatures. He then adds : " I h ad iutende.i to die at home I last night, but my wifo woold not sleep, henee I die here to-day. Edúcate my children. Icue reaiguod, and know that I have no iusanity I whatever. Farewell to the world and all its oys.